On football’s biggest stage, Super Bowl Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks returned to the big game after an 11-year hiatus, avenging their 2015 loss to the New England Patriots. The Seahawks defeated the Patriots with a final score of 29 to 13 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Before the game, emotions ran high for long-time Seahawks fan and UPrep Maintenance Assistant David Lopez.
“I believe 900% the Seahawks will win because they passed the two hard games: San Francisco and the Rams,” Lopez said beforehand.
That Dec. 18 comeback game against the Rams was one of the most unforgettable events of the season, according to middle school science teacher Tom Strouse.
“I will never forget that Thursday night they came back from 18 points down,” Strouse said.
With 6:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, AJ Barner caught a 26-yard touchdown from Sam Darnold, cutting the Rams’ lead to 28-30. While celebrating the touchdown, Seahawks star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba celebrated right in front of Strouse.
“Barner catches the ball and chucks it in the air, and we win the game. And JSN was in the end zone when he saw Barnard catch it. He saw him catch it, and just turned and ran right into the stands, right to me,” Strouse said.
That overtime win helped the Seahawks secure the first seed in the NFC, and eventually win the Super Bowl. “I felt the intensity there,” ninth grader Atlas Karamfilov, who attended the Super Bowl, said. ”So, everyone was hyped. Everyone was excited.”
The energy was visible throughout the stadium, sophomore Miles Baty, who also attended the game, noted. “Seahawks fans were a lot louder than the Patriots, and they just seemed a lot more into it,” Baty said.
During the first half, Seahawks kicker Jason Meyers converted all three of his field goal attempts, putting the Seahawks up 9-0.
“After we kicked our third field goal, I was honestly more worried when we had the ball than when the Patriots did,” Baty said. “I could tell that they [the Patriots] weren’t going to do anything.”
This season’s defense earned a nickname from the Seahawks faithful and players alike: “the Dark Side”. Inspired by the dominance of the 2013 Super Bowl-winning “Legion of Boom,” the name is supposed to show the suffocation opposing offenses feel when facing Seattle.
“The defense was spectacular. They’re called the Dark Side for a reason,” Baty said.
The game would go without a touchdown until the fourth quarter when quarterback Sam Darnold threw a 16- yard pass to tight end AJ Barner. Sophomore Brayden Fine reflected on the moment.
“All I could think was I just really wish I was there. My mind went to the parade and celebrating it,” Fine said.
The Patriots responded soon after. Quarterback Drake Maye threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Mack Hollins, making the score 19-7.
“The reality of that situation was that even if they [the Patriots] had scored another touchdown, they still would have been losing,” Johnson said.” I don’t think that people were too scared by the touchdown.”
Uchenna Nwosu’s interception with 4:37 left in the fourth put the final nail in New England’s coffin. This win capped off an extremely successful year for Seattle sports.
“We’ve seen the Mariners get really far in their league, and the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. We have the World Cup coming here,” senior Paige Johnson said. “So I feel like as a city, it’s really helping our morale.”
SPS officials reported more than 14,000 full-day absences during the celebratory parade on Feb 11, according to The Seattle Times.
“The atmosphere at the parade was something I’ve never experienced before. The moment you get there, fans are starting Seahawks chants,” Fine said, “it was interesting because you share a common interest with the one million other people who are there.
