Last season, when the Howell Rebels varsity ice hockey team surprised everyone in the Shore Conference by winning the Dowd Cup as a first-year team, everyone deemed the it a 'dream season'.
This year, the Rebels are amplifying that term by 10,000 decibels.
Despite falling short in the Dowd Cup (and falling short is an understatement), Howell, who is seeded 11th in the state tournament, has shockingly advanced to the third round, or quarterfinals of states, in this, their second season.
In a season that has witnessed Howell blow five third-period leads, suffer several season-ending injuries to key players, and saw the Rebels inability to win the division of conference tournament, a lurking state championship would feel that much better.
Let's face facts. In the remaining games that Howell will play (there's a maximum of three), the Rebels will not be favored, and all the teams they play won't consider them a true state-champion contender, starting with the third-seeded Rams from Randolph.
There is every reason to consider Howell a state champion contender.
Look, we all know that winning is, in reality, the result of having one thing: talent. In terms of individual talent, the two men who are responsible for Howell tying--and winning--Thursday night have as much talent that the Rebels will need. With nearly five minutes remaining in regulation to Pyskaty's overtime goal, he and Dave Ramos did not come off the ice--and for good reason. Everyone at Wall on that night knew that if Howell wanted to advance to the third round of the state playoffs, it would be because of them.
And it was.
Aside from talent, heart is essential to a championship-worthy team. Everyone on this team has it, along with everyone in the crowd. For the first time, we all truly witnessed Howell hockey representing an entire town, and it was evident that the town returned the favor, taking serious pride in the boys in blue and grey. As the Rebels took the ice, there was an emotion throughout the bleachers that made the game feel even more special than it already was--it made everyone feel as if we were guaranteed this wouldn't be the last game of the season for the 2009-2010 Howell Rebels.
When Howell takes the ice at Mennan Arena Sunday evening, nearly 60 miles from the rural, laid-back township of Howell, the pride that comes with wearing that Rebel on the front of the jersey will be back, and as every player looks up to the nearly 400 fans who made the treacherous trip, by car or bus, they'll understand it.
Surely, as Pyskaty flew up the wing, puck on stick, with just the goalie to beat, with the 700 fans in attendance collectively holding their breath, it was obvious.
There's a reason all of us are here, in this town, for this team, together: to win a state championship.
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