100 Stand tall and proud

"21:0".

The game ended, and everything came to a stop, drawing to a period.

Adams stood in place, staring at the giant scoreboard above the field.

That group of numbers twinkled as if they were mocking all their efforts throughout the game as futile; the overwhelming purple wave of Tiger Stadium's crowd remained, loyally standing by, just like when they had lost to Auburn University before.

Memories surged like a tide.

The scene before him, under the reflection of the scoreboard numbers, became increasingly jumbled and uncomfortable.

There was a bitter taste in his mouth.

Yet, this is the nature of competitive sports—

The joy of victory is as intense as the pain of defeat.

And this time, it was against a bitter rival.

Before the game started, they truly believed they could defeat the Crimson Tide Storm, not just to beat their archenemy but also to salvage a season fraught with hardship. But dreams are plush, reality is skeletal.