The field was covered in shadow.
Time was running out on the Pope John Paul the Great Catholic School football team Thursday night.
Sophomore wide receiver Zach Hoopes understood the urgency as the Wolves huddled for one final offensive possession.
They needed a touchdown and it had to be quick.
The sun was already fading behind the trees that border the athletic complex and the game clock had dwindled to 3 minutes, 51 seconds.
"We've got to score," Hoopes said. "And that means keeping the ball off the ground."
A perfect ending to the first varsity game in Wolves' history would have included a dramatic last minute drive.
On another day, it will probably happen.
For starters, the Wolves put forth an admirable effort against visiting Baltimore Lutheran. But a fumble with 2:31 remaining spoiled the festive mood of opening day and John Paul the Great lost, 20-13.
"The kids worked hard. We just have to take care of the little things," coach Carl Patton said. "We gave the ball away seven times. We need to focus on the fundamentals."
There were indeed turnovers -- five fumbles, an interception and a bad snap, to be exact.
But the prevailing message that resonated on Thursday is that the Wolves are ready to play a varsity schedule, even without a single senior on the roster.
Pope John Paul took the field with 13 sophomores on the roster and, despite the turnovers, never once appeared to be outmanned.
Junior quarterback Logan Sullivan scored the first touchdown in Wolves' history with a 2-yard first-quarter run and junior running back Joaquim White added a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter that briefly tied the game at 13.
There were some other moments to treasure as well, including an interception by junior Ismail Gazawi and a second-quarter goal-line stand that featured four stops inside the 5-yard line.
"They knew they could compete," Patton said. "They've been the leaders in the school and done everything we've asked them to do. I'm excited that we competed the way we did. I'm sorry we didn't take care of the fundamentals the way we should have."
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