When the fixture list was released, Ethan had this one circled. Crestwood vs Eastfield. In his hometown, where he first kicked a football on muddy pitches and rusty goalposts. Just a few months later he was back as a Crestwood player and as one of the best attacking midfielders in the league.
All week, the whispers followed him at school.
"Ethan's going to destroy his old team."
"I bet you he's putting three past them."
The attention weighed on Ethan. Eastfield was proud of him, but it seemed like they expected him to beat down their own team. He just wanted to focus and play his game, but he knew that this match meant more than most.
Coach Warren gathered the team in the changing room. "Eastfield might be near the bottom of the table, but don't let that fool you. These boys know Ethan. They will be extra motivated, and for him this will be personal. For the rest of you, this is just another league game. Do the basics, stay focused, and we will win."
Mason nudged Ethan, "Don't overthink it, just play your game."
"No pressure if you don't though," Callum said with a smirk, "I'll score a hat trick anyway."
From the start, Eastfield came out aggressive. They pressed relentlessly and flew into tackles. A couple of their players called out, "We know what you're going to do Matthews!"
For the first fifteen minutes, Ethan struggled. His touches were heavy, and Eastfield defenders swarmed him every time he got the ball. In the 18th minute the Eastfield right winger broke free and finished at the near post to give Eastfield the lead. The ground was absolutely stunned that Eastfield had scored first.
Just before halftime, Mason won the ball and slipped it to Ethan, who slipped his man and played a pass to Callum. Callum smashed it into the bottom corner to level the match at one all.
Crestwood came out stronger after the break. Ethan settled down, keeping the ball moving quickly. In the 52nd minute, he picked up the ball outside the box, cut inside, and curled a shot into the top corner. 2-1 Crestwood. The crowd roared, but Ethan raised his hand in acknowledgement, not celebrating against his hometown team.
"Classy," Mason muttered in approval.
Eastfield tried to find an equalizer, but Crestwood's quality started to show. In the 68th minute Ethan played Callum through one-on-one with the keeper. Callum chipped it over to give Crestwood a two-goal lead.
The final whistle blew with the scoreboard reading Eastfield 1 Crestwood 3.
The Crestwood boys celebrated, but Ethan's emotions were mixed. Some Eastfield players came over to shake his hand, while others avoided him completely. He saw some of his schoolmatesin the crowd, some cheering and some quiet.
On the way back to the bus, Callum smacked Ethan on the back, "Two assists and a goal, I think you earned the Man of the Match award for that performance."
"You handled yourself like a pro, that's how you separate yourself from everyone else," Mason added.
Ethan managed a smile, but beating Eastfield didn't feel like beating any other team. For the first time he realized what it meant it leave something behind to chase something bigger.