By Pia Perthen, Sports Editor
On Sunday, Feb. 11, football fans were treated to a heart-pounding match as the Kansas City Chiefs became victorious in Super Bowl LVIII hosted in Las Vegas, NV, writing football history.
The Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League (NFL), and it is one of the most-watched sporting events in the United States and extremely popular with the rest of the world. On Saint Leo campus, many students came together and watched this highly anticipated athletic event in their dorm rooms.
“Watching the Super Bowl together with my teammates was a very fun experience,” Carmen Phousirith, a freshman majoring in accounting and part of the women’s golf team, said. “I loved seeing everyone come together and have fun watching the game while eating good snacks.”
The Super Bowl is played between the two best teams in the NFL, as determined by the regular season and playoff results. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers teams left fans on the edge of their seats and fought until the end for the final score of Kansas City 25 and San Francisco 22.
The Chiefs’ quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, emerged as the hero. With a 3-yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman in overtime, Mahomes secured the Chiefs’ third title in five years, solidifying their status among the NFL’s greatest franchises.
The journey to victory was not an easy one. The opening quarter witnessed a slow start, with both defenses holding firm and denying significant breakthroughs, resulting in a 0-0 score. However, the narrative shifted as the game progressed. The Chiefs, after a 10-3 halftime deficit, started to wake up and dominated the third quarter. Due to another field goal by Harrison Butker (Chiefs) with a 57-yard record and other great showcases of the athletic qualities of the Chiefs’ players, the score was deadlocked at 10-13 in favor of the Chiefs heading into the final quarter.
“It was fun to watch both teams compete head-to-head with two very close scores,” Olivia Deakins, a sophomore majoring in sports business and playing for the women’s golf team, said.
In the fourth quarter, the 49ers’ kicker, Jake Moody, nailed a 53-yard field goal, making things exciting. Notable, Butker (Chiefs) and Moody (49ers) put together historic performances, combining to go 7 of 7 on field goals in the game. But the Chiefs were not done; with just seconds remaining, the Chiefs scored, and both teams tied the game at 19-19, leading to overtime.
“I was on the edge of my seat for most of the end of the game,” Deakins said. “I was disappointed with the winner. I really wanted the 49ers to win because I am really inspired by Brock Purdy’s story.”
Brock Purdy is the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and was the very last draft pick, the 262nd overall pick to be precise. For Purdy, 2024 marks his Super Bowl debut just after being drafted two years ago.
“I think Purdy is very inspiring when it comes to never giving up and determination,” Deakins said.
However, in overtime, the Chief’s quarterback Mahomes, who got named Most Valuable Player for the third time, and his team displayed what they were made of and secured the Super Bowl LVIII win. The Chiefs triumphed, and they now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the legendary teams of NFL history.
