A crowd of eager Boyd-Buchanan supporters anxiously awaited the end of the postgame prayer for the Buccaneers and Merrol Hyde soccer teams.
At the conclusion, Boyd-Buchanan athletic director Joe Pope made a waving motion and students and fans sprinted onto the field to celebrate the Bucs’ 1-0 win that gave the program its first trip to the A/AA state tournament since winning the 2010 title.
But senior forward Liam Lynskey had other ideas. As people ran onto the field, Lynskey ran to his mom, Kim, who was with other family members standing on a hill. The two embraced for a minute, then embraced again.
“She was just the first person that came to my head,” Lynskey said afterward. “I’ve been playing soccer all my life, and she’s been the one to take me to practice and pick me up. She’d wait after practice if I wanted to work longer.
“She’s the most important thing in my life. I have a huge family and I love my family, and she just came to my mind first. She’d always supported me in everything. If I didn’t play or if I wasn’t starting, she didn’t care.