Defeat always tastes worse in the rain.
It was in the eighth grade that I experienced this firsthand. After a successful seven-year career in the flag football circuit, I stood on the sidelines during my one year of tackle football, waiting for Coach Rice to put me in for my obligatory five plays.
On this particular day, we were losing bad — like, really bad. The only thing more torn apart than our defense was the field, which had been ravaged by the torrential downpour that accompanied our three-hour slaughterfest.
As the rain soaked into my pads and eventually consumed my entire psyche, so too did the despair of losing. I watched idly as the deficit grew larger, knowing I couldn't do anything to help my team.
Of course, that had more to do with talent than opportunity — you can only ask so much from a 5-foot-2, 86-pound defensive tackle — but it hurt nonetheless.
So I can only imagine the frustration for Elijah Hood, who watched from the sidelines Saturday as UNC's offense crumbled under the harsh effects of Hurricane Matthew. Unlike my 13-year-old self, Hood certainly could have helped his team amid stormy conditions — but an injury confined him to the bench as his teammates floundered on the field.
And so he stood, drenched and dismayed, for the worst loss of all.
UNC football falls apart
- The Tar Heels had their worst offensive output of the Larry Fedora era in a 34-3 loss to Virginia Tech.
- Running back Elijah Hood's absence was felt both on the ground and through the air.
Stories from the weekend
- Anson Dorrance's 800th career win with the women's soccer team was like clockwork on Sunday.
- The men's soccer team fell victim to defensive blunders, falling by one goal to Virginia on Friday.
- Emma Bozek showed the field hockey team how to overcome adversity with a golden goal on Friday against No. 10 Virginia.
- Julia Scoles and Casey Jacobs found unique ways to lead the volleyball team to two ACC sweeps this weekend.
- The swimming and diving team showed signs of promise despite losing to Georgia in the season opener.
- After winning the national title in May, the women's lacrosse team faced international competition in its two scrimmages this weekend.
To sign up for our breaking news alerts or general daily newsletter, visit bit.ly/dthsubscribe. Enjoying DTH Sports At a Glance? Send us your feedback.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.