Bridgewater, Va.- Local students and friends gathered to watch Super Bowl LVIII as they watched the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime. This was the third Super Bowl win for the franchise in the last five years.
“The Super Bowl was great with the game coming down to the last quarter, which is important, because the great teams are able to win in those close games where everything is on the line,” said senior Alex Jensen.
SuperBowl LVIII featured a rematch of a previous Super Bowl from four years ago, with the Chiefs winning that game 31-20. The one difference in the game is the head to head quarterback matchup with second year 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who is known as Mr. Irrelevant. The nickname was given to the player after he was selected with the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, in which Purdy was the last selection of his draft class.
A win in SuperBowl LVIII helped submit a legacy and start a dynasty for the Chiefs, being among the best teams of the decade. With the Patriots dynasty coming to an end with the retiring of Tom Brady and departure of Bill Belichick, the Chiefs have risen to having a strong hold in the American Football Conference, as long as the organization can keep the team intact.
On the other end, Head Coach Kyle Shanahan has been unlucky running into two dynasties in his quest to winning a Super Bowl. Shanahan lost one as an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in SuperBowl LI against the New England Patriots, two back to back NFC Championships games, SuperBowl LIV to the Chiefs and now SuperBowl LVIII to the same team.
“It’s the start of a dynasty,” said starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes. “We are not done. I know we are going to celebrate tonight and celebrate with the parade Wednesday in Kansas City, but we are not done. Got a young team. We are going to keep this thing going.”
The early 2000’s generation got to see the Patriots’ dynasty, also known as the Brady – Belichick era, which lasted from the 2001 to the 2019 season. The two are credited with the Patriots success over that time period which helped build the culture around the franchise known as the Patriot Way, which is an emphasis on personal accountability, consistent improvement and a focus on team success over personal gain. Mahomes and Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid are of this generation’s dynasty and are looking to have the same success over an extended time frame.
“Just being able to watch the Chiefs’ dynasty is special,” said senior Jaylin Hertz. “I have a deep love for the game of football since I played it in college, so I have a deep understanding on how hard it is to win a championship.”
