By Jack Hardman, Staff Writer
This year there will be a rematch of Super Bowl 54 with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the San Francisco 49ers. This will be the 58th Super Bowl and it will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There are a couple compelling storylines surrounding this game, as the Chiefs are vying for their second Super Bowl victory in a row. The 49ers are led by quarterback Brock Purdy, who was the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, making him known as Mr. Irrelevant. The stage is set for a solid Chiefs team to face off against Mr. Irrelevant and a breakout 49ers at what is sure to be an unforgettable Super Bowl.
Juniors and varsity football players James Arthurton and Brennen Araojo both said that they, “support the 49ers” with James saying that the Chiefs “beat my Ravens, they have to lose.” This seems to be the general sentiment among River Hill students because most people do not want to see the Chiefs win another Super Bowl, and don’t want to see Patrick Mahomes succeed in general. This is because he and the Chiefs are viewed as the successors to the Patriots dynasty and people generally want to see the dynasty team lose because it keeps football interesting.
Certain players can make all the difference in a football game. Brennen said he looked forward to seeing Nick Bosa play because “ he’s my favorite player and I love his technique.” James is looking forward to seeing Brandon Ayuk play after “a solid performance in the playoffs and a spectacular catch off a defender’s face mask against the Lions.”
Some other players that will make a notable difference for their respective teams include Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy and Travis Kelce. When asked if Nick Bosa would have a major impact, James said that “based on how the Chiefs o-line played against the Ravens it’s gonna be tough for him because they are able to coordinate their defense well against edge rushers like Boas however I predict he will get to Mahomes a few times”
Since both James and Brennen play varsity football for River Hill they are uniquely qualified to provide insights into how the teams match up against each other. James said, “I think that the matchup to watch will be Kansas City offense versus San Francisco defense because they are the best features of both teams. San Francisco has been able to lock down teams all year but Kansas City has been able to gameplan for situations like that similar to what happened with the Ravens”
Brennen, a lineman, decided to focus on the Chiefs offense saying” it all starts with which offensive line can block more and give their quarterback more time to drop back and make a good pass, in this case the Chiefs line is the best at giving Mahomes time with them allowing the lowest number of sacks in the league all year, however, the 49ers defensive line will put Mahomes and his linemen under the most pressure they’ve faced all year.” It will be interesting to see if their predictions will come true.
When asked about the entertainment and celebrities predicted to be in attendance Brennen said he was not looking forward to seeing Taylor Swift at the game, adding that “they should focus on the football.” James said he was “absolutely not looking forward to seeing her.” There is speculation around her attendance for the game as Taylor will be performing an Eras Tour concert in Tokyo, Japan the night before the Superbowl and will have to cross the Pacific and land in Vegas which is a 13 hour flight. So while there is some hope for Brennen and James, it is likely that she will be in attendance.
People do many things during the Super Bowl. Brennen and his family “are going to have a watch party and dinner,” while James is going to “ watch the game with a group of friends.” A large reason that people watch the Super Bowl is for the halftime show and this is because it allows people who aren’t huge football fans to listen in for their favorite artist’s televised performance. When asked about the halftime show and if he thinks Usher will put on a solid performance James said, “I think he will put on a good show” and Brennen said, “While I don’t pay much attention to the halftime show, it should be good.”
This year’s Super Bowl promises to be one of the best in recent years. With compelling stories of the Chiefs winning two Super Bowls in a row or Brock Purdy going from Mr. Irrelevant all the way to Super Bowl champion and MVP; this year’s game will be truly unforgettable.