The Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LVII, much to the delight of the Barstow community.
Almost 113 million people tuned in to watch Super Bowl LVII, a matchup pitting the two number one teams in the NFL against each other. The Philadelphia Eagles faced off against our very own Chiefs at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The game was a thriller right from kickoff, with the Eagles scoring on the first drive. The Chiefs answered quickly with a Mahomes-Kelce touchdown, ending in tight end Travis Kelce’s viral stanky leg celebration.
The game was especially important to Kelce, since his brother, Jason Kelce, played opposite of him as an offensive center on the Eagles. This Super Bowl, nicknamed “The Kelce Bowl” because of the pair, was exciting for the whole Kelce family. During her appearance on the brothers’ podcast New Heights, their mother, Donna Kelce, said that she was excited because she “can’t lose either way.”
Back to the game, the score stood at 24-14 in favor of the Eagles at halftime. Though not the best for Kansas City, the team has proven their tenacity many times in the face of a deficit.
At half, all eyes were on the TV, as superstar Rihanna made her comeback to music in this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Starting off with the song “B**** Better Have my Money,” the singer was dressed in an all-red number, floating high above the field on raised platforms.
She was also accompanied by an army of dancers dressed in white puffers, also dancing on the platforms. Rihanna sang most of her hits, such as “Only Girl In the World,” “Where Have You Been,” “We Found Love,” “Umbrella,” “Run This Town,” and “Wild Thoughts.” My favorites of the night, though, were her performances of “Rude Boy,” “Work,” and her finale of “Diamonds.”
While singing her hit finale, the crowd turned their flashlights on, creating an ethereal feeling to the whole showcase.
Once the players were back on the field, it was clear that the Chiefs had something to prove, scoring 7 points in the third quarter and a whopping 17 points in the fourth quarter.
The most nail-biting part of the game came in the final seconds, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw what seemed to be a touchdown pass to running back Jerrick Mckinnon, who then slid to a stop just a few yards short of the end zone.
This play was important, as it allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock until the last few seconds, when Harrison Butker kicked his winning field goal, basically ending the game 38-35.
Even though the Eagles lost, quarterback Jalen Hurts put up a terrific performance, with an insane amount of rushing yards and a total of four touchdowns in the game. Additionally, the Eagles O-line were vital to the offense, successfully setting up the team’s characteristic QB sneak over and over throughout the game on 4th downs.
On the Chiefs side though, quite a few players made history. For one, wide receiver Kadarius Toney displayed the longest punt return in super bowl history, carrying the ball more than 57 yards to give the Chiefs the crucial touchdown that put them ahead for the first time in the game.
Additionally, linebacker Nick Bolton’s scoop-and-score allowed Chiefs fans a moment to breathe and tied the game during the second quarter. And of course, it would be a disservice to not mention Mahomes, who played through a hurt ankle during the third quarter. Even so, he demonstrated that “Mahomes Magic” and led the Chiefs to victory, earning him his second Super Bowl MVP award.
Now, with another Vince Lombardi Trophy in Kansas City, upwards of a million fans took to the streets to celebrate the victory. With students receiving the day off, many Barstow students attended the parade hoping to catch a glimpse of the players, management, and coaches.
A barrage of buses headed south down Grand Blvd., eventually ending at Union Station, where the rally was held. While many fans were out on the street, quite a few were also holed up in the Westin Hotel that overlooks Union Station.
“I thought it was pretty good. The atmosphere was electric,” says Owen Snyder ‘24.
Friends of players and lucky fans rode the first few buses. Soon, though, Coach Andy Reid and the Hunt family appeared on the top of one of the vehicles. Next, kicker Harrison Butker waved to fans, before the rest of the players followed suit.
The players laughed, greeted, and took pictures with fans on the street, while Mahomes stayed on the bus holding the trophy high above his head.
“My favorite person that I saw was Andy Reid. He just looked like he was having a good time, and I’ve never really seen him in person,” explains Snyder.
Once all of the players arrived at Union Station, KC native Tech N9ne performed his hit single “Red Kingdom” live after KC mayor (and Barstow alum) Quinton Lucas gave a congratulatory speech to the team.
Then, multiple players gave speeches including Mahomes and Kelce. Coach Reid also said a few words before beating a drum on stage, garnering roars from the crowd.
After a few years of close losses, Kansas City is incredibly happy to be Super Bowl champions once again. Let’s hope for a continued dynasty in the years to come!
