Tension ran high on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles playing for the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs sought to bring home their third Super Bowl title while the Eagles fought for their second Super Bowl title. Ultimately, only one team could win the Vince Lombardi Trophy, and, at a final score of 38-35, that team was the Kansas City Chiefs.

To start off the game, the Chiefs won the coin toss and elected to defer, leaving the Eagles to start with the ball. The Eagles started off strong, with their famous quarterback sneak earning them a fast seven-point lead. But, the Chiefs have never been a team to back down easily. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce scored a touchdown, with the score being 7-7 by the end of the first quarter. 

In the second quarter, Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown ran a 45-yard touchdown, causing the Eagles to regain the lead. Later on, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled the ball, with Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton picking up the ball, scoring a touchdown, and tying up the score. Right before halftime, Hurts scored a touchdown followed by Eagles kicker Jake Elliot scoring a field goal at the 35-yard line a little later in the game, with the Eagles in the lead at 24-14. 

At halftime, Rihanna dominated the field and delivered a jaw-dropping Super Bowl performance. Her 13-minute performance covered her greatest hits, from “B—h Better Have My Money” to “Umbrella” and “Diamonds”. 

Kicking off the second half with a bang, Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco scored a touchdown, causing the score to become 24-21 Eagles. Not long after, Elliot scored his second field goal of the game, continuing the Eagles’ lead with a score of 27-21. 

The fourth quarter was the turning point for the Chiefs when wide receiver Kadarius Toney scored a touchdown followed by another touchdown from wide receiver Skyy Moore. The Eagles responded to the Chiefs’ onset of points with Hurts scoring yet another touchdown plus a 2-point conversion. At that point, the score was tied at 35-35. Through a last-second field goal, the Chiefs won with a final score of 38-35. 

At Arcadia High School, students were glued to their devices amidst the game to find out who would win Super Bowl LVII. 

Senior Rohit Sampathkumar Anitha stated, “Being a Niners fan, my interest in the Super Bowl diminished once the Eagles knocked them off the bracket. So seeing the Chiefs beat the Eagles was very satisfying. Aside from the game the halftime proved to be very entertaining seeing Rihanna perform after many years with many of her classic songs.”

Regarding the constant barrage of referee calls, senior Ian Qi claimed, “Instead of letting the football players determine the winners and losers of the Super Bowl, the referees did.”  

On a personal note, I had the opportunity to attend Super Bowl LVII as a spectator alongside my dad, brother, and cousin. Although I am not a die-hard Chiefs or Eagles fan (shoutout to the Cincinnati Bengals), it was still an incredible experience. 

Prior to the game, I went to the NFL Tailgate, the league’s pregame party. There, I listened to live music from the Black Keys and Jason Derulo, got a behind-the-scenes look into broadcasting networks covering the game, and even got to meet Nate Burleson, a football commentator and former wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. 

An hour before the game started, we were ushered into the stadium from the Tailgate and we took our seats which were directly behind the Chiefs’ end zone. Once there, we were greeted by Eagles fans (we were all wearing Eagles gear) who gave us fist bumps and smiled while saying “Go Birds!” 

Watching the game live was such a different experience than viewing the game from home; you bond with fellow fans, and you win or lose alongside your favorite team and your newly formed family. Although the Eagles didn’t take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy, it was cathartic because it allowed me to cheer for every major play or yell in frustration for any mishaps alongside every other fan in the stadium. 

This match-up stands as the third-highest scoring Super Bowl game and one to go down in the books.

Photo by Ashley Chan