UVALDE, Texas — Sports are a beautiful thing, sometimes, and it's playing out in front of our eyes in Uvalde, Texas.
Scarred by the tragic loss of 19 students and two of their teachers in May, the Uvalde community rallied around its football team on Friday night in its first home game since the elementary school shooting.
In front of a packed crowd repping "Uvalde strong" shirts at Honey Bowl Stadium, Uvalde held a prayer and 21 seconds of silence before the game, commemorating the 21 victims killed, according to ABC News.
Uvalde entered their first home game 1-0 after winning on the road against Carrizo Springs Wildcats in week one scoring ... 21 points.
"It was just a sign that the 21 angels are looking down at this community, and saying that they're here, that they're still present, and that they will remain present. So that was a pretty, pretty special moment," Eluterio Rendon told ABC News.
RELATED: 'The perfect guy': Meet the Uvalde athlete who will wear 21 on the football field this season
Rendon's son, Justyn Rendon, is a senior for Uvalde High School and was voted to have the honor of wearing No. 21 this season. Justyn Rendon told ABC News that now football "like a therapy" and he's excited to "bring the joy back to this town."
Well, the team did just that on Friday night.
The storybook start of Uvalde's season continued with a miraculous 34-28 win that came down to the wire. A miraculous 51-yard run with 36 seconds to go then led to a go-ahead, one-handed touchdown catch with 12 seconds left. You can hear the crowd roar as Jonathan Jimenez reverses field and takes off down the right sideline to set up the game-winning catch on the next play.
You can watch it all unfold here:
"It took us a while to be able to smile again without feeling guilty," Eluterio Rendon, Justyn's dad, said. "I believe that football will hopefully bring the community out ... find a reason to smile, by enjoying watching our kids do what they love to do."
Goosebumps. How can you not be romantic about sports?
Uvalde High School is now 2-0 to start the 2022 season and will take on Poteet next on Sept. 9.
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