When the Giants won—or rather, swept—the World Series on Oct. 28 after 10 emotional innings, the Internet exploded with a multitude of responses, from exultation to condemnation. But far more noteworthy was the reaction of MVHS students. For a while, students cared about something more than themselves.

For those who were not sports-literate, it was not immediately apparent what all the commotion was about. Sports players don’t cure cancer. They don’t handle hurricane response, nor do they create works of literary genius. Yet, in the moment that Sergio Romo lifted up the World Series trophy, the Giants were heroes. While it’s pretty miraculous that anyone can hit a ball that small with a bat that thin, the real miracle lies in how sports bring people together.Because of the World Series, there will likely be a whole new crop of fans ready to follow the team into the next season. The magic lies in getting people to rally behind a cause. There will always be an element of local pride, but once the team picks up momentum, so does the excitement. Once that spark is ignited, it spreads like a wildfire. Even those out of the sports loop wake up and open their eyes a little in order to witness history being made, as did I when the season began to gain momentum.

However, it was not just the fans that bonded through the World Series. The Giants themselves also stood strong in support of one another.

It was the third game of the National League Divisional Series. The Giants were down 0-2 to the Cinncinati Reds, one loss away from elimination. Hunter Pence, an outfielder for the Giants, told his team:

“I want one more day with you. It’s the most fun, the best team I have ever been on. I don’t know where and when it ends, but tonight I [am] proud to be together as a team, in a hostile environment, with just us…brothers that play for the name on the front [of the jersey], not the name on the back.”

Nineteen days later, history was made. Not just in the Giants’ meteoric rise to the World Series trophy, but also in how MVHS was brought together. Getting students to devote their time and energy to something that’s not academic in the middle of one of the busiest times a year is a feat in and of itself. In the process, MVHS exhibited a sense of community not unlike that formed during homecoming. Students changed statuses and watched the game in tandem with a pure kind of excitement, lacking only in the competitive overtones of homecoming. They found a common passion that was less likely to disintegrate after it was all over.

The great thing is, with sports, it’s like homecoming all year long. You have something to get excited about. When a team wins, it’s also a victory for all its fans. And that’s what the Giants did. They didn’t save the world, but they did one better by winning the World Series and becoming heroes to regular people. Their win was too beautiful for words, but if there’s anything that could perhaps—possibly—describe it, it would be one word:

Unity.