Ty laughed in Fale's face. 'You're real arrogant under that holier-than-thou facade, aren't you?'
Fale shook his head. 'We've hardly even met and you're already passing judgement. Let me ask you, Tyrese Samuels—is it still arrogance when what I say is the truth?'
'The truth? Misguided AND arrogant, quite the combo, Joseph Fale. Let me enlighten YOU. We don't need saving. What you faced before is nothing compared to me. The real game starts now.'
Fale barrelled Ty over immediately after the snap. Ty braced for the impact, but that did nothing to stop the tide that washed over him. Fale rumbled down the field, leading the way for the RB. 16 yards later, and the Eagles had their best run of the day.
Ty got back to his feet, Donte helping him. 'I've got you,' Donte said.
Ty muttered his thanks. He would've had an easier time stopping a bulldozer than Fale. "You need to get lower."
When the Dons took their positions again, Donte stayed by Ty's side. Fale looked them over before he squatted into his stance. 'Your brotherhood is commendable,' he said.
'Let me guess, it still won't save us?' Ty asked.
Donte looked between then, confused, but Fale smiled.
The Eagles prodded the other side of the line, but with JJ back in his central position—freely roaming—he met Elias and stopped his charge. The rest of the Dons swarmed over the RB and brought him down for a minimal gain.
Ty sunk lower in his stance before the next snap; the Eagles would keep coming until the Dons beat them down convincingly. He wouldn't be the weak link that let the Eagles' stubbornness prevail.
Fale lunged forward, fastest to react from the snap as he burst out of his stance. Ty dug his cleats into the turf, sliding back as he pushed against the behemoth trying to crush him. Donte's presence alleviated some of the pressure as Fale had to fend both of them off.
Their slide stopped, and Donte stood up straight, a wall erected which Fale couldn't bash through. The RB came closer, looking to curve around the edge. Donte lunged, and Fale matched him, keeping him in check, but that opened a path for Ty, who slipped through on the inside and snagged the RB's leg, taking him down by the ankle.
With two consecutive runs bringing the Eagles to third down, they still had 5 yards to go for another first. Running wasn't gonna cut it. The Eagles would have to pass, and that meant the duel between Fale and Ty would go aerial, where Ty held all the cards.
Ty clenched his fists, stopping his shaking. 'Give me some room,' he said to Donte, who quickly stepped to the side. Donte was probably set up too wide to blitz effectively, but Ty wasn't worried about that; the Eagles could have all day to throw. He wouldn't let Fale get open for a second.
The ball was snapped. Fale rushed forward and Ty backed off, jabbing at his chest, which was as useful as throwing a spear at a tank. A surge of speed brought Fale right up against Ty's chest, and a short push with his forearm, combined with a nimble cut, opened more space for Fale as he cut inside on another Post.
Ty planted and recovered quickly, closing the gap a heartbeat after it'd been created. The pass came in high, arcing over JJ's outstretched hand in the middle of the field. Fale lunged, and Ty dove, long arm extended. Fingers bent back as Ty deflected the ball and sent it to the ground. The pass was incomplete; the Eagles had been pushed to fourth down.
Ty rolled when he landed and popped up to his feet. He held a fist in the air, signifying fourth down, as he grinned at Fale. 'I just clipped your wings.'
The Dons rallied around Ty, engulfing him as they ran off the field, hope rekindled. Their laughter and cheers echoed around the dome as the crowd struggled to accept what had just happened. Fale watched them go before walking back to his own bench, head still held high. He'd have to do better next time.
The Eagles' punt forced the Dons back to their 17-yard line. Their drive didn't last long, only bringing the ball up to the 25 before falling short of the first-down marker on another failed run.
Despite the momentum Ty and the defence had earned, the Eagles' defence had come out angry and were as indomitable as ever. At least the Dons had prevented another turnover, even if they still had to punt the ball right back.
Ty sighed. It seemed he'd need to build a bigger fire underneath them if he wanted his teammates to put some points on the board. But as he prepared to take the field again, he spotted Coach Long and Norman. Relief washed stress from their faces, allowing a tentative hope to take root.
He pulled his helmet on, marching back onto the field. At least the coaches were hopeful. Some of the players sounded like they were at their wit's end.
'No offence, but JJ ain't doing shit out there,' Stephen said.
Jay sat back, hands behind his head, unsure why Stephen was airing his grievances out with HIM, it's not like he was the coach.
'He's doing his job,' Cole said. 'We're the ones who can't get open.'
'I'd like to see someone else get open when they've got two fucking defenders guarding them.'
'Trust, Coach,' Benny said. 'He has to notice it's not working, right? Then he'll change it to something that does.'
'And what the fuck is gonna work?' Stephen asked.
Neither Cole nor Benny had an answer for him. Jay pulled his hat lower, unable to keep the frown from his face. The answer wasn't anything deep, that was for certain. The Eagles' defence was one of the harder puzzles he'd tackled. They controlled the air with their Hawk leading the secondary, and Fale and Elias dominated the ground. He glanced at Benny. There was always a key to every puzzle, no matter how difficult.
Ty stood in front of Fale, still smiling. 'Not so easy when you have to make catches against a Cornerback, is it?'
'Pride comes before the fall,' Fale warned.
After the snap, Ty kept his distance, only feinting with his spear, though Fale ignored it. Fale spun into a Hitch curl and Ty sprang off his back foot to smother the route; the QB glanced over them and continued on his reads. But no one else was open either.
With Ty covering the biggest threat in Fale, the Dons had shifted back to their Zone defence. JJ patrolled the middle of the field, and Zayden retreated deeper. The Eagles found themselves in a no-fly zone, and had to throw the ball away.
Ty clapped loudly right next to Fale's ear as he watched the ball sail over the sideline. 'I hope you liked those touchdowns, because you're not scoring again.'
Fale said nothing as he returned to the Eagles' huddle. Discontent murmurs spread throughout the stands, and those few cheers in favour of the Dons, grew a little bit louder.
When the Eagles took their formation, Fale stood next to Elias. Donte followed Ty over and stood inside of him, lining up against Elias. 'Watch the outside, Ty.'
Ty was about to comment that he knew what to do, when the ball was snapped. He ducked, trying to pass Fale, but was shoved down into the turf and squashed. At least he took Fale off his feet, and Donte held Elias in check.
However, that meant the Dons' edge collapsed. Thankfully, JJ darted across, tackling the RB after a gain of 5 yards. The Eagles were halfway to another first down, putting the Dons in an uneasy situation. Would they go for it on the ground? Or try another pass?
Donte peeled Ty off the turf, and Ty dusted himself off. 'That kind of worked? But can you take more hits like that?' Donte asked.
'I'm FINE!' Ty shot a glare at him as they returned to the huddle. He wasn't afraid to take a few hits if it meant they got the job done; he'd stop Fale no matter what.
The Dons' formation packed in close; protecting five yards was a lot different than ten, especially when you still had a full field over the top. Ty knew he just had to keep sluggish Fale in front of him. Easy.
They lined up opposite one another, snarl meeting a stone slate. Trash talk was always less fun with these boring types, but Ty would keep nagging until he got the fiery response he wanted. 'Fourth down coming right up. Even if you're too scared to throw, your entire team couldn't push us past that line.'
The ball was snapped without a response from Fale. Ty backed off, but Fale curved inside immediately after jumping forward, startling Ty. He lunged after Fale, but had to scramble back again as Fale once more darted forward. His Drag had only lasted two steps, long enough to sell the route and get Ty moving horizontally, but then Fale was charging ahead, and Ty was within reach.
A late press didn't force Fale back a single step, and Ty couldn't speed back—at that short range, if he chose the wrong time to back off, a Curl would cook him. He watched Fale closely, too close for comfort. All he had to do was not get bullied by his size.
Fale shot towards the sideline, crouching lower as if going into a slide. A low pass was surprising. Ty jumped forward; if he could just get his hand in between Fale's… Fale secured the ball, turning his body into Ty's path, protecting it from any attempted swat or rip. He hadn't gone down to a knee or slid at all, still crouching when he caught it. He started to rise.
Ty thudded into him and he didn't even budge. Ty latched onto Fale however he could, waist and hip, trying to tear him down. Fale dragged Ty across the turf as his legs kept pumping and he turned upfield, passing the first-down marker with room to spare before Zayden slammed into him and gave Ty the leverage to pull him down.
Fale stood, shedding both Zayden and Ty as if they were gnats. He glanced down at them, eyes locking on Ty. He said: 'Just like the walls of Jericho, you too shall fall.' Then he walked off.
Zayden sat up, frowning at Ty, who shot up, watching Fale. 'You always attracting the crazy ones,' Zayden said.
Ty helped him to his feet, still watching Fale. 'Crazy's better than boring. But if he wants to get religious, I'll show him what happens when you fuck with the devil.'
'Crazy stacked on crazy,' Zayden muttered, shaking his head. 'Whatever, just leave me outta this wack shit.'
Zayden led the way back to the huddle, and Ty slowly followed, still casting glances over his shoulder at the Eagles. The Dons wouldn't fall. He meant it when he told Fale they wouldn't score again.
Again—with their own point to prove—the Eagles elected to pass. Ty backpedalled, matching Fale's sprint. The cuts were the issue. Despite Fale's bulk, he could stop and turn whenever he wanted, moving as deftly and precisely as the best of them, and each time Ty had to stop and readjust, the gap between them closed and brought Fale nearer to the range in which his size would became a nigh-impossible obstacle.
Fale turned outside. A feint? A Curl? Either way Ty had to stop, and Fale's momentum continued forward another step before he whipped towards the inside, again closing the distance before flattening out.
The middle of the field was crowded, but Ty and Fale picked their way through it. Maybe Ty could back off a step, if he had help inside another low pass wasn't likely to—
87 flashed past them and Ty saw JJ shift to follow the new Receiver just as Fale passed by behind him, just as the ball was thrown towards Fale. With JJ wrong-footed, Ty was on his own. He pounced as Fale slowed, shifting a shoulder in Ty's path before lunging for the ball.
Fale's hands reach the ball first, and once he had it in his grips, there was no prying it loose, no matter how hard Ty punched it, or how strongly he pulled or chopped Fale's arm. Ty clung to Fale, and Fale kept chugging along, hardly hampered at all. Two more Dons were needed before Fale fell.
Did Fale get penalised for a shove? Of course not, but Ty was sure the bruises that would show on his chest in the morning would be more than enough proof against Fale.
Flag or not, he had to find a way to stop these passes, otherwise the Eagles were well on their way to another touchdown. Be it a Hitch, In, Out, or Slant, Fale kept finding success. Sure, the catches were all short, but they added it when stacked together.
With Fale providing reliable yards, the Eagles began to mix runs back into their offence. It started with a Draw, something to keep the Dons guessing, but even with Elias pulling from the right side and leading the charge through the middle, JJ blew the play apart and kept the run to a gain of only four. A good enough result for the Eagles, as it set up a Curl on the next play. Not to Fale, however.
It was 87 who caught that pass, taking advantage of Deshaun's conservative coverage. It earned another first down for the Eagles, and proved they didn't need to rely on Fale.
They could do that, use a quick Out or Slant to set up for another bruising run up the middle or to the right. Vice versa they could run and then earn a first down with a short pass.
Still, Fale was their driving force as they pushed the Dons back to their goal-line. It was a slow, frustrating drive for Ty, one where he constantly came up a fingernail short.
He couldn't find a way to reach the ball first, not with the short passes they used. If he backed off, they'd attack with Curls and Slants, and Fale got his fat body in the way. But if he got a step closer, than Fale could push him around, and no matter how badly off-balanced Ty was thrown, the refs acted as if they didn't bring any flags or eyes.
And now the Dons' huddles took place in their own end-zone. The Eagles could just run over them, so Coach Hoang sent out bigger bodies. The D-Line really was a wall, one that wouldn't fall easily as JJ proved, stuffing a run and forcing the Eagles back a step. The Eagles wouldn't get in on the ground, but even if the Dons stopped them, a field goal would be a chip shot. Impossible to miss.
Ty would have to step in, force a pick. He had his chance—his teammates had gifted it to him—he had to reward them. The question was how?
The crowd held their breath awaiting the snap, awaiting another Eagles touchdown. Ty was the only thing standing between them and their desires. Too bad it was his game and not theirs.
The ball was snapped. Ty had never noticed how congested the field became down on the goal-line. Usually he had his own expansive island down there. There was always so much space he had to think about, so many angles the Receiver could attack. Covering Fale, that area was much narrower, even if the ball came in faster, it was a trade-off he welcomed. The "distractions" other Dons and Eagles made, not so much.
With such congestion, he had to stick close. If anyone got between him and Fale for even a split second, it'd mean disaster, but that played right into Fale's wheelhouse. The Eagles pounced quickly, firing in a pass. Fale Curled to meet it just as he passed the threshold of the end-zone.
He didn't turn all the way, keeping side on until the last moment, so he could fend Ty off before capturing the ball. He'd been doing it the whole drive, always keeping an eye on Ty until the last moment. You grew to expect it after a point. Ty rushed forward, flowing with the game.
Fale jutted a shoulder out to shield Ty from the ball, but only glanced across Ty. Ty spun, sliding around Fale, he stabbed out at the ball, twisting and contorting his body to reach around and in front of Fale. He latched onto the ball; Fale wasn't the only one whose grip was unbreakable. Ty clutched the ball against his chest, falling to the turf even as Fale tried to wrench the ball away from him. He held on like Fale was trying to rip his heart out.
Whistles shrieked as Fale followed Ty to the ground, both boys rolling with each other, still fighting over the ball. Ty fought for what was HIS. He wouldn't let Fale steal it. Thankfully, the refs wore their glasses for once, and when they signalled it was an interception, not a touchdown, Ty was vindicated.
Teammates from both sides pried them apart. Ty still hugged the ball to his chest, beaming at Fale. 'I TOLD you you're not scoring again, and for better or worse, the devil always keeps his word.'
As Ty backed away, throwing up a pair of devil horns in front of his helmet, he saw anger in Fale's eyes for the first time.
The Dons escorted him to the sideline, and the Eagles did the same for Fale. When Ty sat down, after the celebrations had faded, he realised how quiet it was in the stadium. He looked around. The crowd was still reeling from his shock interception. To snatch their hope away when glory was THAT close. Ah, it was one of Ty's greatest joys.
He stood, turning to the stands and raised a hand to his ear. After all that noise they'd been making, he could've heard a pin drop as the Dons' offence set up.
When people noticed his mocking gesture and started booing him, he sat back down, grinning wider than before.
On the field, the Eagles concluded their huddle with a quick prayer. At least Ty assumed so, he didn't know why else they'd be kneeling with their heads down. But when Fale rose, he still had fire in his eyes, and glared in Ty's direction before taking up his position.
Ty's cheeks hurt but he couldn't help stop smiling. Finally, the game was looking like it'd be entertaining. He wondered if Fale was someone who played better or worse when angry. For Jay's sake, he hoped worse, though it wouldn't take long to find out. Fale was out for blood, and without Ty on the field, his focus shifted to the man at the head of the Dons' offence.
The final three minutes before the half were vital for the rest of the game. The Dons desperately needed to score, especially after Ty's interception. But righteous fury exuded off of Fale. Even the fans in the cheap seats could smell his intent. It wasn't a question about whether the Dons would score before the half, but if Jay would survive to see half-time.