No-one knew Fale's intentions better than Jay. Animosity like that made your skin crawl, but the look wasn't unfamiliar to Jay. Needing speed, JJ sat out again—they needed as many Receivers they could get. Chris was all that stood between Jay and oblivion.
"Better me than them," Jay thought before calling for the snap.
The Dons didn't have much time to work with. Even without Fale rushing in to crush him, Jay had to play hot potato with the ball. But if Fale was so desperate to come at him, there'd be openings behind him, that's how blitzes worked.
Fale was smart, he knew Jay could get rid of the ball fast, knew about the weakness in the defence behind him. So when Jay pulled back to lob the ball over him, Fale straightened. He'd come through basically untouched, and was close enough that he could smother any lob over the top. Which is why Jay threw sidearm instead.
Benny slid on his knees, catching the ball on his chest, then scrambled to his feet, stumbling forward for extra yards before the Eagles recovered and dragged him down.
Jay hurried the Dons back into position, skipping their huddle. At least it cut Fale's glare short. He wasn't a big fan of Jay's trick—which probably wouldn't work again.
Jay wasted little time calling for the snap. He shifted like he'd throw past Fale again, and Fale hesitated. That was good, give the beast some more to think about, make him second guess himself, whatever bought Jay another second of life. His actual target was Stephen, squeezing in a pass to hit him on his quick Slant.
Stephen shielded the ball and dragged his defender along for a few more yards, picking up a first down as the Dons continued their rapid climb back into the game. They scratched and clawed, fighting for every yard they could get.
They didn't care about attacking the sidelines and getting out of bounds, they thought with their timeouts and the two-minute warning they'd make it to the end-zone, even with their short gains each play. But after crossing half-field, each yard was harder to come by.
Cole and Benny worked their Mesh concept well, and even Amon found an opening over the middle. While they all earned a few more receptions, the Eagles blocked off the outside and kept them in bounds. Usually if a team sold out to block the sideline like that, they'd sacrifice the middle, but the Eagles were quick enough between the hashes that they could keep the Dons in front of them and prevent any big gains.
A Screen to Chris brought the Dons into the red-zone, barely, but they were running out of time, and down to their final timeout of the half. Scratching and clawing wouldn't cut it; the Dons had to think bigger.
But to do that, someone would have to stop Fale from mauling Jay. Chris meet Jay's eyes and gave him a nod. He couldn't stop the monster, but he could slow Fale down for a second. The rest was up to Jay and Stephen.
'Set…hike!'
Jay dropped back, eyes scanning the field. To be a QB was to have full trust in your protection, and Chris earned that trust by throwing himself in the way of a rampaging Fale. The time his sacrifice bought might not've been enough on its own, but thankfully Benny laid a quick block before setting off into his own route. It was the first time he'd chipped Fale that drive, and the action caught Fale off guard, slowing him more than it had all game.
Jay used every second of the time they bought him before launching the ball into the end-zone. The ball left his hand right before Fale slammed into him. The ball spiralled, unaffected by the hit. Jay had made sure to put everything into the pass, aimed perfectly at the back corner of the end-zone. Another big part of playing QB was putting faith in your Receivers—Stephen had earned that trust more times than Jay could count.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who met the ball in the end-zone. Hawk was there too, flying in from the side at the last moment. He had the best position, talons outstretched towards the ball. Stephen had to flip from Receiver to defender in the blink of an eye, and in the end, he was the only thing that prevented Hawk from intercepting the ball.
They crashed together, and the ball fell to the ground, unclaimed by anyone. The majority of the crowd groaned with disappointment, whilst a slim few breathed a sigh of relief.
Jay looked to the clock. They could shoot at the end-zone a couple more times, but was that tempting fate? Just when they'd bought enough time to go deep, there was another road block to such a plan. Hawk was as big a deterrent to deep balls as Fale was, maybe even more so. But they needed that touchdown.
Coach Long called for another deep shot, trusting Jay's precision, and Stephen's aerial prowess. If Coach made the call, no-one would question it. Jay gave Chris a sympathetic look as they lined up; getting run over by Fale twice in a row wasn't something he'd wish on his worst enemy.
The ball was snapped, Benny leaned into Fale more heavily this time, making sure the block stuck even with Fale expecting another chip. Still, it did little to slow Fale, and he was around the Tackle before Jay had finished his drop-back. Chris would protect him, but would Stephen overcome Hawk?
Jay hesitated. Hawk was waiting on that throw into the corner. He couldn't. A turnover here after everything they'd done to make it that far? After Ty's interception in the other end-zone? Benny was open ten yards out. Like the Eagles were leaving him open on purpose. He wouldn't score from there, and the Dons would have to use their timeout … but maybe they could find the end-zone on the next play.
He cocked back to throw, just as Fale ran through him. The ball spilled from Jay's hand before he slammed into the ground. The world spun, lights like stars in the night sky. Where was he? Where was the ball? Whistles pierced his skull like knives. Sitting up hurt like he was ripping himself from the turf and leaving most of himself behind. There was a pile of bodies, officials trying to separate it. At the bottom was Chris, and cradled in his arms was the ball.
Whistles blew again, this time announcing a timeout, the Dons' last. Jay didn't shrug off those who helped him to the bench that time.
'Jay? Are you alright, son?' Coach Long asked.
Jay sat, grimacing. 'Right as … rain.'
'We'll have the doc look you over, just sit and rest, you did good.' Coach Long slapped him on the back. Whatever the doctor found with Jay, he wouldn't be seeing anymore play for the rest of the half. There was only time for one more play, and the Dons would have to kick a field goal.
Once everyone had checked on Jay, and found that he seemed alright, they gathered around Chris. If it weren't for his selfless effort, they wouldn't have the ball at all. Wouldn't have the chance to add points before the half. After the timeout, they watched with bated breath. Some sat, clutching their seats, others were too nervous to sit.
Ty glared at the goalposts as if he could bend them with his mind so it was impossible to miss. Bella stood nearby, fighting the urge to grab his hand or shoulder. She held onto Coach Hoang's chair instead.
The crowd was deafening, shouting as if their voices could push the kick wide. The Kicker stepped up. Both the snap and hold went without issues. The kick was up and on its way.
The teams left the field and entered their rooms for the major break with the score reading 3–14. A successful field goal was the first step on what would be a long comeback. But the first step was always the hardest.
Ty entered the half knowing his teammates had his back and could carry themselves forward. If he could score a touchdown of his own, the game was practically theirs. More importantly, in the second half he had to keep his promise and hold Fale and the Eagles scoreless.
Coach Long watched over Jay as he was checked out during the break. The process was rudimentary and quick, but Jay was responsive, showing no signs of a concussion. He was a little banged up, but it wasn't anything more than some bruising.
'See? … Told ya I'm right as rain,' Jay said, grinning.
Coach Long patted him on the head. 'You had me worried for a second, Jay. And you know something? I'm still not used to you with short hair.'
Jay chuckled. At least it didn't hurt to laugh. Coach Long turned his attention to the rest of the room. He homed in on the O-Line. 'Jay's fine for now, but he won't be if he keeps taking hits like that. We need to do a better job of protecting him in the second half. That's on me as well, and I'll come up with a better protection scheme, don't you worry.'
Jay winced. The last hit hadn't been their fault, it was his. He'd been indecisive, held onto the ball too long. When Coach Long moved away to Benny, Jay shuffled over and told his Line as much, thanking them for their efforts in the first half.
Coach Norman went around the room, checking in with the other Receivers and the RBs as Coach Long sat beside Benny, who had a hopeful smile; Coach Long usually had the answers. No matter how bad the first half was, Coach Long always made things better during the break. 'What do I need to do, Coach?'
'You know, before that last drive I was asking myself that same question, but thankfully, I think our necessity showed us the template we have to use in the second half.'
'If you need me to block all the time, I can do that. I don't want Jay getting hurt, and if I can knock that big Samoan bastard on his ass at the same time, that's even better.'
Coach Long smiled. 'That passion's good, Benjamin. But there are more ways to protect someone than using your body as a shield.'
Confusion muddled Benny's expression, but his eyes pleaded with Coach Long to continue.
'During that two-minute drill, you weren't thinking about blocking at all, and that was perfect. I should've seen it sooner, and I'm sorry I didn't, but that's the key. We need to fight them with speed. Short passes, so the Eagles have less time to attack Jay, and YOU need to make that Fale boy second guess himself. YOU need to make him doubt what he should do. YOU need to make covering you the higher priority over blitzing Jay.'
Benny nodded, taking the message in.
Coach Long stood. There was more planning to do, more people he needed to talk with. He left Benny staring down the barrel of responsibility. Benny wasn't dumb, he knew what Coach Long was implying—he'd be the primary target of their passing offence in the second half. It was a new responsibility for him, and one he'd have to grow comfortable with quickly.
On the other side of the room, Coach Hoang approached Ty, who sat with his head down, as still as a statue. 'How're you feeling, Samuels?'
'Can the offence do their job?'
'I'm sure they will.'
'Then I feel good.' He looked up, meeting Coach Hoang's eyes. 'They won't need to do much.'
'Two scores in a half isn't very much, you're right.'
'No. They only need to score one more time. I promise I'll get a touchdown of my own.'
'As arrogant as ever, Samuels. Focus on keeping Fale locked down before you worry about getting another one of your pick-sixes.'
Even after saying that, Coach Hoang couldn't help but smile as he turned away from Ty. The cockiness was good, and he wasn't just saying shit to say shit, like usual, he meant it. The fact he'd stopped shaking was a good sign. Now Coach Hoang just had to keep the rest of the defence tight, and make sure no other threats popped up.
Coach Long stepped into the middle of the room. 'Alright, gather round, you know the drill, boys.'
A circle was formed, and hands piled atop Coach Long's in the middle, hardly any shook now. Coach Long silently cursed. Maybe his old heart couldn't keep up with the pressure.
'We've come back from worse. Eleven points is nothing in football. They caught us with our pants down at the start, but we bounced back. If I managed the clock better, we would've scored seven instead of three, but that doesn't matter now. We keep moving forward. One step at a time, one drive at a time. They've got the ball to start, but our defence can stop them. We have to reward that effort with putting points on the board, it doesn't matter if it's three or seven, points are points, and we'll beat them with field goals if we have to. Remember what you're fighting for, remember who's standing beside you. Remember, you're unstoppable when you're working together. One, two, three—'
'Family!'
The Eagles' room was quiet, the first message they received after walking through the door, was Coach Lipp berating them for their lack of effort going after the loose ball.
The Eagles' Head Coach strutted into the room, head bobbing as he talked. 'We won't hold onto this lead if we let mistakes like that go unpunished! When Joseph does all that work to break through and force a fumble, we need to reward him and secure the football. Those opportunities are gifts from God. We CANNOT let them go to waste.'
There were mumbled apologies as the boys took their seats. Coach Lipp strode towards Fale, kneeling before him. In truth, the defence had done well for the first half, even with the slight blip at the end; they weren't the problem.
'How are you feeling, Joseph?'
'Aw, I'm fine, Coach Lipp.' Joseph smiled. A righteous warrior on the field, a big puppy off it.
'That number twenty-one, he's not cheating is he?'
Fale blinked. 'What? No, not at all. He's…He's nasty, but he hasn't cheated.' He made a mental note to pray for Ty's soul after the game.
'Okay. If he's not cheating, then you can beat him. There's nobody that can stop you, Joseph.'
'I'll do my best.'
'I know you will. We just have to help you, give you all the advantages we can.' He looked down in thought. 'He's slippery, isn't he?'
Fale thought back to the two drives Ty had guarded him. It was strange, nobody that small had ever managed to stop him before. Ty was different, not just from the LBs that usually defended him.
'Yeah, he's real quick,' Fale said. 'Almost like a snake, eh?'
'That's fine,' Coach Lipp said. 'It should be expected. But if he's slippery like a snake, then we just need to force him into situations where he HAS to engage you, where you can get your hands on him. Then he'll be powerless.'
'I trust you, Coach. Whatever you say, I'll do it.'
Standing, Coach Lipp patted him on the shoulder. 'I know you will, Joseph.'
Fale watched him move over to the other coaches, a little whiteboard shared between them as they planned for the second half. Whatever plan they came up with, it was down to him to execute. He'd do his best. Ultimately that's what it would come down to, him versus Ty. Poor, blasphemous Ty. Fale felt sorry for him, but that only added to his motivation. The boy needed saving, and Fale would do just that. He'd show Ty the path Ty followed was wrong. After crushing and excising those demons for him, Fale would lead him to salvation. The only way to save someone like Ty was to break them down to their lowest point, so they could see the light and start their journey to redemption. Fale was more than prepared to be that messenger.
The two of them didn't have to wait long for their next showdown. After the teams emerged from their locker rooms—a rejuvenated crowd welcomed them; cheers for the Dons could finally be heard under the piercing cries for the Eagles—they had a short stay on the sidelines as the kickoff resulted in a touchback.
The Eagles' offence then marched onto the field, with Fale leading them. The Dons matched them step for step, JJ at the forefront, but right behind him was Ty.
After the kickoff, which the Eagles returned to their 27-yard line, the teams took their formations. Ty and Fale stood face to face, determination filling their eyes equally.
Neither boy would back down, but only one could be the victor. Only one of their dreams would remain whole.