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MD - Chapter 182: Mater Dei vs Bosco I
🕑 Added 2025-08-31 16:57:19 +0000 UTCFriday, October 10, 2010 – 6:40 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Stadium, Long Beach
The ESPN camera glided over the packed stands, capturing a sea of Bosco blue and white jerseys. Then it panned to another section filled with Mater Dei red.
The stadium was at maximum capacity, a complete sellout.
The reporter’s voice thundered through the broadcast as the crowd made the air vibrate with chants and drums.
“Good evening from Long Beach, California. We are at Veterans Memorial Stadium, packed with 11,000 fans, one hundred percent of its capacity, here to witness a clash that under normal circumstances would have been a regional broadcast… but this is not a normal game."
The camera stopped on the home section: thousands of Bosco fans waving flags and screaming as if the game had already started.
“Look at that…” said the commentator, astonished. He was from ESPN, yet he had never seen such an atmosphere for a high school game that wasn’t even a sectional or state final.
“This is the fourth game of the Trinity League, the toughest league in the country, with Bosco coming in at 2–1 and Mater Dei undefeated at 3–0. And what we’re witnessing here is unusual: this matchup has been elevated to national television on ESPNU due to all the hype around one name… Andrew Pritchett-Tucker.”
The lens turned toward the visitors’ section. Mater Dei’s fans were fewer in number, but not in passion: they sang nonstop, with drums and megaphones, making their presence felt.
“Make no mistake: though the Mater Dei crowd is the minority, they’re being heard. Not bad for enemy territory. And between both fan bases, in the neutral zone, we have college recruiters from across the country, national media, and curious spectators who didn’t want to miss this event.”
The narrator’s tone dropped, more dramatic now, as the camera showed Andrew warming up with his team.
“The spotlight tonight, without a doubt, is on Mater Dei’s junior quarterback. At just 16 years old, he stole the starting job from Max Wittek, who already had a verbal offer from USC. Andrew has racked up 23 touchdowns in 5 games this season, shattering multiple records in the division and in the league. But what truly ignited this rivalry was his comment on national television that he would give Bosco a beating, and the whole country could watch.”
There was a pause as the zoom caught Bosco defenders tightening their pads, sneaking glances across the field.
“Bosco has clearly heard him. And there’s no doubt: they’ll take the field with one goal, shut him up. The question is… can Prtichett back up his words and maintain his elite level against a fired-up defense, under the brightest lights he’s ever faced?”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” the commentator concluded, as the camera returned to focus on Andrew.
Andrew, warming up with his teammates, threw a pass to Sedric while his eyes drifted to the stands, into the roar of eleven thousand people filling Veterans Memorial Stadium.
'Packed to the brim,' he thought, slightly surprised. He had expected it, of course, it was a rivalry game, and the storm his own words had caused only fueled the hype. Not just his stats, but his so-called controversial statements.
Still, seeing it in person was a different matter than imagining it.
He turned his head toward the media zone: ESPN cameras, reporters with microphones, photographers lined up as if it were a college game. He wasn’t shaken; in his past life, in Texas, he had played a state final before 30,000 people in a bursting stadium. There, football was religion.
But compared to the games he’d had in this life, this was a big leap.
At Palisades, the biggest crowds they had drawn were for regional and state finals. In Division V, neutral stadiums with 5,000 seats. Later, when they moved up to Division IV and reached the finals, it was in 8,000-seat stadiums.
Here there were three thousand more, and the difference was palpable. Besides, those earlier games had been CIF championship finals. This was just a regular league game.
Andrew estimated that a CIF Southern Section or state championship final must be held in a neutral stadium of around 25,000 to 30,000 spectators.
What was happening tonight was strange, very strange.
And he wasn’t the only one who noticed. He could see it in the faces of his teammates: Victor, Nick, Sedric, Thomas… all of them were surprised.
Last year, they had already played Bosco. It was at Mater Dei’s stadium, with a capacity of 10,000, and although the rivalry brought in a big crowd, it had filled to maybe 7,000 or 8,000 at most.
That was the norm: the stadium only overflowed in games that decided the league, direct clashes for the title, or against the historic archrival, Servite. Bosco, even though it was a rivalry, was still a “newcomer” to the elite; only a few years ago they had started climbing.
Victor, one of the team’s veterans, remembered that two years earlier, in a minor game against Bosco at their home stadium, it hadn’t even sold out. Capacity was 5,000, and about 4,000 had shown up.
Now, not only had the game been moved to a neutral 11,000-seat stadium, but it was bursting at the seams and being broadcast nationwide.
For all of them, including the staff, this was a massive shift. A stage that turned a regular-season game, one that wasn’t even for the league title, into a national spectacle.
All caused by Mater Dei’s new quarterback.
Victor, adjusting his gloves, muttered, “Bro, did you see the way Bosco’s looking at you? Like you killed their whole family. They’re coming out to knock the wind out of you.”
Nick, standing off to the side with his helmet in hand, let out a nervous laugh. “They’re taking this like it’s personal revenge… Do you regret that whole beating comment, even a little? I never imagined a regular game could blow up like this,” he asked, glancing at Andrew.
Andrew, who had been staring at the stands, looked back calmly and gave a faint smile. “I don’t regret it. Pressure is good for focus…” he answered.
And he wasn’t lying. He always performed better in tough games. The harder the matchup, the more pressure there was, that was where good players rose above and made the difference.
Yes, he knew his words had fueled Bosco all week, but the real question was this: could they channel that anger into performance when the stadium roared and the cameras followed their every move?
Andrew took off his helmet and started walking toward the tunnel. “Come on. Warm-ups are over.”
Nick’s eyes widened, surprised by his composure, but he didn’t say anything. He just nodded and followed, along with Victor, Sedric, and the rest of the group. In Andrew’s body language there wasn’t a trace of nerves or distraction; he was as focused and precise as ever.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” shouted Rick, blowing the whistle to gather them.
As Mater Dei’s players grouped up, Rick turned to Bruce with a look of amazement. “If a regular-season game can pack a stadium like this… I don’t even want to imagine if we make a sectional championship this year.”
Bruce nodded, arms crossed, serious. “Yeah… it could get absolutely crazy.”
The Mater Dei players headed into the tunnel. On the opposite side, Bosco’s players did the same.
The crowd roared as both teams disappeared beneath the stands, because it meant kickoff was drawing near.
In the seating section reserved for Mater Dei families, with a good view of the field and far calmer than the sea of Mater Dei students screaming nonstop, Andrew’s family sat together.
Mitchell was biting his nails as he watched the teams vanish into the tunnels. Beside him, three-year-old Lily played obliviously with a doll and a Max Steel figure on her lap.
“Mitchell, stop biting your nails! You’re not fifteen!” Claire scolded, arms crossed.
“I know!” he exclaimed, yanking his hand down in a rush. “It’s just… this is insane,” he added, looking around, overwhelmed by the deafening roar of the packed stands.
He had never been in a stadium like this. And even less so with the pressure of knowing that everyone, absolutely everyone, was talking about his son. The media, television, social networks… the “live beating” phrase now hung like a weight on his shoulders.
“Yes, I know! And it’s all your fault!” Claire burst out, just as nervous, maybe more.
“What!?” Mitchell protested, frowning. “My fault? What did I do?”
“You let them air the interview with the beating comment! ESPN gave you the option to cut that slip of the tongue, and you didn’t.”
“It was Andrew who made the call,” Mitchell shot back firmly. “He’s sixteen, Claire. And yes, I think he can make that decision for himself.”
It was true. The ESPN producer had given them the chance to remove that part, looking to him and Cam for approval. But they had left the choice to Andrew, and he wanted it to stay. He didn’t regret it, though now the pressure had his stomach in knots.
“That’s when parents have to step up and make the decision,” Claire said critically. She was certain: if she’d been there, she never would have let that comment air.
“Oh, so now you’re going to lecture me on parenting?” Mitchell shot back, raising his eyebrows, ready to launch into one of his classic sibling arguments with her.
“Hey, hey, guys! Don’t fight,” Phil cut in, wearing his cap backwards, his face painted in Mater Dei’s colors with Andrew’s number on his cheek. A teenage fan trapped in an adult’s body.
Jay, off to the side, let out a heavy snort. That sound alone was enough to shut Claire up, not because of Phil, but because of the weight of her father’s stare.
“What? If you’ve got something to say, spit it out,” Claire shot back, defiant.
Jay looked straight at her with the calm of a weathered old man. “If they had cut that line, it would’ve made them look like cowards.”
Claire pressed her lips together, but eventually nodded. She was competitive to the core. She was always the first to yell that Andrew needed to crush his rivals, but the fear of her nephew being branded lingered.
“Maybe… but no one else would know,” Claire muttered. “What worries me is the media pressure. If Andrew doesn’t back up his words, he’ll be marked.”
She paused, lowered her voice, and added, “And then… there’s Pippa. I don’t know how he’s handling it…”
The breakup had been a bucket of cold water for the family. They hadn’t seen the issues piling up in that relationship, so it felt sudden to them.
Especially Mitchell, Cameron, and Claire, Andrew and Pippa’s relationship had seemed almost out of a movie. Almost two years together at that age felt like forever.
Cam, Mitch, and Claire had already been daydreaming about happy endings ahead of schedule.
Of course, everyone respected Andrew’s decision, but those three struggled most to accept it.
Phil sighed, though he forced a smile to ease the tension. He placed a hand on Claire’s shoulder. “Relax, honey. Of course it affects him, he’s not made of stone. But I saw him this week and, trust me… he’s more focused than ever. If anyone can use all of this to play better, it’s Andrew.”
Claire drew a deep breath, nodding slowly before turning her gaze back to the field.
Jay snorted with a dry chuckle. “You’re all getting nervous and you’re not even on the field. I can’t imagine when he plays in college.”
Claire and Mitchell were already opening their mouths to retort, ready for a classic Pritchett argument, when Gloria stepped forward, eyebrows raised and hands on her hips.
“Oh, please, Jay!” she pointed at him. “Don’t act so calm, you didn’t sleep a wink last night. You got up five times, always with the excuse of going to the bathroom. That’s not your prostate, that’s nerves!”
A brief silence followed, then Phil burst out laughing, which made Claire laugh too. Mitchell barely managed to hold back a chuckle.
Jay growled in annoyance, shrinking into his seat. “It was the beer I had with dinner!” he grumbled, though it was already impossible to win the argument.
While the adults bickered with jabs and nervous laughter, a few seats down Leonard, Alex, and Manny sat together, completely detached.
Meanwhile, Haley, Willa, Howard, and Cam had chosen the section where the real party was: teenagers standing, drums pounding, chants echoing, and flags waving nonstop.
Cam, swept up in youthful nostalgia and fired up with spirit, had declared himself the lead cheerleader of that section, waving his arms like he was conducting a Broadway choir.
Leonard, on the other hand, had opted out of that chaos. This time he preferred sitting in the quieter section, with a better view and cleaner air. The sweaty adolescent shouting might be fun for a game or two, but with his asthma and his personality, this suited him better.
“We lost an intellectual companion,” Manny suddenly said, solemn as ever.
Alex and Leonard knew he was talking about Pippa.
She had been very close to the three of them, especially Manny and Alex, with whom she shared a kind of wise, big-sister bond.
Leonard didn’t have that same connection since they were the same age. Of course, he got along with her, but his real friendship was with Andrew.
“Yeah… a shame,” Alex said, lowering her gaze. The sadness was hidden behind her neutral tone.
Alex had seen Pippa as a kind of older sister. Though lately, her relationship with Haley had improved a lot: they still argued, but nothing compared to before. In a way, Haley was learning to be the older sister Alex had always needed, even if she’d never admit it.
“And how did Andrew take the breakup?” Manny asked, with that seriousness of a psychology intern, turning his gaze toward Leonard.
Leonard adjusted his glasses, thinking about how to explain it. “I noticed he’s been fine this week. He’s focused on the game, like a weight’s been lifted off him. Honestly, he’d been having problems with Pippa for a while. It wasn’t something that happened overnight.”
Manny nodded, satisfied with the answer. It reassured him to know it hadn’t been a rash decision from Andrew, nor that fame was changing him.
Alex, who had been listening quietly, spoke up with feigned indifference, glancing sideways at Leonard. “And you? Did that cause problems with the friend group?” she asked, referring to Cana, Zach, Lauren, and of course, Pippa.
Leonard shrugged. “Howard and I were only friends with Pippa because of Andrew. It’d be weird to keep hanging out with her. And Cana, Zach, and Lauren were Pippa’s friends before ours, so naturally, we’re more distant now.”
Besides, Lauren was Leonard’s ex-girlfriend, though time had passed since then. The group had already splintered, and now it had finally broken apart.
“I see…” Alex said in a neutral tone.
She had just started her freshman year at Palisades High and had noticed this week that Howard and Leonard were back to sitting alone in the cafeteria, not with the old group anymore. Yes, she watched them more than she would ever admit, specifically Leonard, not the bowl-cut kid who put perverted thoughts into her little brother’s head.
Thinking of her younger brother, Alex asked, “And Luke?”
“I think he went with Haley and the others. Willa convinced your mom or managed to sneak away,” Leonard replied.
Before Alex could answer, the stadium lights flickered for an instant, and the loudspeakers thundered above the general murmur:
“Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for has arrived! First, let’s welcome the visiting team, the Mater Dei Monarchs!”
Comments
Josh Muggs
Can’t wait for the next chapter thanks though
George
this story keeps me on the edge of my seat every chapter!! keep up the awesome work!!
