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MD - Chapter 39: The Game III
🕑 Added 2025-01-17 16:24:44 +0000 UTC"ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL TWO-POINT CONVERSION FOR PALISADES HIGH SCHOOL!" shouted the commentator, his voice amplified by the loudspeaker.
Mitchell, Cam, Jay, and everyone in the visiting stands cheered and applauded enthusiastically at yet another successful two-point conversion by their team.
"This is an epic comeback! 35 to 34! They’re just one point behind! Since player #19, Andrew Pritchett-Tucker, entered the game, Palisades High School has scored three consecutive touchdowns and successfully converted all the two-point attempts," the commentator said, his voice filled with surprise and excitement.
As a neutral commentator, witnessing such an epic comeback was the best thing that could happen to him—not only as a sports fan but also to make the game commentary even more thrilling.
"That’s not all, Mark. Since Andrew stepped onto the field, he hasn’t just transformed Palisades’ offense but has also dominated on defense. Wilson High School hasn’t been able to score another touchdown since he joined the defense. This kid is leaving his mark on both sides of the game," the analyst commented, his tone a mix of awe and admiration.
"Yes, incredible! Now Wilson High School takes the offensive. There are only about four minutes left in the game," the commentator exclaimed with a serious tone.
"If Palisades wants to win, they need to stop this offense quickly and get back to scoring. Time is gold," he added.
'We’re good on time… The only thing is, they can’t score,' Andrew thought. He had to keep a cool head—there were almost four full minutes left.
The opposing team burned time, taking their time to line up, which drew complaints from Coach David and several players on the bench.
"Set hut!" shouted the rival quarterback, and the ball snapped into his hands. Wasting no time, he handed it off to his running back, who quickly chose the left side, where it seemed fewer defenders were positioned. But he had made a grave mistake—that was Andrew’s zone.
The running back lowered his head and charged forward, confident he could break through the gap. However, Andrew had already read the play. His body tensed as he calculated the perfect moment to strike.
As the runner reached the line of scrimmage, Andrew moved like lightning, lowering his body and executing a textbook tackle.
With one arm aimed at the runner's midsection, Andrew struck with devastating force, stopping him dead in his tracks and driving him to the ground with a sharp, resounding impact.
“Uhh!” the crowd gasped collectively, both home and visiting fans instinctively wincing at the painful tackle the runner had to endure.
“Oh my God! What a tackle by Andrew! That even hurt me!” exclaimed the commentator.
It was the first time Andrew executed such a fast and powerful tackle. He didn’t have time to go softer—he had to shut down the offense as quickly as possible.
The opposing running back lay motionless for a few seconds, struggling to catch his breath. His teammates helped him up as he shook his head, clearly reconsidering whether he wanted to touch the ball again.
“Don’t give me the ball again…” the running back muttered. His quarterback gave him a puzzled look but simply shook his head.
They gained a mere two yards and had only three downs left. If they continued down this path, they’d lose possession and have no chance of reaching the end zone. They needed to go for a pass.
The play resumed.
“Set hut!” shouted the Wilson School quarterback as the ball snapped into his hands. He began to retreat, scanning for a passing lane while his linemen worked to protect him.
Seeing his linemen collapse as two massive defenders charged toward him, he made a hasty decision. He spotted his nearest receiver, seemingly in a perfect position to catch the pass, and threw the ball with all his strength.
But Andrew had already read the play. He’d had enough time to follow the quarterback’s eyes, allowing him to leap at the perfect moment and intercept the pass with both hands.
The visiting stands erupted into a deafening roar.
“Interception! Andrew Pritchett-Tucker does it again!” the commentator shouted, his voice brimming with excitement.
“Is this kid everywhere or what!?”
Andrew landed with the ball securely in his arms and began to sprint.
'Just fifty yards,' Andrew thought, determined to end the game. His feet pounded the turf as he pushed forward, eating up the yards.
“Oooooh!” yelled Kevin as he hurled himself with all his strength at a massive lineman trying to stop Andrew’s run.
Kevin managed to bring the lineman down, tackling him to the turf. At Andrew’s request, Kevin had also joined the defense. Coach David couldn’t deny a request from his sudden star player, who was now leading both the offense and defense.
Taking advantage of the opportunity Kevin created, Andrew continued his run. Another defender tried to catch him from the side, but Andrew accelerated, leaving him behind.
One of the opposing running backs charged toward Andrew. He caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye.
'Dodging him will be difficult', he thought in a split second.
However, a shout broke through the tension.
“Stop right there, you bastard!” yelled his team’s defensive leader, who launched himself at the rival runner, tackling him to the ground and pinning him there.
“Run, Junior!” the defensive leader shouted, giving Andrew a thumbs-up.
The defensive leader felt deeply guilty for all the points they had conceded today. As the leader of the defense, he considered himself responsible for it, although Andrew didn’t entirely agree.
It wasn’t that the defensive leader didn’t share some of the blame, but the real fault lay with Jason, who had repeatedly lost the offensive position.
Jason’s passes had been inaccurate, often ending up in the hands of opposing defenders or falling incomplete. His mistakes had cost them possession multiple times, leaving the defense exposed and exhausted, repeatedly facing Wilson High School’s advances.
Thanks to the defensive leader’s assist, Andrew made it to the touchdown line.
“TOUCHDOWN! A perfect pick-six!” the commentator shouted with excitement.
The term “pick-six” referred to when a defensive player intercepted a quarterback’s pass and returned it directly to the end zone, scoring a defensive touchdown.
It was a highly valuable and celebrated play because it not only stopped the opponent’s advance but also earned points for the defensive team.
The visiting stands, though smaller in size, were on their feet, roaring with applause and cheers for Palisades High School.
Phil lifted Luke into the air, the boy laughing as he was tossed up. Claire hugged Haley—a rare sight—and even Alex joined in, offering a faint smile and clapping calmly.
Mitch and Cameron embraced tightly, an unusual display for Mitch, who often struggled to show affection in public. Jay, usually stoic, clapped with a wide smile and even let out a whistle.
Pippa celebrated by hugging and bouncing with Cara and Lauren, while Zatch clapped enthusiastically from the side, a smile on his face. The least enthusiastic among them was Connor, who clapped with minimal energy.
“Excited to meet tonight’s star?” Zach teased, glancing at his friend. He knew exactly why Connor wasn’t thrilled about Andrew.
Connor had liked Pippa since middle school but had never mustered the courage to make a move. Now, with Andrew entering their lives and growing closer to her, it left Connor feeling uneasy, as though he had a rival.
And not just any rival—Andrew was the most popular athlete in their grade, a two-time middle school champion, and now delivering an extraordinary performance, turning what seemed like a certain loss into a comeback victory.
To make matters worse for Connor, he and Pippa’s group of friends had learned that Andrew was visiting her house on weekends to work on a programming project.
Connor didn’t like this one bit, but there was nothing he could do to stop it—after all, he wasn’t in any kind of relationship with Pippa.
The scoreboard updated: Palisades High School 40 - Wilson High School 35.
Andrew held the ball high, smiling behind his helmet. Finally, he could relax a bit. His entire defensive team ran to him, embracing him roughly and exchanging high-fives.
The offensive team took to the field. Andrew spoke with the coach to decide whether to attempt a two-point conversion—a riskier play—or secure a single point with a kick.
The kick was a guaranteed point, bringing their score to 41 and leaving them one touchdown ahead of the opposing team. However, if Wilson managed to score a touchdown, they would tie the game, and with their own kick, they’d reach 42 points to take the lead.
Considering the limited time left and how solid Palisades’ defense, especially with Andrew, had been, the coach opted for the safer route: the kick.
Andrew obeyed the decision, agreeing with the coach to an extent, although he personally would have gone for the two-point conversion. If, by some unexpected twist, Wilson scored a touchdown, a single-point kick would still put them at 42.
From the 15-yard line, the kicker struck the ball hard, sending it cleanly between the two uprights and securing another point.
41 points for Palisades – 35 points for Wilson.
The coach had been right. Wilson didn’t have much time left, and their morale had plummeted after the stunning comeback by Palisades. As the clock ran down to zero, the referee raised his hands to signal the end of the game.
“Game over! 35 for Wilson and 41 for Palisades, pulling off an extraordinary comeback victory!” the commentator exclaimed, rising from his seat with microphone in hand.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Palisades’ players—both those on the field and on the bench—celebrated their hard-fought victory.
Comments
BurglarOfTurds
Just a heads up there's still a Zatch
Lel0uchX
I read and listen, it's a nice Eyeshield 21-(ZZ) Be Survivor
Alkole
Thanks for the chapter
Zai
I think you've done it more than once and in the previous chapters as well.
Guido
Yes, I already fixed it
Zai
Shouldn't it be Zach and not Zatch
