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MD - Chapter 38: The Game II
🕑 Added 2025-01-15 16:21:20 +0000 UTCAndrew crouched behind the center, his eyes quickly scanning the opposing defense. The linebackers looked ready to lunge at him.
I have to lead players with whom I have never practiced and without a clear strategy from the coach, tsch," Andrew muttered to himself.
"Set... hut!" Andrew shouted, and the ball snapped into his hands.
Instead of stepping back to prepare a pass, Andrew made a quick move to his right, faking out the nearest defensive lineman.
"He's going to run!" someone on the opposing team shouted, but by the time they said it, Andrew was already surging forward.
With his impressive speed, thanks to his training and genetics, he covered a significant number of yards in just a few seconds.
Rarely in previous games had he showcased his speed and reflexes to evade defenders, as it wasn't necessary—his passes always hit their mark.
But right now, he didn’t trust the receivers or the nonexistent strategy from the coach. He would have to score a touchdown himself.
As Andrew continued charging ahead, a defender dove for his legs, but he lightly sidestepped, causing the defender to collide with another player who was about to lunge at him.
He managed to reach the 50-yard line in a single run, and no one had stopped him yet.
In football, you get four attempts (or "downs") to advance 10 yards. If you fail to gain those 10 yards within the next three tries, you lose possession of the ball and hand control over to the opposing team.
By advancing 10 yards, Andrew ensured that if he was tackled now, the team would have another set of four downs, starting the next play from the 50-yard line—closer to the end zone. They would keep pushing until they scored a touchdown.
"Come on, Andrew!" Pippa shouted from the visitor stands, clenching her fists nervously.
Her father, brother, and friends, except Connor, were also cheering for Andrew, many surprised by his incredible speed and reflexes to dodge players.
"Yes, yes! Dodge them all!" Claire shouted.
"Oh, oh! Is that Andrew? I can’t see well," Leonard said, squinting and adjusting his glasses for a better view. He didn’t recognize Andrew and didn’t even understand the rules of football, but if everyone was cheering enthusiastically, it must be a good sign.
Howard, next to him, shrugged since he didn’t understand anything either, but he started cheering along because everyone else was doing it.
"Run, you training maniac!" Howard yelled.
Andrew kept pushing forward, reaching the 60-yard line when a linebacker tried to block him. With a sudden spin move, Andrew left the defender with empty hands and a confused expression.
‘What just happened?’ the defender thought.
At the 70-yard line, Andrew was still running. The home crowd was shouting in frustration, as was the opposing coach:
"Take him down, damn it!"
"Somebody stop him!"
When Andrew reached the 82-yard line, two defenders, coordinated and fast, closed in on him from opposite sides. Andrew tried to juke them, but this time, he had no way out. He was tackled hard.
He fell to the ground, rolling over to protect the ball. The defenders’ hands gripped him tightly, but he didn’t let go of the ball. The whistle blew, and the play was over.
"First down! A 42-yard gain!" the announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers, as the visitor stands erupted in cheers.
"That's it!" Jay exclaimed, his voice hoarse with excitement and a satisfied smile on his face, giving a high five to Phil, who was the closest to him.
"Ouch…" Phil muttered, grabbing his hand with a pained grimace he tried to hide—though it didn’t matter since Jay’s eyes were fixed on the field.
"What’s wrong with Andrew’s team? Nobody helped him, not even to block a single damn defender. They’re useless!" Pippa exclaimed angrily, though she was thrilled by Andrew’s incredible success in advancing 40 amazing yards in a single down.
"Pip?" Cara murmured, still processing the intensity in her friend’s tone.
"That’s the spirit, my girl! Shout louder!" Victor exclaimed with a grin.
On the field, Andrew quickly got up, brushing the dirt off his uniform.
‘Not bad. If I’d had some support from my team, I could’ve gone further,’ Andrew thought. His seniors hadn’t been able to follow and support him, though he didn’t blame them entirely since he hadn’t told them he was going to run and needed backup.
The opposing defenders were panting and visibly frustrated, staring at him as if they couldn’t believe what had just happened.
The team gathered in the huddle, surrounding Andrew. Their gazes were a mix of respect and amazement.
Even the seniors, Jason’s close friends, seemed to start questioning their loyalty to the starting quarterback after witnessing Andrew’s performance in that play.
Andrew had only needed one play in a real game to make such an impression on the seniors.
“We’ll repeat the previous play,” Andrew said in a firm and direct tone—no over-the-top emotion, no motivational speeches.
“This time, I need someone to follow me and block the first defenders that come at me. I’ll fake right but cut left. I want the receivers to stay alert—if I see an opening, I’ll pass the ball. If not, I’ll take it myself,” he added, giving clear instructions.
“To your positions,” Andrew ordered without waiting for a response.
The team nodded without objection. There was something in his tone and posture that inspired immediate, almost instinctive confidence. Everyone quickly lined up in their positions.
“Set… hut!”
The ball snapped perfectly into his hands, and the play began. Andrew faked to the right, drawing in the defenders, but in a swift motion, he changed direction to the left, dodging a linebacker who lunged into empty space.
A lineman teammate followed closely, blocking the second defender who tried to intercept Andrew.
Andrew ran with even more speed than before, leaving everyone stunned.
Just a few yards from the end zone, two defenders closed in on him. Andrew performed a lateral jump to avoid the first hit and twisted his body to absorb the impact of the second defender, but he didn’t stop. He pushed forward with all his strength, crossing the goal line while cradling the ball tightly in both arms.
“TOUCHDOWN!” roared the loudspeaker, accompanied by a deafening explosion of cheers from the visiting stands.
“Yes!” Cameron and Haley squealed, hugging and jumping up and down.
Phil enthusiastically lifted Luke, who was cheering happily even though he didn’t fully understand what was happening—he just knew his cousin was doing what he always did: crushing the competition.
Jay and Mitchell hugged each other until Jay realized what he was doing and awkwardly pulled back, slightly embarrassed.
“Do you see it now? Andrew can lead this team to second or even first division!” Mitchell exclaimed with a proud smile, not noticing Jay’s mild embarrassment from the hug.
"Ahem... Let’s not celebrate just yet; there’s still a quarter and a half left to play," Jay said cautiously.
Andrew didn’t raise his arms, smile, or do anything celebratory. He adjusted his helmet and calmly walked back to his team.
Now they had the chance to either kick for an extra point or attempt a two-point conversion.
For the extra point, the ball had to be kicked from the 15-yard line through the uprights, earning 1 point.
To go for a two-point conversion, the team would have to carry the ball into the end zone through a play (either a pass or a run) from the 3-yard line. This was riskier.
Teams typically opted for the extra point unless they were desperate for more points.
Andrew's teammates on the field weren’t sure how to react. Some still felt uneasy about the situation, glancing at Jason on the bench. He sat there injured, watching the game in clear surprise like most of the crowd.
Others were simply unsure what to make of Andrew’s cold and composed demeanor.
“Well done, Captain!” Kevin exclaimed, giving Andrew a high five, which he accepted. For the first time, Andrew showed a faint smile.
“We’re going for the two-point conversion,” Andrew said, immediately returning to his serious tone. It wasn’t a suggestion—it was a statement.
“Really? Why not just kick the extra point?” one of the linemen asked, looking at Andrew with doubt.
“We always kick; it’s a guaranteed point,” said the kicker, who was usually in charge in these situations. The coach always instructed them to take the safe point.
“We’re losing 35 to 16. Playing it safe won’t get us back in this game,” Andrew said, his tone firm and unwavering. No one argued further after seeing the serious, no-nonsense look on his face—so different from the friendly demeanor he usually had at school.
Andrew and the rest of the team lined up at the 3-yard line. That’s when everyone began to realize they were going for the two-point conversion.
“What the hell are they doing?” Andrew’s coach muttered. This wasn’t the plan after a touchdown, but it was too late for him to intervene.
“Set, hut!” Andrew shouted, receiving the snap.
The opposing team was already poised to stop him, with their linebackers in position. But Andrew moved quickly and with agility, executing a fake that completely fooled the defenders, who were expecting another rushing attempt.
This miscalculation by the opposing team gave Andrew the time, the gap, and the opportunity he needed. With a quick and precise throw, he launched the ball—a clean pass straight into the end zone.
The ball arrived at just the right moment, and the receiver caught it effortlessly, landing inside the end zone.
“TWO POINTS! 35 to 18! Palisades High School wakes up and gets back in the game, though they still have a long way to go before they can celebrate,” the announcer shouted, followed by a roar from the visiting crowd.
“Did you see that pass, Dad? That was incredible!” Josh exclaimed, jumping out of his seat.
“Yes, that was amazing!” Pippa shouted with a smile, not realizing her brother wasn’t talking to her, but she didn’t care.
Josh looked at his sister with confusion, momentarily distracted from the euphoria of seeing his team score. He had never seen her this enthusiastic about football games.
He knew she understood the game—she was smart and had to watch the matches because of the family—but she’d never shown much excitement before.
Andrew approached the coach and the rest of the team, who were looking at him with a mix of happiness and doubt. The ones celebrating loudly and giving him high-fives were Reggie, Archie, Steve, and the others.
The cheerleaders, who had positioned themselves in a corner of the stands, began jumping and waving their pom-poms with excitement after the successful two-point conversion and the touchdown. Veronica was among them. She looked at Andrew with a swirl of mixed emotions but said nothing, focusing on her job as a cheerleader.
“Coach,” Andrew said, removing his helmet and looking at David.
“What is it, Andrew?” the coach asked in a serious tone, not showing any irritation about the two-point conversion decision. This wasn’t the moment to reprimand Andrew.
“Can I play defense? I’m fast, and I can tackle. We need to do something to stop their offense,” Andrew requested, his tone direct yet respectful.
The coach paused, thinking. It wasn’t entirely uncommon for a player to play both offense and defense. Considering Andrew’s speed, agility, and strength—evident when he’d been tackled and immediately got back up—it wasn’t unreasonable to let him join the defensive lineup.
“Alright, but don’t overexert yourself,” David finally replied.
Andrew returned to the field, this time with the defensive team. Many were surprised to see him back on the field so quickly.
Comments
Census
There is no 82 yard line. Not trying to be that guy but the field ends at 50 going back down to one yard both ways. So he would be at the 18 yard line in the opponents end zone
Juan Flores
Demon devilbats yaha
Guido
I'm glad :D There is a very good football manga/anime called Eyeshield 21, it is very epic and funny, the soundtrack is the best. I recommend it, since it's really good and you don't have to know much about soccer to get hooked.
alex hampton
Wow, I’m surprised, I know nothing about foot ball and usually I’m not interested but this got me learning and interested!!!
Cat Tip
I don’t understand much of what’s happening but I know the mc is kicking as so 👍
