The Tourney Tournament

Cameron

Ron walked side by side with Jamison as they made their way to the locker room after their last class. "Ready for the big game?"

Ron chuckled, "I'm ready to sit on the bench that's for sure," his eyes drifted, "I've been good at keeping it nice and warm—"

"Jules!" Ron turned his head in disbelief as a pretty young brunette ran over to give Jamison a hug after hearing her name.

"Good luck at the game babe!" She kissed Jamison sweetly before running back to her group of friends with a wave.

Ron gaped after Jules as she walked into the women's locker rooms. "Are you going to explain?"

Jamison smirked, brushing by Ron.

"Um no!" Ron walked after Jamison at a hurried pace. "Since when did you start dating someone? We're roommates! You have to tell me these things! When did you meet her? Why'd you start dating? Did you—"

"Enough!" Jamison laughed, giving Ron a shove as they wandered into the shade of the building, "She and I met just before the whole monster incident with Gisa…"

"And you didn't think to tell me until now?" Ron demanded, smacking Jamison's shoulder. "Dude."

"Well I met her after practice one time and—"

"You fell for a cheerleader?"

"You haven't?"

Ron shook his head, but grinned all the same, "I've never seen her around. When do you guys even hang out?"

"Not at the dorm because it's a mess and you aren't helping that problem," Ron shrugged in acceptance, "So we usually go out to a cafe that is just off campus. We went to a beach. I tried to get her to go to a party with me, but she told me she had to study and be ready for practice."

"Wow. Responsible, very unlike you." Ron jumped out of the way as Jamison lunged for him, "Opposites attract!" he called over his shoulder, dashing into the locker room before he could be tackled.

His laugh stopped short, Jamison coming to a halt behind them as they beheld the stone silent group of players. Ron swept his eyes across the group. The three coaches stood in front of them. Nobody was speaking. The players began to shuffle their feet, eyes wandering, hands shoved into pockets or fiddling in front of them. Someone coughed.

"Good," Markus said finally, "Now you know how the entire team feels when our two captains are fighting." He shot a pointed glance over to Sean and Michael. Sean was glaring at his shoes, Michael met Markus' eyes guiltily. The rest of the team stared at them unabashedly. "This has got to stop," Markus continued, "We were on track to completely blow the other teams in our league out of the water. We lost to the Knights three weeks ago, lost to the Dukes that same week and we lost to the Centaurs last week. That's the Centaur's only win this season. This is the first game in the championship. If we lose this game, we are out and all of you are done for the rest of the season. For you seniors? You are done forever."

Ron watched the reactions of some. Jerry stuck a finger at the captains before anyone could catch him.

Moses took a turn to speak, "We were so great this season at the beginning. We were killing everyone." He cast a glance across the room slowly, meeting the eyes of every player, "I don't believe we have gotten worse. No, you have all improved immensely. You are a very talented group of players. But it is the skill of learning to work with each other and trust each other… that we seem to have lost. I know it isn't easy. You are all teenage boys with different interests and needs. You're going to butt heads, but we need to learn to deal with that." He sighed heavily, "Unless you start working as a team, we will lose and we will be done."

"Now you all get dressed and meet us on the field for warmups." Harrison said, her lips pursed, dark eyes daring them not to listen. And for once, nobody protested as she brushed past Michael and Sean. Everyone did as she had said.

"Is it just me, or has Harrison gotten scarier?" someone asked Jamison and Ron as they wandered to their respective lockers to put on their uniforms.

"Not just you," Ron responded, "I didn't see why nobody thought she was scary in the first place. She might be five feet tall, but she could probably take on all of us," he chuckled.

"You know she is Mulan's daughter, right? She's literally only in her twenties." the other player said, chucking his shirt into the depths of his locker.

"Mulan has like four daughters, I wouldn't be surprised," someone else put in.

"Five actually," Michael corrected them, "And there is another little boy on the way,"

"Dang," Jamison said, "I have one little brother, and he was a pain enough."

Ron pulled his shoulder pads on, listening to the conversation with a smile. Finally they had constructive things to say about her. They had started by calling her all sorts of names but now they were finally realizing that Markus and Moses had picked Cassandra Harrison for a reason. "Wait… why is her last name Harrison?" he asked. That's not her family name…"

"She's married, dummy," Jamison said, "You really need to keep up."

Ron rolled his eyes, but chuckled all the same, "Whatever, let's just all get out there soon before Mrs. Harrison has our heads."

"Hey everyone!" all the heads in the room turned to see Michael standing up on a bench, his mouth set in a straight line, in his full uniform. Sean stood beside him. They stood shoulder to shoulder, neither one seeming to mind the other strangely enough, "We owe all of you an apology."

A few people stirred in surprise. Ron smiled a little, Jamison smirked beside him.

"We've had some disagreements in our personal life, and we let that affect the team. And so I want to publicly apologize to everyone before we head out on that field." He turned to Sean, "Truce?"

Sean stuck out his hand, "Truce," the two of them shook hands. They weren't smiling, but everyone could tell they'd try harder. At least on the field.

"Let's go!" Jamison shouted, the team joining him, some people shouting words, others just whooping out loud.

"Let's go get them!" Sean shouted back, he and Michael hopping off the bench and jogging out of the locker room, everyone following suit. Ron fell in at the back of the hoard where he was usually, smiling. He may not play at all in the finals but he didn't mind at all. Not when he could still be with everyone here. And watch from the sidelines.

He blinked furiously as they ran out into the sunny field. The stands were packed with people. The game didn't start for another half an hour. He could hear the cheering as they came onto the fields. Everyone threw their helmets on their heads, lifting their shields and clubs into the air. Ron smiled in exhilaration, lifting his Goalie stick into the air, cheering with everyone else.

Games were exciting, but this one felt different. Maybe it was the fact that it was a finals game, maybe it was that the stands were packed with rows upon rows of people, It was supposed to seat four thousand, and almost every bleacher was packed. He watched as people cheered and screamed.

The warmups passed by in a blur, but everyone got along. He sat down on the bleachers as the coaches gathered around them. "Well, you all seemed to have done something, but I've never seen you all perform so well in warmups alone. Let's hope that energy and enthusiasm extends into the game itself." Moses said.

"I don't think I need to drill you on lack of energy or enthusiasm as I thought I would have to. So instead, let's get out there, and let's play hard, and let's do it together, yeah?" Markus said, stepping back

"Hell yeah!" Jamison shouted, the team echoing his shout.

"Let's go freaking Manticores!" Michael shouted.

Ron jumped up, as the team huddled together, echoing Michael's shouts. He smiled, practically glowing. Sure he wasn't a major player, but just to be a part of the team was amazing.

"Manticores!" they shouted before the starters ran out onto the field, waving their shields and clubs. The disk shooters jumped up on their stands, one person from each team on either side, loading the first frisbees into their cannons.

Ron put his thumb up in the air when Jamison looked backwards. Jamison gave him a smile in return. Ron enjoyed playing, sure. But he did not envy Jamison's position. Being shot at with frisbees while trying to juggle a puck on a small surface was not his ideal position on the field. Ron couldn't play defense, being just over five and a half feet and as thin as a reed. Trying to stop someone with a shield would end in him being trampled. He was fast enough to be a striker or a wing, but he did not have the coordination. So goalie it was.

Ron shot a glance over to where their goalie was refastening his gloves, tightening his helmet, giving his much larger club a little toss. He gave a thumbs up to the referee, the goalie from the Knight's team doing the same. Ron glanced at the other team, the players in their green uniforms all waiting for the referee to call the strikers for the toss up. They had crushed them seven to two the last game. But, that was the first time their team had fallen apart . Perhaps things would go differently in this game.

"Strikers up!" the referee shouted, holding the puck over his head. The three strikers from their team walked into the kill zone, the two wings falling behind them. The only part of the game in which the forward positions were allowed in the kill zone. The rest of the game, they were confined to the other team's defensive third of the field, their offensive third.

The crowds, the benches, the cheer squads, everyone grew quiet, the players tensing. Sean walked up to the other team's first striker, the two shaking hands before they crossed sticks. "Game start, three… two… one…!" the puck flew up into the air, the referee backing up…

Sean slammed into the other player, catching the puck skillfully and tossing it to the wing who juggled it, passing to another. Ron watched the frisbee shooters counting down the thirty seconds before they could launch the frisbees at the players. And just before time, the other players found their spots on the field. The forwards charged through the kill zone into the offensive third, the crowds cheering at the early start. The Knight's forwards reluctantly jogged into their respective third.

Ron found Jamison running through the kill zone towards the offensive third. As long as he wasn't in an active play he wouldn't be shot at. Ron watched as Sean tossed the puck backwards to another teammate. A defensive player from the Knights smashed his shield, causing him to drop the puck. A driver from the Knight's picked it up, starting into the kill zone. Right into Jamison's designated zone.

Jamison charged him, zipping out of the way as a frisbee flew too close to his helmet.

"Jamison charging number twenty-four from the knights, dodging what should have been a direct shot from Fredrick Davis, number seven on the Knights," The announcer said, as everyone watched with bated breath. Duels in the kill zone were by far the most interesting part of the game.

Jamison drove a shoulder into the other player who managed to keep control of the puck. Two frisbees fired in rapid succession, one aimed for each player. Jamison dove to the ground, the other player not so lucky. The frisbee grazed his arm. The puck fell to the field. Jamison lifted it with ease, rocketing it to the front of the field where one of the wings received it perfectly. A frisbee already in motion flew towards him. Ron smiled, realizing what was happening before everyone else.

Jamison jumped into the air, doing a perfect aerial over the frisbee. Ron shouted, jumping from his seat along with the rest of the field. He'd done it. Jamison had been practicing that move for over a month and a half. And he finally had the chance to use it. It took the announcer a moment to recover from his momentary disbelief. Now that was a good intimidation tactic. Ron knew that move would be all over social media. Should they win this game they would have an edge on the intimidation front over the other teams.

He watched as Aaron maneuvered around another player on the knights, hurling the puck to Sean. Sean picked it up quickly, running towards the end of the field, hurling the puck into the goal. The goalie dove, reaching out to bat it away. His stick came just short, tapping the side of the puck, making it wobble before it hit the back of the net.

"First Point, Manticores by number two, Sean Mattuckle!" The crowds were still cheering from when he slammed it into the goal.

Ron watched the game being played back and forth across the field. One Knight's player was out, being hit in the stomach by one of the frisbees. He was replaced by another player, not quite as skilled, and very shy around Jamison.

By the time the first half ended, the Manticores and Knights were tied, two to two. The Manticores retreated into their locker room as the cheerleading squad took the field. Ron caught Jamison stealing a kiss before Jules batted him away, something about Jamison being all stinky. Ron just laughed.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Markus shouted when they were all gathered together off of the field, out of the bright sun, "Make sure you're all getting some water, then hang on tight because I made a last minute adjustment to one of the newer plays I want you all to run." The coach described a change of direction, switching who was running the decoy pass. "To really do this one well, I want to put Josephus on the right wing." Josephus was the goalie who was also an amazing forward player, but that meant… "Ron, I want to put you in the goal for this play. Hopefully if this works, we can continue to run it, switching decoy players and directions each time. Michael will shout out the number from the back since he has a better view, and you follow that pattern. We've been practicing this for a while, you've all been studying this play. It's time to use it. We should be able to keep the ball up front as long as our drivers can get through. Sounds good everyone?"

Everyone nodded along. The forward being replaced nodded too, not as happily, but he knew what was going to work best for the team. Ron couldn't. His nerves were rising. He was playing in their first finals game. He inhaled a deep breath as they made their way back on the field.

Michael caught up to him, "Ready for this Ron?" he asked, patting his back.

"Yes but also no." Ron said bluntly.

"Don't worry, you have a whole defensive team in front of you. They have to get through us before they can get to you."

Even though the statement was obvious, Ron nodded. It did reassure him a little. "Yeah, let's go then." He pulled on his helmet, fastened his gloves and jogged back out onto the field with everyone else.

The match began with another tip off between the strikers. "Three! Three!" Michael shouted as Sean took off with the puck. The player in decoy position three ran up towards the goal. Three players ran at him as Sean looked at him shouting open. The defender coming up on Sean moved to block the path between Sean and the player three. The other wing swept in from the sidelines, catching Sean's beautiful pass and slamming the puck right past the goalie into the goal.

"Point three Manticores by number twenty-six, Maston Lemmings!" The announcer said as everyone cheered.

Ron couldn't believe how perfectly it had worked.

The forwards moved back to the line between the offensive third and the kill zone as the goalie passed the puck to one of his defenders who slammed the puck completely across the first third and into the dead center of the kill zone. A Manticore player reached it at the same time as a Knight, the two of them fighting for the puck, dodging the discs flying at them. The Manticore's player managed to get the puck away. His pass was less than perfect, but after a short sprint, another driver lifted the puck from the ground, passing it to another forward striker.

"Five! Two!" Michael shouted from the back. The other players moved into position, two decoys This time, drawing the attention from the forgotten wing on the other side a few paces behind Sean. Again a defender moved to intercept the openings when Sean passed the puck to Aaron on the wing who easily caught the pass. Sean's body slammed the defender who went down despite the shield he held in front of him. The other forwards held off the remaining defenders allowing Aaron to close, scoring on the Knight's goalkeeper.

The Manticores put themselves back into position. Ron could see the unease growing in the Knight's team. The coach called for a timeout.

"Keep doing what you're doing, but watch out. I've seen their other games, when they start losing they start to play rough. They foul more. Be on your guard," Harrison said, "Especially you Sean. You are the first forward, the offensive plays revolve around you. They also know that Ron is more inexperienced in goal so they might go for an intensive push play. I want one of our center drivers to be prepared to fall back in case of that"

After a few more precautions and a cheer to end their huddle, they jogged back on the field. And when the goalie threw the puck into the air… Harrison was right. The drivers pushed hard, one of them knocking down another player arguably not in the field play. Frisbees littered the field in a matter of moments though just having been cleaned during the timeout. A few Knights players and Manticores took hard hits, but for the first time in a while, the puck reached the defensive third of the Manticore's field.

A forward charged, ducking around Michael's shield as he attempted to bash him down. Ron watched the action as the puck twisted around the fallen driver and the rest of the defenders. Time slowed as a wing tossed the puck into the air, swinging his club like a bat at the puck. Ron watched it sailing towards the upper corner. He jumped up towards it, extending his club just as he had in practice. With the speed of the puck… two hands on the stick, he felt the reverberation in both arms as his club blocked the puck which hit the dead center of the club's flat surface.

Everyone stopped for a short moment, Ron included before realizing what had happened. He stopped a shot. He stopped a shot! He picked up the puck, tossing it to another defender who rocketed to Jamison.

"Six! One!" Michael shouted as they began the play. "Nice block Ron!" he shouted back as the offensive play was set in motion.

It might have been one simple block, but all the same, Ron grinned widely as he paced his box. Not bad at all.

"Excellent win for the Manticores!" The announcer shouted as the team jogged off of the field, pumping their fists in the air, cheering and celebrating with one another. "Manticores will be heading into the second round of the finals next week playing against the winner of tomorrow night's game between the Dukes and the Dragons."

The announcer prattled on as Jamison ran over to Ron, "That was an amazing block Ron. That shot was perfect. It would have been hard for most goalkeepers, but not you buddy!"

Ron smiled, his helmet slipping from underneath his arm. "Coach took me out at the beginning of the fourth quarter."

"Whatever, you can make excuses, but that was a pretty amazing block there."

They walked back towards the bench but Markus waved them off, "Go, enjoy the win with your friends, tomorrow we'll have a meeting before practice. Try to get there fifteen minutes early or so if you can."

With the coach's blessing, the team dispersed. Some headed straight for the locker room. Some of the players, including Jamison and Michael, headed straight for their girlfriends. Ron was about to walk to the locker room before he caught Gisa's stare from where she'd made her way down to the bottom row of bleachers, "Nice job Ron!" she gave him a thumbs up. He returned it before heading into the locker room for a much needed shower.