Kneel or Crumble

As kicking teams from both sides took to the field, the defence and the offence shuffled over to their respective benches, the Dons already much more bruised than when they began.

'Keep your heads up, boys,' Coach Long said, welcoming each Don back personally. 'It's just the start of the game, there's still plenty of time left.'

'It's only one score,' Coach Hoang said. He locked eyes with Ty, saw the anger simmering beneath the surface, and turned to the rest of the defence. 'You'll do better next time.'

The extra point was successful and pushed the score out to an early Bears' lead of 7–0.

But after that, it was the Dons' turn on offence. Or at least for them to receive the kickoff.

Chris knew how hard it'd be for him to affect the game the way he usually did on the ground. The Bears' run defence was possibly the strongest he'd ever faced. For good reason, seeing as they constantly practiced against Denzel.

Maybe Chris could involve himself in the passing game some more, but another way he could still influence the game was through his returns. It was this that gave him a little extra motivation.

Weaving his way through the Bears' kicking team, getting a feel for them and how the turf felt under his cleats, he returned the ball to the 31-yard line, where the Dons would start their first drive of the day.

Up first for the Dons, was a Curl over the middle to Benny. The pass was successful, skating by just over Denzel's head, and earned them 8 yards.

Then the Bears reinforced just how formidable their run-stopping D-Line really was on the next play. Chris had nowhere to go, and in fact, LOST a yard instead of gaining anything.

The Dons were pushed back to third down, with 3 yards to go. However, they weren't panicking. They still had their plan; they knew what to do.

Even without a plan, Stephen was strong enough to find an opening on a quick Slant. Jay wasn't under pressure. He could've let the play develop further for something grander down the field, but he took what the defence was giving him, and hit Stephen in stride.

Stephen ran straight into Denzel after 6 yards, but he held onto the ball and secured the first down for the Dons.

The celebrations were miniature, but every win was meaningful, even if it was just a first down. While the Dons were feeling hopeful, the Bears weren't threatened, not yet.

The Dons worked themselves into a groove, following their game plan. They kept giving the ball over to Chris on a handoff on either first or second down, even if he was stopped for no gain, or only one yard repeatedly.

But while the runs weren't working, their willingness to keep trying led credence to their Play-Action, and helped suck the defence further in to open their passing lanes.

Whilst the Bears' D-Line was formidable and possibly the best in the state at stopping the run, their pass rush was almost the opposite. They were content with containing Jay, holding to their run defence and blocking off gaps. Rarely was Jay under pressure, and with good clean pockets, he could pick the defence apart.

Of course, they constantly targeted the middle of the field, going after the crown and the King who wore it like they'd get bonus points for it. The runs, the Play-Action, even sending Chris out on a Wheel or Angle route, or just having him drift over to the flat as the outlet, was good enough to distract Denzel. That meant there were plenty of openings to exploit in the space he left behind in the middle.

With this method of attack, the Dons marched downfield, closer to the end-zone. It frustrated the hell out of the supposedly infallible King.

But even when an attack was varied, if it kept coming back to the same spot repeatedly, eventually it got predictable.

The Dons tried Play-Action after a lacklustre run of only 1 yard on the previous play, and while it drew Denzel slightly out of position, he recovered quickly, and pounced at the pass intended for Cole on his Cross route.

He slapped the ball out of the air, pushing the Dons to third down once more. They had to pass again, and knowing that, Denzel would sit on anything over the middle. Everyone knew they'd have to pass on third and nine … so that's why they did the opposite.

It was the perfect time for their first Draw play. The Bears' D-Line finally got the green light to abandon their run lanes, and blitz the QB, however, it came at the worst time for them and the best time for the Dons.

When Jay dropped back, Bears went screaming around the edge of the Line, circling to the back of the Pocket. So when he handed the ball over to Chris, the middle of the field was clear and Chris had all the space he needed.

Chris rushed ahead. The Bears were late to realise what had happened even with their fans and their sideline screaming "Draw", warning them the Dons were running.

Denzel had his back turned, chasing after another Cross. When he whipped around to find Chris, Chris spun away around his back and continued his mad dash.

Eventually, after 17 yards, Chris was forced out of bounds, but not before he'd dragged the Dons into the red zone. During this brilliant run, time expired in the first quarter.

After such a run—his first going for over 3 yards, let alone 10 or more—and such a resilient effort throughout the drive, Chris was given a break even after the second quarter began, as Cameron took his place.

Chris was welcomed on the bench like a hero. Deshaun threw an arm around his shoulders, dragging him to the bench.

'Did you motherfuckers see that shit? He had that dumbass out there turnin' 'round like he a bitch chasin' his own goddamn tail!'

Laughter consumed the bench. Deshaun was the loudest, laughing at his own joke. Chris grinned bashfully.

'I think all the steroids are going to that guy's brain,' Zayden said. 'A bitch is right. He looks like a dog chasing cars on a highway; he never knows which one to choose.'

More laughter floated over the sideline, though JJ cut it short when he smacked Zayden's shoulder. 'Hey, we don't need to say shit like that. He might be a puta but we don't need to disrespect his hard work by accusing him of cheating.'

Zayden apologised as others murmured.

Coach Hoang rolled towards the group. 'Besides,' he said, 'it'll be all the sweeter when you beat him, knowing that your hard work and determination were greater than his.'

JJ nodded in agreement, and the others settled. Attention turned back to the game.

Ty had kept his mouth shut throughout the commotion, though he'd been watching. Those most excited by the prospect of the Dons scoring were none other than their defensive unit. They knew it meant a chance to redeem themselves, another chance to stop the Bears. As long as the game was close—and the offence could score—all they needed was just one stop.

Back on the field, the Dons lined up in formation. They had no intention of stopping until they reached the end-zone, they'd settle for no less. And they didn't plan on wasting any time doing so.

With their repeated passes over the middle, it wasn't just Denzel who'd noticed and had to shift how he played—though they hoped the long run up the gut had given him something to think about—it was also the rest of the defence.

They'd all been sucked in, shifting closer to the middle of the field bit by bit, like they were slowly collapsing in on themselves, and now the Dons looked to exploit that.

Now they were in the red zone, they could work quickly enough that Stephen would be isolated one-on-one down the sideline, so that's exactly where Jay went.

It was a deep ball, though not too deep now that they were within 20 yards of their goal, and it was that fact that prevented the Safety from recovering and scrambling over to make it a two-on-one in the Bears' favour.

It was a pass Jay, and Stephen had practiced countless times throughout their four years together as Dons. And their connection was perfect. Jay knew exactly how Stephen leveraged his height, and how he liked to run, and Stephen knew exactly how Jay's rainbow dropped and when to look for the ball. Though this late in their careers together, they probably could've done it with their eyes closed.

Stephen stretched up in the back corner of the end-zone, toes dragging through the turf as he caught the ball high above his head, where only he could reach it.

The Dons' side of the stands erupted this time, and the reception was confirmed. The touchdown was signalled, and the Dons had struck back on the first play of the second quarter.

Their extra point was also successful, and the scores were level once again. As the ball sailed through the uprights for the extra point, Denzel was glaring at it so hard it was a wonder it didn't burst into flames.

The fact the Dons had been targeting HIM, not just the middle of the field, hadn't been lost on Denzel. And for one who referred to themselves as The King, such an affront was unacceptable.

Steam billowed off him as he watched the kickoff that followed the Dons' score. Sleepy again stood by and did nothing as it rolled through the end-zone and out the back of it. Denzel didn't care, he wouldn't have cared if they started at their own 1-yard line; he'd still run through anyone that stood in his way.

He was mad, and he ran madly, like a bull rampaging through Pamplona. He might've been alone, but he held the fury of an entire herd.

The Dons felt that fury on the first play of the new drive, when Denzel charged forward for his—and the game's—greatest run of the day.

Denzel ripped the ball from John's hands, almost taking the snap directly, and then powered ahead, overtaking Derrick in a couple of strides. He burst through the opening up the middle of the field.

JJ jumped in front of his path, a fearless matador, yet it was the bull who avoided him. Denzel's powerful legs led to sharp, long cuts. Where he could simply step left, others had to jump right to cut him off, and when they were in the air, he could cut back. And with a helping shove, he made sure his obstacles didn't get back in his way.

JJ went flying and crashed out of the play, but the rest of the Dons were swarming, relentlessly pursuing Denzel. Those left behind struggled to catch up. Denzel was almost the largest man on the field; it was unfair that he was almost the fastest as well.

Deshaun was the next fearless Don to attempt to stop the running of the bull, and Zayden swept forward to help. But even with their combined efforts, they could hardly slow Denzel.

One arm fended off Deshaun, whilst the other shoulder burrowed through Zayden's chest. Deshaun clung to Denzel's arm and leg, trying to rip him down any way he could, but his attempts were fruitless, just like Zayden's attempts to strip the ball from Denzel before he was steamrolled.

Denzel broke free and outpaced the last Safety, angling away from them. He was home free, in the open air, with nothing but green grass in front of him.

Nobody had caught Denzel in such a situation. He was so strong in close quarters, but so fast that when he had nothing but green around him like this, it was a guaranteed touchdown.

No one should've been able to catch him. … Ty did.

One moment, Denzel was racing towards the end-zone, the next, he was face down on the turf, with no idea of how it'd happened.

Those in the crowd and on the sideline saw something spectacular. Even they thought Denzel would go all the way. Ty almost seemed to pop out of nowhere. But he was there the whole time.

Whilst Denzel was like a rampaging bull, Ty was like a hunting cheetah, almost flying across the turf before pouncing on his larger prey and taking that wildebeest down to the ground.

Denzel's run had gone 52 yards before Ty stopped him, and even as he pushed himself up to his knees, he still couldn't believe he wasn't in the end-zone. Even more unbelievable, was the way Ty looked down at him.

Ty stood over the fallen king, glaring down at Denzel as if he hadn't just run for over 50 yards, more like Ty had stopped him in the backfield.

Denzel quickly rose, towering over Ty. But even as their eyes remained locked, somehow Ty was still looking down on him despite being the far shorter man.

'I'm gonna have so much fun crushin' an insect like you,' Denzel snarled. 'You'll be dust beneath my boots.'

Ty grinned. 'I wonder what your face of despair looks like. When I rip your heart out and crush your dreams in the palm of my hand, how will that arrogant face look then?'

'Keep wonderin'. You'll only see it in your imagination, freak.' Denzel shoved past him and stomped back to his huddle.

Ty laughed it off, though his smile dropped when he turned back to his own huddle. He was glad to have taken down Denzel and ripped the touchdown away from him, but he shouldn't have had to. His teammates knew that too.

'Good tackle, hermano, you really saved our asses there,' JJ said, pulling Ty close.

The others nodded, panting as they simultaneously thanked Ty and apologised about letting Denzel through.

Ty's frown evaporated, and he looked away. 'Yeah, don't mention it. Just make sure it doesn't happen again.'

'No. We can't let Ty's tackle go to waste. We have to stop them now. That puta doesn't get any further, you hear me?'

'YEAH!'

Enthusiasm spilled over from the Dons' huddle as they broke apart and took their positions, bouncing on their toes as they awaited the snap, eyes locked on Denzel.

Now could've been another great opportunity for Play-Action, with the Dons so focused on the run, and it would've been a good chance to let Denzel rest a bit after his long run. The Bears realised that … except Denzel didn't care, and a king always got what he wanted, no matter if it was a detriment to his kingdom or not.

John handed the ball over, straight up the middle. It had been their best play so far.

But the Dons wall held strong, and JJ was down in a flash, shoving Derrick back. Denzel charged ahead and bulldozed his way through Derrick and JJ, collapsing over the top of them for a gain of 3 yards.

Even the coach acquiesced on the next play and directly called for another run, this one back to the outside on a Stretch.

Denzel took the handoff and raced towards the edge. However, just as he passed it—staying tight to the line—and turned upfield, Donte lunged out. He swiped at Denzel's legs, and while he didn't bring The King down, he kept him from fully straightening, and started him stumbling, which led him right to Deshaun's waiting arms.

Deshaun was the one to wrap him up and bend him back, and this time they stopped him for only 2 yards.

They were doing it. They were stopping The King.

Denzel's teammates scooped him up and helped him back to the huddle. He shrugged them off on the way, panting hard. He glared past his huddle at the Dons; the steam pouring off him faded.

'Denzel… Coach really wants us to pass, I-I don't think we can change it this time,' John said.

Even Sleepy was waking up, his eyes wide and alert. There was a strange but familiar feeling in the air. Denzel was a stubborn bastard, but he was still a boy deep down, and every child feared something. Denzel—like any egotistical star—feared the team would be better without him. The game against the Vikings had felt like this on the last drive.

Denzel's head whipped around to John. His eyes narrow slits. 'Whatever you think Coach can do to you, I can do a lot worse, white boy.'

To make it as a QB, you had to command the respect of your O-Line. If the people protecting you didn't respect you, why would they give their all to protect you? The Bears' O-Line was nearly wholly made up of Denzel's closest friends. Sure, they protected John, but only because that benefitted the Bears, and in turn, Denzel, they sure as hell didn't respect John.

Everyone on the Bears knew who The King was, and they ALL bowed down to him in the end.

The Bears once again ignored their coach's designed play and called an audible to switch it to a run.

Denzel attacked the same edge as the last play, determined to hit it harder and crush the pussy bitch who had tripped him before. However, he wouldn't get the chance, as Donte jumped out, sealing the edge.

Denzel shot for the gap between his Tackle and Guard, though it was narrow and closing further. He forced his way through it, stumbling out. Again he was off balance when a Don hit him, and this time it was none other but JJ.

It was a powerful hit, the hardest he'd faced that year. It rattled his brain and bruised his bones. Worst of all, it awoke painful memories. Memories of his failure during last year's championship game. That's the kind of hit it was. Almost as strong as HIM.

Denzel held onto the ball. He almost popped it right out of its leather, but he held onto it. He'd only gained another 2 yards, and there were still 3 more to go for another first down. But the Bears were on fourth down, and their kicking team was already coming out for a field goal.

Despite the heavy hit, Denzel was back up swiftly, glaring death at JJ. JJ answered the glare with a cold but fiery gaze.

Denzel had to be dragged off the field before he booted the kicking team back to the bench. He was furious, a mad, raving dog, and no one wanted any piece of that fury, not even the coaches. They said nothing to him when he was on the bench.

Jameis watched on, silent and impervious, his face a blank slate. It was impossible to read his feelings about his son's actions and transgressions.

The Dons' defence returned to the bench, triumphant even though the Bears were in field goal range. Even forcing Denzel and the Bears to settle for a field goal felt like a victory, especially after that massive run.

Ty watched the Bears' bench. The Dons had stopped them from scoring a touchdown at least. Maybe they'd start passing soon. "They have to." But he also knew they'd still run more than they passed, and Denzel would be pissed again after getting embarrassed like that.

The question was, would the Dons hold out long enough for him to run out of steam again?