You Better Not Miss

Cheers and praise washed over Ty like rain as he sauntered off the field, only handing over his intercepted ball after he stepped across the sideline.

'Good shit, Samuels,' Coach Hoang said. It was all Ty needed to hear.

The offence rushed onto the field. Inspired by Ty's interception, their flames were stoking hot. They were almost in the red zone. They could smell the end-zone and victory.

But the Bears were still in their way. Jay dropped back for the first pass and instantly noticed a difference in the defence. They watched Stephen—his target—much more closely. Not exactly double-teamed, but there were extra bodies on his side of the field.

It was clear the Bears wouldn't give him the same liberties as past drives. Cole and Benny ran into trouble as well, but Jay found Chris in the flat.

He scrambled ahead for 4 yards; it was better than nothing. The Dons had to adjust their plans to this new defensive development quickly.

They stuck with passes on the next play, and Cole found a small hole left in Stephen's wake thanks to the extra attention the giant was getting. He made the catch, but was forced out before the first down.

The Dons were on third down, but only needed another yard, and they were already well within field goal range. Even a field goal would give them the lead.

Maybe such knowledge influenced Coach Long's decision for the next play, but he went with something he hoped the Bears wouldn't expect.

The Dons had full trust in their coach. Jay took the next snap, and whirled around, tossing the ball underhanded to Chris, who veered wide away from Stephen's side of the field.

Dons scrambled in front of him to provide support and blocking, and Chris weaved ahead for a few yards, picking up the first down before he was tackled.

The Dons were edging closer to the goal-line, and now with Stephen receiving more attention, they went back to their game plan of having Benny as the main target of their passes.

Each pass gained little, earning 3 to 5 yards repeatedly before the Bears collapsed on Benny. After four catches like this, the Dons were right on the end-zone's doorstep, and now eyes were focused on Benny as well.

The Bears never saw Cole slip behind their wall and into the end-zone until Jay flipped the ball over to him for the touchdown right as time expired in the third quarter.

Going into the final break, the Dons held the lead, though they'd yet to attempt their extra point to really solidify it. Even so, they were over the moon.

The crowd was cheering and chanting throughout the break, and Stephen kept hyping them up. Coach Long let him have his fun. Victory was in their grasp, and he reminded them they just needed to keep playing the way they had been if they wanted to hold onto that victory.

Coach Hoang looked at Ty, sharing his smile. 'I know you didn't get to return your pick, but that was YOUR touchdown, Samuels.'

Ty grinned. 'I know. But the game ain't done. I don't think they fear me enough yet. I'll make sure they do before it's over.'

'After all that shit-talking, you better, Samuels.'

Over with the Bears, the mood was almost the exact opposite. The aftermath of a battlefield would've been a happier place.

Denzel got in John's face and shoved him down onto the bench. 'Why the fuck are you throwin' it? You happy you threw a pick your fuckin' retard?'

John looked away, gritting his teeth. It hurt, but Denzel's words rung true. If he hadn't thrown that pick, their lead could've been back out to two possessions by now.

Seeing as nobody resisted him, Denzel whirled to the defence, confronting them as well. 'Don't think I've forgotten about you pussies. You're the reason we're losin'. Ya couldn't even stop a fuckin' grandma from scorin'.'

Some scowls met him, but most members diverted their eyes as he stalked in front of them like a rabid dog. The coaches watched on, silent, sitting on their hands. They worked off the philosophy that it was best for the boys to hash out all their problems rather than let them linger and fester.

Before anyone of the defence could speak to refute his words, Coby said: 'They can stop YOU.'

Denzel turned, staring at him as if he was mad. 'What did you just say?'

Coby turned his attention to John, speaking at him, but really his words were still challenging Denzel. 'If we want to win this game, we have to keep throwing. We won't win on the ground, but I'll beat the Dons.' His voice was level, his eyes sharp; he was as serious as he'd ever been.

Denzel stepped closer. Before he could say anything, a voice cut through the tension like a sledgehammer. 'ZEL!'

Denzel froze. He turned slowly. His father stood there, staring down at him. Denzel lowered his head and stepped before his father. Coby saw him shrink. It was bizarre.

'You are such an embarrassment!' Jameis muttered.

The coaches stood, thinking now was the time to intervene and get things back under control. One look from Jameis made them sit back down.

'You oughta be ashamed of yourself, Zel. If you don't fucking stop this nonsense and beat these nobodies … don't bother coming home.' Jameis walked away. Silence was left in his wake.

Denzel's attention turned to the Dons. A vengeful flame burned brightly in his dark eyes. He clenched his fists so tightly his nails cut into his palms. His shaking didn't stop even when the break was over and the teams took the field again.

He watched the extra point pass through the uprights. The Dons secured their lead at 23–28. Denzel was still shaking. It wouldn't stop until he was back on the field.

The following kickoff had only been a touchback, and then the Bears' offence was back in formation, ready to retake the lead anyway they could.

But Denzel only had one way on his mind.

The opening play was a run, a Toss outside, heading Ty's way. Denzel narrowed his eyes, locked in on Ty.

Coby's block could hardly be called such. Again, he intended to look like he was trying, rather than actually try. Ty got around it easily enough.

Then he was one-on-one with Denzel. There wasn't anything hemming Denzel in, no cones keeping him contained in a narrow corridor, but Denzel wasn't thinking about getting around Ty; he wanted to smash right through him.

Ty hunkered down, bracing himself—if one could brace themselves to be run over by a truck—and lunged at Denzel. Denzel tensed, arms tight around his chest, squeezing the ball like a balloon about to burst. He slammed into Ty and shrugged his shoulders.

Ty clung on. He twisted around, his feet and legs dragging along the ground as Denzel carried him forward. His arms lost strength, and Denzel broke free of his grasp.

Ty was left buried in the ground, his left arm numb from shoulder to fingertips. The last thing it'd felt was the feeling you'd get if you tried to spear a metal pole.

Denzel was gone. Zayden stepped up, chasing him to the sideline, but a stiff-arm like an impenetrable shield sent him flying. After that, with Ty in the dirt, there was no one who could catch up with Denzel. He was gone.

He took the ball all the way to the end-zone, and in just one play, the Bears—Denzel—had scored a touchdown and retaken the lead.

Denzel was still King, and he made sure everyone knew it. He spiked the ball so hard it bounced into the crowd, then he turned to boast to those still on the field. 'Bow to me!' he screamed.

His teammates flocked to him, most of them bowing in reverence and awe. He didn't care; he knew they worshipped him and understood he was king. His eyes were locked on the Dons. They needed to kneel.

The Bears left their offence on the field after the touchdown. The score was 29–28, and an extra point wouldn't change much … but two, then a Dons' field goal would only tie instead of take the lead.

Of course, they were going for two. And, of course, they were giving it to Denzel again. John fed the ball into his chest, and Denzel wrapped his arms around it tightly. He burst through a gap that opened between Connor and Zee.

He smashed through Donte's extended arm, and by the time JJ hit him, he was already across the threshold and in the end-zone. The two-point attempt was good.

The lead jumped out to 31–28, and the game was firmly in the Bears' control again.

JJ led the way back to the bench for the Dons, head up, but a grimace on his face. Ty's hands shook. He was still too weak. "Too weak for what? To play Linebacker? That's not my job, it's not my job to stop a Running Back," he thought, trying to wash away his guilt.

Coach Hoang welcomed the defence back to the bench. 'Use this as a reminder. The game isn't over just because we feel like we're on top.' He turned to the offence. 'I'm sorry, but we need you to go get the lead back. We'll defend it next time.'

Coach Long and Norman echoed his sentiment and order. First, they had to start with the kickoff. Again, Chris was frustrated when the ball sailed over his head for a touchback.

But then the offence proper was on the field. It was slow going, but the Dons were doing it. They were marching downfield and looked on the right track to take back the lead in this score-heavy shootout.

Thanks to Stephen drawing more attention, both Benny and Cole had more freedom. They found gaps for small but consistent gains.

Even Chris had more space in the flat if he drifted out to where Stephen had started his routes. Little by little, they were edging closer to the end-zone. They rolled across the halfway mark and neared the red zone.

The Bears saw an inevitable touchdown coming. And like they always did when they were in a hole, they went back to their King for answers.

Denzel came back on the field. With how they'd studied the Dons' antics, the coaches told him what to expect when he was out there. He knew they were trying to distract him and pull him out of position, and he wouldn't fall for it again.

The first play he was back on the field, the Dons went right back to attacking him. Benny sunk into a Curl, then Cole flashed across his face.

Denzel drifted with Cole, but his focus remained on Benny. When Cole raced out of his Zone, he rushed back down to cover Benny. He reached Benny just as the ball did and almost intercepted it.

Second down.

This time, Benny flashed across the middle of the field on a shallow Cross, then Cole tried to slip in behind Denzel. But Denzel transitioned from guarding Benny to guarding Cole seamlessly.

Stephen was still receiving extra attention, and covered, so Jay hit Chris down in the flat. Led by Denzel—who seemed everywhere—the Bears swarmed and held Chris to a minimal gain.

Third down.

The Dons' offence had an outlet too, someone they always went to if they were desperate. That man was Stephen. Jay looked for him now.

Stephen ran ahead after the snap. His defender gave him a lot of space. He cut inside for a Post—a feint, but a deep one. When he froze the help over the top, he cut back out. It only needed to be a quick pass, and now there was no way anyone could help. He was one-on-one.

Jay flung the pass over as Stephen ran his Out. The ball drifted high, Stephen stretched out, and it passed over even his hand.

Jay's eyes widened as he watched the ball sail into the depths of the bench. He'd overthrown Stephen, expecting the route to have been higher, for Stephen to be drifting up for more yards … he'd failed.

The drive wasn't a complete failure yet. On fourth down, the Dons' kicking team took the field. Fortunately, the kick was good, and they tied the game again at 31 a piece.

But after another touchback, the Bears were back in control. Time was dwindling, each drive needed urgency … but if the Bears scored another touchdown, the clock would be another tough enemy for the Dons to overcome.

The Bears stuck with Denzel, who was back in his dominating groove. He raced straight for Ty once more. Again, Sleepy didn't block, and Ty had a free lane to tackle Denzel … though it felt like Denzel had a free lane to hit Ty instead.

Ty went low, prematurely. Denzel saw it coming before he even passed the Tackle on his way outside. He could've had the easiest hurdle of his life … but he wanted to send a message.

He lowered his shoulders as well, ready to smash through Ty again. Ty thought his shoulder would crack as that battering ram ploughed through him, but he clung on, arms slipping lower until he snagged one of Denzel's legs.

Denzel dragged him along the turf, but he was slowed. JJ rushed over, and whilst Denzel tried to fend him off, the two tumbled to the ground.

The run was still good for 6 yards, but at least it wasn't a 75 yard touchdown. It didn't matter to Denzel, he'd still have his touchdown one way or the other.

The Bears settled back into a routine of opening with a Denzel run, which earned a large portion of what they needed for another first, then on second down, they tested the air.

John kept away from Ty for the most part and prodded other areas of the field. But whether or not the pass was successful didn't really matter much. Denzel always picked up the first on third down if the prior pass was incomplete.

After the Bears passed half-field, John looked Coby's way, testing Ty once more. The pass was way off, but that meant Ty couldn't pick it at least.

As the Bears progressed further, breaking through field goal range and into the red zone, John threw Coby's way a few more times, getting closer, but Ty smothered each pass.

While the Bears neared the end-zone, Coach Long started calling timeouts after the runs. Time was slipping away as it was. Less than five minutes remained when the final timeout was used.

Coach Long's message was the same as it had been for the previous two timeouts: 'Keep playing your heart out, you're doing great. Remember your family has your back, you're not in this alone, you'll win together. We just need one stop, one more stop.'

Coach Long was determined, faithful; he still held hope his boys would get the job done. He believed in them and he would 'til the end.

Bella's belief was there, but it was wavering, unfocused. She looked over the huddle, searching desperately for a saviour to put her faith into.

Coach Hoang had his eyes set on who he thought the Dons' saviour was. He stared into Ty's eyes. Ty looked away.

How could he save them if the ball never came close enough to intercept? He could cover Coby, but the QB wasn't throwing close enough for him to do anything. Coby was too good of a Receiver—even knowing his tell—to give him space and try to bait a catchable pass.

Ty turned his attention to JJ. There was the man who needed to step up right now, who needed to stop the Bears. But for once, JJ looked as battered as everyone else. He seemed on the verge of breaking.

The timeout ended, and the Dons went back out to face the Bears. They had to stop them at least two more times, with only 2 yards to give until another first down. After that, they'd be right on the goal-line. They'd be unstoppable.

JJ's head hung the lowest it had all game. Ty pushed through to his side. 'Hey! The game's not over. It won't be over until we're winning. We can't lose here, not to these assholes. I won't lose to them. I won't lose ever again, I told you that. Don't make me a liar.'

JJ laughed. He smiled at Ty and Ty flinched back. It was a strange, defeated smile; it was horrifying on JJ's face.

"Has Tyrese always been this selfish?" JJ thought. "I guess he has. Must be nice, only having to worry about your own dreams and desires, instead of being weighed down by everyone else's."

He looked around. Everyone was looking at him, they always were. Such was the burden of being the captain and the leader, but that burden had grown so heavy. Too heavy for JJ to carry.

The Bears snapped the ball. JJ's body ignored the melancholy surrounding it. Working on instinct, it tracked the ball, then dropped back into coverage as he saw the Bears were going to pass.

The ball went Ty's way again, a tight pass, too far outside to intercept, and Coby was fighting every step of the way. Ty got his hand to it first, and knocked the ball to the ground, but he looked mad.

The teams huddled up. JJ relayed the messages and formations. They were shifting closer to the Line to prepare for the run, but they still had to be careful of a pass.

The huddle broke, and the teams took their positions. JJ looked around again. Why was he so heavy? Why did he feel so alone? Coach Long's words echoed in his head. "Your family has your back."

The faces staring back at JJ, they weren't expectant; they weren't pleading to be saved. They were strong, resolute. They didn't need JJ to hold them up, because they weren't dragging him down. They'd been doing their job, they were elevating him, lifting him higher … but it was he who was anchoring the team to the ground instead of letting them soar to the heights of victory.

Denzel took the ball again. He charged at JJ. JJ rushed forward to meet him, propelled by his teammates. He didn't have to stop Denzel; he didn't have to be stronger, if he could just get the ball!

Denzel braced himself for impact. He was protecting himself and not the ball. JJ lunged out, fist clenched tight. He didn't care what happened to him if he could just get the ball.

The two slammed into each other. Denzel rattled JJ's bones with the heavy hit, and JJ crumbled as Denzel charged onward … but the ball bounced free behind him.

Donte scrambled for it. He dove, and John weaselled in under him, securing it. The Bears recovered the ball, but they'd lost a couple of yards.

The Dons pulled JJ back to his feet, he wasn't broken yet. He might've been held together by dreams and hope, but he wasn't broken.

It was fourth down, and the Bears sent out their kicking team. The field goal was good, and they held the lead again, but 3 points were a lot easier to overcome than 7 or 8.

With less than five minutes remaining, the Dons could milk the clock and finish the game with one final drive. But Chris wasn't thinking about that.

He was fed up with how the game had played out so far. Such a ferocious fight from both sides, incredibly high scoring, yet he'd barely done anything to help his team. He COULDN'T do anything, no matter how hard he tried.

That had to change. He wouldn't be the weak link, the reason the Dons lost their last chance at State. He had to do something.

The kick went high and deep, but it didn't fly beyond the end-zone. Chris fielded it with only a yard to spare, then scanned the field ahead of him.

Twenty-one bodies and over 100 yards stood before him and the opposite end-zone. But ten of those bodies were teammates. If they each took out one man from the other side, then all Chris had to do was beat one as well.

He raced out of the end-zone, gritting his teeth. The first challenger came early, unblocked. They were wild and careless. Chris spun away from them, then squeezed through blocks, ripping away from clawing hands, and came to the sideline.

He was free, sprinting down it, only the Kicker ahead of him. Just the Kicker. One last man to beat, again. But how could he?

Even though the side of the field was reversed, the Kicker took the same angle; it was much the same situation. Chris had nowhere to go. Maybe a desperate leap was the only way.

Before he could think, however, before he could even make a move, a blur came up from behind him and sped past. Cole slammed into the Kicker and both tumbled to the ground.

Chris was free again. The last man had been beaten. He pushed into top gear and didn't slow down until he'd crossed the back of the end-zone in front of him.

He'd gone 109 yards from end to end for the touchdown, and after the extra point, the Dons held the lead at 34–38.

On the Bears' bench, murder filled Denzel's eyes.