We can win this

The moment Kyren stepped onto the field, he felt at home. The air was thick with the scent of freshly cut grass, and the faint echoes of past games seemed to linger in the stadium lights. His team was already waiting, stretching and warming up.

Without wasting time, he clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

"Before we start," Kyren said, turning to Elijah, "do you actually know what a linebacker does?"

Elijah, still bouncing on his toes, nodded. "Yeah, we rush the QB that's what Zidane says."

Kyren smirked. "That's part of it, but not the whole story. A good linebacker doesn't just rush he reads the QB, reacts to movement, and disrupts the play.Keep that in mind."

Elijah nodded, taking the challenge seriously.

"Alright, let's run some plays," Kyren said, stepping back and gripping the ball.

Fugo and Matthew lined up as wide receivers, crouched and ready to explode off the line. Cloe, the defensive back, stood opposite them, eyes sharp, muscles tense like a coiled spring.

Kyren settled into position, scanning the defense. "Alright, ready? Go!"

The moment the word left his mouth, Elijah exploded forward, closing the gap between them in seconds.But Kyren was already moving a quick side-step, smooth as water, dodging Elijah's outstretched hands.

Without hesitation, he launched the ball toward Fugo.

Fugo leapt, hands reaching but Cloe was faster.

She read the pass perfectly,lunging forward and ripping the ball away before Fugo could secure it. The moment her feet touched the ground, she pivoted, taking off down the field.

Kyren clapped once, eyes lighting up. "Again."

Everyone reset, this time more focused.

"Ready Go!"

Elijah came in even faster, trying to anticipate Kyren's movement. But Kyren was a step ahead, dodging with a quick shift of his weight.

He scanned the field, eyes locked on Matthew then fired.

Matthew caught it clean, securing the ball against his chest.

Cloe rushed toward him, closing fast.But just as she lunged, Matthew flicked the ball sideways a quick lateral pass to Fugo.

Fugo snatched it mid-stride and took off down the field.

"Touchdown!" Matthew shouted as Fugo crossed the makeshift goal line.

Kyren grinned. "Now that's how you run a play.Let's go againuntil it's perfect."

As the sun began to set over Gridiron Academy, Kyren and his teammates sat on the field, sweat dripping from their faces after a long day. The energy in the air was still buzzing from the earlier games, but now it was time to focus on what lay ahead.

Kyren wiped his face with a towel and looked around at his team. "Alright, break it down for me. What happened today?"

Fugo, still catching his breath, took the lead. "First match was between team C and team F.team F dominated 28 to 7."

Kyren nodded. "Expected?"

Matthew chimed in. "Yeah, F was the stronger team on paper. Their QB made some smart plays, and their defense locked C down."

Fugo continued, "Second match was teamX vs. Team R. team x took the win, 28 to 14."

Kyren leaned back on his elbows, processing the information. "So, Group F and Group R are moving on."

Matthew gave a sharp nod. "Yeah. But we're Team D, and we're up next. We'll be facing Team A.**"

Kyren let out a low chuckle. "Team A, huh? They got anyone worth worrying about?"

"No I know we can win this said Fugo