Junior Year Box Set

They got into victory formation where the quarterback would take the snap and kneel down to run the clock out. I was glad that we had saved our time-outs because we might get a chance to force a punt. We used all our time-outs. After three straight kneel-downs, there were twelve seconds left on the clock. I expected Nazareth would run their punter out. If they did punt, their punter would kick it from inside his own end zone. Coach Hope decided we would go for the block and see what happened.

I was surprised when Nazareth’s quarterback came back out. Coach Zoon ordered the defense back onto the field. In football, twelve seconds can seem like a lifetime. It looked like they planned to let their quarterback run around until time expired. Even if he were tackled in the end zone and gave up a safety, we would only score two points, and they would still win.

On the snap, we chased after him. He avoided Johan and Wolf, and I watched in horror as the seconds ticked off. It looked like he planned to run out the back of the end zone. Yuri was almost there when the gun sounded. I took a deep breath and accepted our defeat. Yuri reached out to shake hands with the quarterback to offer his congratulations. The quarterback began to dance in celebration and tossed the ball to Yuri as a final ‘screw you’ gesture. Yuri caught it, and the referee raised his hands in the touchdown signal.

“Oh, my dear Lord!” I screamed as I realized we had just won 20–19.

It took a moment for everyone to recognize what had just happened. Nazareth’s quarterback had neither downed the ball nor gone out of bounds. It was still a live ball, even after time expired. Yuri didn’t understand what he’d done until I tackled him in the end zone. The rest of our team wasn’t far behind.

Someone had filmed the final sequence, and it became a YouTube sensation. The body language of Nazareth Academy had gone from absolute euphoria to confusion to devastation. Ours was just the opposite. It was like watching someone hit a full-court shot to win a basketball game. I felt terrible that we never had a chance to shake Nazareth Academy’s hands. They had been a worthy opponent that had taken us to the final gun. Our celebration must have upset them because they ran off the field before we could do the postgame ritual.

All I could think as we walked into the locker room after the game was how we should have beaten them handily. It just reinforced the old saying about that was why we played the game. On any given day, the underdog could win. I just couldn’t believe that we had pulled a miracle out of our butts. I would bet we’d be ready for our next game.

◊◊◊

After the game, we found out that our next opponent was Beverly. We’d met them in the first round of the playoffs the last two years. We had each won one and lost one. The good news was that we would play them at home on Saturday. We also all knew that we’d be in for a tough game, and I think everyone knew we wouldn’t take anyone lightly from here on out. We had goals that included another State Championship. None of us wanted to have to pull off another miracle.

◊◊◊ Thursday November 12

Two games in a row I’d been banged up. I thought about the previous two years, and this one had been far better. Our offensive line had improved and kept me safe most of the year. I knew that when I chose a college, that would be a factor in selecting what school I planned to attend. Wherever I played, there would always be a chance of injury, but I didn’t want to tempt fate. Each level you went up, they were bigger, faster, and stronger, which translated to their hitting much harder.

If this was what I could expect, I needed to heed Coach Mason’s warning to not run as much. He was a big believer in pocket passers and thought the new style of scrambling quarterback who could also beat you with their legs was insane. All it took was an injury to your quarterback and your season would be in serious trouble. This was much more important at the pro level where there weren’t enough quality quarterbacks.

I walked downstairs for my morning run, and suddenly, Duke was on high alert. He actually had the fur go up on his back, which made me nervous. I suspected that Brit’s damned cat had staked out our back door. I edged it open and readied my Bo staff in case I needed it to ward her off. As soon as it cracked open, Precious bulled her way in and disappeared up the stairs. Crud! I was in no mood to play ‘find the kitty.’ I’d decided to go ahead with my run and deal with her later when I began to open the door again. But Duke let out a deep warning growl, so I stopped.

His growl brought me up short because it wasn’t a playful one. Duke was serious about what waited for us outside. Whatever it was, I didn’t need Duke in the middle of it. I figured I would convince it to go away with my Bo staff.

“Park it!” I ordered Duke.