The stadium descended from its high after the dust settled over Kentavious's latest touchdown. It was such a close contest now. The Dons, and ESPECIALLY Tyrese, were fighting with every scrap of gritty, stubborn determination they could muster. Regardless of expectations, most spectators were blown away by what they were witnessing.
Even Kentavious Senior—having joined Jay's father in his skybox—was quietly satisfied; all Junior needed was one more touchdown, then this annoying little pest called Tyrese Samuels would be vanquished.
The parental skyboxes were another contrast. Relief and cheer flooding the Longhorns' side. Over on the Dons' it was only a slight twinge of disappointment, not nearly strong enough to dampen their spirits or lessen their love and happiness; they were still cheering loudest of all, supporting their boys.
Those watching from home were glued to their couches, eyes locked on their screens as if hypnotised. Jackson was no different. It was amazing how strong both Ty and Kentavious, as well as how evenly matched they were. Watching them could've been intimidating, maybe it would've been if he'd seen such a game last year, but right now it was inspiring.
They deserved to be on such a grand stage, and next year, so would Jackson. More than that, they both deserved to win… yet that wasn't how the gridiron worked. Only one side could walk away from the coliseum as the victor. Looking at the scoreboard, it seemed that fate awaited Kentavious and his Longhorns.
None knew this better than the Dons themselves. Ty sat, stewing on the sideline. He'd have to wait to redeem himself, as the offence would need to answer back first. But as Chris led the team onto the field for the kickoff, the atmosphere over the rest of the Dons was grim.
A fifteen-point deficit was nothing to sneeze at, especially when there was under half of the quarter remaining. Just seven minutes left in the Dons' last game.
Coach Long looked long and hard at that scoreboard. The boys would have to go quick. They'd have to be at their best… and even that might not be good enough, as they had already been at what he thought was their best throughout this second half, and though they were closing the gap, it just wasn't closing fast enough.
Coach Hoang stared down at his whiteboard like it was a chessboard, and though both sides had equal pieces, he felt overwhelmed, backed into a corner, with no hope of victory. Yet surrender wasn't an option because there would be no mercy for them afterwards. Though he stared hard enough he felt as if he was burning the image into his retinas, he saw no path to victory.
Bella sat beside Ty, though he didn't see her. He was still so cold and distant. Somehow that was a comforting thing. She rubbed at his nearest shoulder, not knowing how else she could support him, and while he didn't shove her off or tell her to stop, he didn't react at all.
'I know you can win,' she said; her voice was a whisper inside a cacophony. 'I know you will. You're the best.'
On the field, the ball was booted high into the air, and though Chris caught it 3 yards into his own end-zone, he burst out into the playing field to start his return.
His supporting Dons flooded forward, a wedge trying break right through the pursuing Longhorns, a long, formidable wall, which collapsed in on the sides of the Dons' formation.
Chaos was all around Chris, but he kept his head, and his feet even as the Longhorns swarmed. His teammates were keeping them at bay for the moment, though one ripped at him as he slipped past. He spun away from the cloying hand, and kept spinning as he deflected off another Longhorn.
He came out into open air, though it didn't remain that way for long. Just as he got his bearings—his legs always churning; always propelling him in the right direction—a third swooped in. Chris got his arm up, fending off the tackler, holding them back for a moment. But they were persistent, digging nails into his arm if they couldn't gore his side. They ran on, stuck together, for a few more yards before Chris was eventually wrenched down.
He'd reached the 37-yard line, and outside of the few turnovers the defence had forced, it would be the Dons' best starting position for the day.
Benny stood from the bench, looking around at his teammates. Stress prevailed over all he saw. They were weighed down, as if the hourglass was pouring its contents on top of them all, drowning them. They didn't have time for that.
Not because of any scoreboard, but because it was selfish. Chris hadn't stopped fighting, and though the defence had given up another touchdown, and—according to the scoreboard—were having one of their worst days ever, they hadn't stopped fighting either. JJ and Ty never would, so why should any of them?
Standing on the edge of the field, and staring back at them all so intently, naturally drew attention. Benny clenched a fist, then shouted:
'Let's fucking win this!'
The coaches stared at Benny in bewildered silence, but wide smiles spread across his teammates' faces, even as a blush spread across his own.
Stephen stepped forward, grinning widely as he clapped Benny on the shoulder. 'I think we all know why you're not a regular captain, Benny,'
'What do you mean?' Cole said. 'That was a hell of a speech.'
Others laughed. As they passed Benny, they smacked his shoulder or back, or even ruffled his hair. Despite the scoreboard, and how long this gruelling game had been going, there was a strong spring in each of their steps as they took the field again.
Then came Jay, lingering at the back. He wore an easy smile as he looked Benny up and down. 'Thanks… for doing my job for me… you mind making it easy… and catching a touchdown?'
They bumped fists, Benny grinning now as well. 'Let's fucking win this,' he repeated, causing laughter to burst from Jay finally.
As the Dons' offence took their formation—back to their traditional scheme with just Chris in the backfield, Benny at TE, and three Receivers of Stephen, Cole, and Amon—they were still grinning.
The ball was snapped, and Jay faked a hand-off to Chris, who charged forward without the ball, for his eyes were on a different goal. Pippen, back off his leash, screamed around the edge—Benny had done nothing to help slow him—and ran right into Chris's path, who dove low, chopping his legs out from under him. This gave Jay all the time he needed to find Benny over the middle.
A Mesh from Cole and Amon drew Adam's attention, causing the MLB to creep up just enough, so when Benny burst by, there was just enough space between defenders for Jay to lob the ball over.
Even with this space, as Benny turned back to catch the ball, Jimmy London crashed down. The two collided mid-air, both getting their hands to the ball. It was like Ty and Kentavious all over again, but this time, the Receiver wasn't comfortable drawing. Benny wrenched with all his might, curling over the ball as he tore down, yanking Jimmy over his shoulder, throwing him to the ground like they were in a judo dojo rather than on a gridiron. The ball belonged solely to Benny, and he spun back around, continuing his run upfield. He didn't get much further before more Longhorns closed in, and brought him down.
The reception built upon the fire Chris's kickoff return had started, shooting the Dons across half-field, and bringing them 17 yards closer to the end-zone.
Benny shrugged off the two Longhorns who'd tackled him, and stood before any of his teammates could help him. He flipped the ball over to the nearest official, then turned to his team, shouting:
'Let's keep moving!' Suddenly he didn't seem so strange and funny a leader, and it helped imbue the rest of the Dons with the same sense of urgency.
They didn't forgo their huddle completely, but they didn't waste much time moving into the next play, which would feature Benny again, even if it was a run.
There was no fake this time; when Jay thrust the ball out to Chris, he didn't take it back. Chris held it close against his heart, and cut towards the outer edge, right where Benny was.
Pippen shot out of the gates, once more, and Benny actually helped him on his way, pushing him wider. A gap opened between Benny and the Tackle, which Chris darted through. There was no hesitation, no waiting. Chris was at a full sprint before reaching the gap. This gave him a step on Adam and the LBs, but they laid out to cut it back. Adam got a hand on Chris's foot, disrupting his rhythm, sending him stumbling forward, and ultimately crashing after only a gain of 5; the Dons were in high spirits, and giving it their all, but the Longhorns weren't backing down either.
Chris popped back onto his feet. He bottled his frustration, not letting it show. Instead, he slapped Benny on the back, going along and giving each Lineman the same treatment, telling each one they were doing good and to keep it up. Consistency and perseverance were the keys.
On second down, the Dons returned to the air. There was no need for Play-Action as the defence were already second-guessing themselves, so Jay kept his eyes downfield the whole time. However, he didn't have to look far for his target.
Cole made space once again, this time on a Slant, which Amon undercut on another long Drag, breaking further away from the defence the longer he ran. Jay only threw the ball once Amon had crossed the field fully, and there Amon caught it, turning upfield and running along the sideline. He was knocked out-of-bounds near the first-down marker, though stretched the ball out for another yard, comfortably earning another set of downs for the Dons.
The Dons continued to rally with another pass on first down. Pippen tried fighting through on Benny's inside, but was stonewalled. Jay kept the passes quick and short anyhow, as Stephen snapped back on a Curl, surprising Juan, though not throwing him off far enough to keep him from contesting.
However, Stephen was too big and too determined. He got his hands to the ball and wouldn't relinquish his hold. It didn't matter he couldn't shed Juan completely. He simply carried the smaller boy along until Jimmy sprinted over and completed the tackle. Yet just like that, Stephen had earned the Dons another first down.
The Dons were knocking on the door of the red-zone, unwilling to slow down. Another pass followed Play-Action. Benny stayed home completely, helping neutralise Pippen, while Chris slipped out into the flat, and Amon attacked with a Corner. From the other side of the field, Stephen cut In deeply, sliding in behind the drawn-up LBs. Jimmy stepped forward, and that's when Cole flew by on a Post route.
Jimmy turned as the ball was lobbed over. The pass was a little behind, causing Cole to slow, and Jimmy to catch up. But Cole had slowed more than necessary, keeping himself between the ball and Jimmy, protecting the space in front of him. When the ball finally neared, Cole burst forward into the opening and leapt, making the catch.
Right after Cole landed, Jimmy lunged, draping himself around Cole's hips, tearing him down to the ground. The reception was good for 18 yards, but was only a few yards away from having been a touchdown.
Jimmy stood, shoving off of Cole to do so. Dons hurried over to help Cole up and shove Jimmy back, though more Longhorns rushed to their captain's side. Officials stormed in, separating the teams and keeping things from boiling over; no flags were waved as both sides returned to their huddles.
The crowd's cheers of "dee-fence" had faded to be almost silent. They may as well have been in compare to the wave of excitement that surged up on every Don reception and first down.
Jimmy looked around at the stands with disgust. He and the boys had busted their asses all year, went undefeated, put on a spectacle on both sides of the field, and were still in their home state for fuck's sake. Yet most of these fans couldn't give two shits. If they couldn't play heroes, they could damn well play spoilers.
'They ain't scored yet,' he said. 'A field-goal won't do shit for them. Keep them out of the end-zone. No matter the cost.'
Pippen grunted, nodding along. Adam was silent, his jaw set like it was made of stone. He grabbed Pippen by the collar, pulled him close, and said: 'We're winning this right now. Don't let them in.'
'You got it, boss.'
They met the Dons with scowls; each Longhorn was jittering with excitement and nerves as they awaited the snap.
Conversely, the Dons didn't need any further pep-talks. Benny had given them one strong enough to last before they took the field. So it was only fitting Benny would be the one to finish what he and Chris had started this drive.
The ball was snapped, and after an anxious cry, a hush fell over the crowd. Jay kept the ball once more, and Benny pushed forward, paying no attention to Pippen. Yet Pippen was paying attention to him. Still, Benny moved forward, slipping through into the shallow edges of end-zone, and snapping around on a short hook Curl, sealing Pippen behind him.
While Pippen couldn't get around him, he could push Benny forward. Jay flicked the ball over quickly, and Benny caught it, though just as he did so, he was pushed forward. Having never secured the ball while in the end-zone, the play was still live. Benny tried to back through Pippen, though he would've had an easier time backing through a brick wall.
Chris flashed out of the backfield, rushing to Benny's aide. Though as he neared, the two shared a look, and an understanding passed through them. It was not one born from developed skill, nor extraordinary, inherent talent. It came from having complete trust and faith in one another; a camaraderie that was truly worthy of being called brotherhood.
Chris didn't run in to help push Benny across the Line, instead he cut just in front of Benny, and with total surrender, Benny pushed the ball towards him in a lateral. Chris caught the ball against his chest, just before Adam smashed into Benny and toppled him completely. But this paved the way for Chris, who dove across the threshold and into the end-zone for a touchdown.
Shocked silence filled the stadium for a few breaths longer before cheers erupted from all around. Neither Benny, nor Chris were allowed back up as their teammates piled onto both of them, more bewildered but overjoyed than even the fans. Such bewilderment extended to the Dons' coaches. Coach Norman and Coach Long held each other, jumping in excitement, scoreboard all but forgotten. Never, not even in their wildest dreams, did they imagine they'd see an impromptu Hook and Ladder play from their boys, let alone one that worked so well.
The Dons eventually gathered themselves, their celebrations dying down enough for them to start exiting the field, but they stopped before anyone stepped a foot onto the sideline—Coach Long was waving them back on, and Coach Norman was signalling they were going for two.
They hurriedly huddled up as Cam rushed out to join them. Stepping onto the field, he shrugged off the awe-struck stupor the glorious touchdown had afflicted upon him. As Amon passed him, the two high-fived. It didn't matter if someone was sitting out, or being replaced. The TEAM had a job to do, and each member was willing to do whatever it took to get it done, even if that meant letting their teammates take the wheel for a play or a whole drive. When Cam joined the huddle, Chris nodded to him.
A despondent defence met the Dons as they lined back up. The Longhorns were rattled, and with all the momentum in the world on the Dons' side, there was never a better time to go for a two-point conversion.
Capitalising on the Longhorns' disarray, Jay called for the snap quickly, and when he turned around, he handed the ball over to Cam, not Chris. Even more surprising, was the fact Cam was lined up as the HB, and Chris the FB.
The run went wide, rather than up the middle like a typical Cameron run did. Following Chris's lead, he charged towards Benny, who staved off Pippen once more. Adam crashed down, racing against Chris towards the edge, though the Longhorn saw his race against one of the Dons on the sideline—JJ.
It was a tie either way. Chris and Adam slammed into one another, and held their ground, running perpendicular to the end-zone. They were locked together like two battling rams, and Cam was coming up behind them. He lowered his shoulder, pushing in against Chris's back, then extended out. As they all fell forward, Cam stretched the ball across the line and into the end-zone.
The two-point conversion was successful, and the score stood at 44–37, with the Dons only trailing by 7 points—a single touchdown. All the Dons needed now, was one more stop, then the game was in their hands…
…But all the Longhorns needed was just one more score. Time was running out. The Dons had scored quickly, but even so, there was less than five minutes left. Such a little amount of time that the Longhorns could drain it all with this one drive if they were careful enough. However, that wasn't there style. Even knowing just a field goal could put the game out of reach with so little time remaining, none of the Longhorns were aiming for a field goal. The only proper way to finish this game would be to shatter the Dons' hopes with a final, heart-breaking touchdown. ESPECIALLY after the way they'd been humiliated so far.
Kentavious and Ty locked eyes from across the field as both teams prepared for the kickoff.
They knew better than anyone that the next drive was for the fate of the game itself; the fate of their two teams were balanced in their hands.
The final, definitive game of tug-of-war between them would begin soon.