Chapter 30 #2
Again and again, Jaylen and Zack worked together moving the ball down the field. Jaylen kept the ball in bounds each time as the clock ticked down. When they huddled, Jaylen was breathing so hard that his whole body heaved.
Kate was screaming from the sidelines as she held her stomach.
The steady stream of curse words had several players taking some steps away from her out of fear.
Kate screamed not with anger but excitement.
She knew what Knox knew. This was it. This was the time.
Knox’s father even had the kicker warming up on the sidelines to trick the team into thinking they’d be going for a field goal.
“Jaylen, do you have one more in you?” Knox asked.
“You. Bet. Your. Ass.” Jaylen said while sucking in air.
“We need this to look as if we’re setting up for a field goal, so play it up,” Knox told him and Jaylen nodded. “Deon, you ready? Line, you ready?”
The men didn’t cheer. The entire huddle nodded, determination etched in every line of their face and in each tense muscle. They broke the huddle and lined up showing a run as if they were pushing the line to the middle of the field for a cleaner field goal.
Knox took a deep breath and slowly let it out as he reached under Zack for the snap. Everything faded away. The crowd, the championship, everything.
“Hike!”
The ball was in his hands. Zack was pushing his lineman toward the center of the field.
Knox turned and held out the ball for Jaylen who faked grabbing it.
He had bent over low, making it hard to see if he had the ball or not as Knox relaxed his stance and gave the line his back for a split second.
Jaylen ran, pushing several steps to the center.
The defenders collapsed towards Jaylen as Knox turned back to the field.
Deon had broken away from his cornerback, who, like everyone else, was watching the line for a running play.
Knox pulled back his arm, locked onto Deon, and threw the ball.
Knox saw the corner’s face as he realized he’d blown his coverage.
The ball arched through the air and straight into Deon’s hands.
Deon pulled the ball to his side and ran full out, even though the defense had blown it back at the line of scrimmage.
Deon didn’t risk it as he sprinted into the endzone.
Knox wanted to fall to the ground in celebration, but the game wasn’t over, even if the score was now 30-24.
There were still seventeen seconds left.
That was enough time for the other team to score.
He did run to celebrate in the end zone though.
He just couldn’t let himself give in to the party.
Seventeen more seconds and then he could.
Knox jumped in the air, bumping shoulders with Deon as they ran off the field.
Jaylen made it to the sidelines and promptly threw up.
Trainers were at his side instantly with oxygen and sports drinks.
He’d given his entire body to the win. The line was similarly out of breath as they all stood on the line, almost looking as if they were going to collapse, before they snapped the extra point.
It was now 31-24, but the ball was in their opponent’s hands.
Trey was giving instructions to the defense to play a deeper zone. They weren’t going to risk a Hail Mary.
Kate shoved him in the chest. “Perfect execution, motherf—” Her eyes glazed over as she clutched Knox’s jersey. Then she sucked in a deep breath and gritted out, “Not one word.”
Knox nodded as their team kicked off. The ball was caught with a fair catch.
Now it was the defense’s time to shine. The entire bench was on the sidelines screaming.
Their QB was in shotgun. The ball was snapped.
Knox held his breath as he looked downfield.
No one was open. A linebacker burst through the offensive line, and the QB rolled out to the side to avoid a sack.
Knox and Kate both grabbed for each other as the QB threw out of bounds. Ten seconds left.
Another throw was incomplete and now there were only three seconds left. There was enough time to score a touchdown and send the game into overtime, or get a two-point conversion to win it.
“Hail Mary Zone Blue!” Knox’s father shouted.
The team lined up on the sidelines, arms linked, as they all held their breath.
The snap was low. The QB recovered and threw it just before he could be sacked.
The ball flew through the air. At least four people jumped for it, hand fighting until one hand rose above the rest and spiked the ball to the ground.
Knox and the rest of the team ran out to the field.
He couldn’t even describe the elation he felt as he hugged his father as a champion.
Jaylen, Deon, Zack, the entire line, his tight ends, his receivers .
. . they’d been through a war together and won.
Knox glanced up to the suite, and found it half empty.
Good. He told his mother to make sure Quinn made it to the field.
Knox shook hands with the opposing QB, shook hands with some of their other players, but it was too emotional.
All that work had paid off as he and Zack found each other in chaos.
Zack wrapped him in a tight bear hug and lifted Knox off the ground as Knox laughed.
“We freaking did it!” Zack yelled as he finally put Knox down.
“Knox!” the sideline reporter yelled, pushing through the men celebrating as confetti rained down on them. “Tell us about that last drive.”
“That was all our amazing coaching staff. Coach Samson and Coach Kate had every play drawn out. And man, give it to Zack Sanders and our line for making space for Jaylen to have a game of a lifetime and then to Deon Wofford for the catch of the year.” It just happened that the crowd shifted and then he saw her.
“Excuse me, but I have to go kiss my bride.”