Fourth and Long

Chapter 4

I walked back to the sideline like a boss. Everyone was cheering my name. It felt as if I saved the world.

I didn't walk home at the end of this game because everyone asked me if I needed a ride home. So for the first time, I left the football field feeling like a hero.

I just wish my parents were there to watch me.

The next week, at school, I went from the average kid to becoming one of the most popular kids in the school. It was very exciting.

Although I loved the attention, I knew if I didn't keep practicing the next game would go over badly. So now I pushed harder myself while doing my daily practices/workouts. For once I had a purpose and goal, The Middle School Super Bowl. If our team wins the next two games we get into the Super Bowl.

Life at home stayed the same. My uncle hasn't even realized I became the star of the football team, not even realizing I even existed. I tried to not let it bother me, I mean I was able to survive with meals I bought and I had a shelter, but I couldn't be content with my uncle.

The week went on and Friday arrived. One day until the next playoff game. I still kept my popularity throughout the week. I thought about and it seems weird, I make a few good plays in football and automatically become the most popular kid in the school. No one liked me as much before, but now I'm the "football star." As exciting as it was, it started to annoy me.

I had to put it all behind me because Saturday came, and the game was today. It was a night game so I had all day to practice. I practiced for hours but finally stopped to take a break. I didn't want to wear myself out.

I got to the field, early as usual and played catch with my friend. Warmups went by quickly, and before I knew it, it was game time.

I looked around the stadium. Our middle school was rich, so we had a small stadium surrounding the field. Our field was almost better than the high school's field.

As I looked around and noticed something unusual, there were more fans than normal. Like WAY more fans than normal. I could tell a lot of the people there were my friends and other people at my school that began to like me for my football skills.

They were there to see me. That meant if I screwed up during this game, it won't only lose respect on the field, I would lose respect at school. This game was more important than I thought.

The game kicked off and we got the ball first. I started out the first thee plays running the ball. After three consecutive first downs, thanks to our running back, I got my chance for a play.

It was a trick play. I faked the handoff to the running back, tossed the ball to the receiver how ran behind me. The receiver then looked as if he was going to throw the ball, and I stood next to him. After about two seconds of him pretending to look to pass, he handed it off to me.

It seemed like a good play, but it wasn't. The play took about seven seconds to develop, which was not enough time for the offensive line to hold. Nevertheless, I was able to make something out of it.

A two hundred pound defensive tackle came out of nowhere and hit my dead on. He didn't wrap up though, bad tackling form. I slipped through and started sprinting.

I held the ball close and secure so I didn't fumble. I ran on the sidelines because I had better vision there. I juked out a linebacker and stiffed armed a safety. The endzone was only thirty yards away, but those yards seemed like miles. I looked behind me, something you should never do when you're running in the open field, but I did anyway. I was clear. Not a single person in sight. Touchdown.

The crowd cheered and my teammates congratulated me, but there was still three and a half quarters of play left.

They scored easily on their next drive and got the ball back after a fumble on the kick return. Another easy touchdown for them and they were up 14-7.

We had the ball with three minutes left in the first half and I threw inception. They scored again right before halftime. Ugly second quarter.

They started with the ball in the second half and got a touchdown off the kick return.

Finally we had the ball, but the coach called running plays with our running back.

After our running back scored a forty yard touchdown, we were only two touchdowns behind. 3rd quarter ended with a score of 28-14.

Fourth quarter. We had the ball and coach gave me another chance to throw the ball. I threw to a receiver while getting hit by a defensive end. The receiver caught the ball about fifteen yards away, broke a tackle and ran for a touchdown.

We then intercepted the ball from the other team and scored. 28-28 with four minutes left in the game.

They had the ball and ran the ball for a touchdown while taking three and a half minutes off the clock. However they failed to make the extra point after the touchdown so it was 34-28 with thirty seconds left.

We got the ball at the forty yard line thanks to a nice kick return from our kick returner.

Twenty seconds. The play was a Hail Mary. Four receivers running straight for the end zone.

I throw the ball as far as I could and one my receivers reached out and grabbed it. Touchdown. Extra point good.

We won 35-34.