Ty slumped onto the bench as the teams prepared for another kickoff after the successful extra point. Coach Hoang wheeled over to his side and said: 'Talk to me, Samuels. What happened out there?'
'If I knew that, do you think I'd have let them score?!' Ty snapped.
'You're telling me you watched them punk you out and score on you and you don't have a clue how they did it?'
Ty's eyes carried death in the look he gave Coach Hoang, but the DC didn't flinch. Ty eventually did, dragging his eyes away. How had Richaun bested him? That stupid flailing? No, it wasn't stupid, nor was it random. It was highly controlled, and with a specific idea in mind. Richaun was trying to blind him, trying to confuse him, even if only for half a second. In that window, Colby pounced.
Coach Hoang saw the tension leave Ty's body as he came to a conclusion; hopefully it was the correct one.
'Relax,' Ty said. 'Don't fall out of your chair. I'll beat them. The same shit won't work twice against me.'
Coach Hoang nodded. Good. He didn't have time to worry over Ty when the rest of the Cobras' offence was still an unknown, yet dangerous problem. Yet worry about Ty and Richaun's battle he did.
Both boys had early victories against each other. Ty claimed the first quarter, and unless he scored an interception, Richaun would come away with the second. Yet neither boy had been pushed to the brink. They still had their trump cards hidden away up their sleeves. He wasn't sure what Richaun's would be, but knew it must be fearsome to have earned him the number two ranking. But Ty was number one. Now he just had to prove that was still comparable in this generation of monster Receivers.
Chris got to return the Cobras' second kickoff of the game, though only brought the ball back out to the 24-yard line. Still, the loss was marginal enough it didn't matter.
JJ and Cameron once again marched onto the field alongside the Dons' offence. However, whilst their plan remained the same, the Cobras had clearly gone through some changes.
They were bigger for one, with less DBs, and more LBs and Linemen stacking the box as both sides lined up opposite one another. Still, the Dons were confident JJ and Cameron could break through the wall the Cobras were desperately trying to erect.
On first down, Jay handed the ball over to Cameron and sent him up the gut of the defence where he met that wall, and bounced off it for no gain at all. Thankfully, it wasn't a loss either, but that was small consolation.
JJ and co helped Cameron back to his feet, dusting him off and apologising that they couldn't break open a hole for him. He assured them it was fine, and the onus was on him not breaking through more than it was them. Yet even with such positive talk and reinforcement of one another, they all cast worried glances towards their coaches on the sideline.
The plan had been to break through the Cobras with repeated runs, like how they'd earned their touchdown on the previous drive—the "if it isn't broke don't fix it" approach—but facing down second and long seemingly threw a spanner in the works and gave the boys something to hesitate over.
Coach Long stuck to his guns, and put his faith in JJ and Cameron. After all, one set back was only that, a set back. He believed they could still break through.
Again Cameron was sent charging through the Line. A Power run aimed between Guard and Tackle, he didn't bounce off the Cobras' wall immediately, but didn't break through very far either. 2 yards later, he collapsed under the Cobras, and was smothered in a pile.
The plan may have remained unchanged when facing second and long, but third and long was a different story. That gave Coach Long pause. In which, he ultimately decided to pull JJ and Cameron from the field, replacing them with Chris and Amon.
The Cobras returned to their usual formation as well, and thus the Dons were back to their original problem as Jay dropped back for a pass, and was quickly hounded by both Maclin brothers.
He stepped up hurriedly, and flicked the ball over to Chris in the middle of the field after his Angle route, and while the catch was made, he was a few yards short of the first-down marker, and the Cobras swarmed like piranhas, holding him back from that marker.
Another three-and-out. The Dons would have to punt again, and if the momentum wasn't already with the Cobras, it surely was then. But Coach Long welcomed the boys back with smiles and pats on the back. Perhaps his planning had failed. Or maybe not. Maybe the game would slow back down. If it came down to a war of attrition, he had faith in his boys.
A thumping punt sent the Cobras' return man back to the 22, where he caught the ball with a fair catch, the Gunners' chase keeping him in check, and stopping him from returning the punt at all.
So on their own 22-yard line was where the Cobras started their next drive. Coach Hoang watched Ty stalk out onto the field. Ty hadn't shared what epiphany he'd come to regarding his mistakes in the prior drive, nor how he'd rectify them. Trusting in his judgement was all Coach Hoang could do.
The crowd still wasn't particularly behind the Cobras' offence, but that didn't matter. One only needed to look at how Richaun and Ty approached one another, and compare that to the previous drives, to see who was in control of the game despite the tied score.
'Still think I'm a fluke, huh, little nigga?' Richaun asked. His stance was much more loose and relaxed.
Ty still appeared as if his back was against a wall. He was slightly hunched, snarling up at Richaun. 'How fucking pathetic. Does it feel so good to score one touchdown in an even game? You're nothing but a fluke, and how excited you are after beating me ONCE proves it.'
'You retarded little shit. I'll beat you as many times as it takes for you to realise I'm the best.'
The ball was snapped, and Richaun lunged forward, but his strike found only air. Ty backed off, putting space between them both. Richaun stumbled but recovered after a step, gritting his teeth. He pushed forward. Still, Ty retreated.
Colby watched Ty, and Ty watched him. Richaun's swiping on his cut did little to hinder Ty's vision, and his sharp eyes remained locked on Colby, keeping Richaun and the rest of the field in his periphery.
Ty was all over the Sluggo route, and Colby once again had to lob the ball to someone on the bench to prevent Ty from intercepting it.
Ty pulled up short, staring at where the ball had been caught off-field. 'See?' he said, addressing Richaun who stood only a couple of yards away. 'Just a fluke. I'm still better than you, and I always will be.'
Richaun whirled around, but though they were standing before the Cobras' bench, those players still got between the pair, pulling Richaun away from the confrontation. They knew how hot-headed he could be, and now they'd finally wrestled away control of the game, they didn't need him handing it back on a silver platter thanks to an unnecessary penalty.
Colby watched the interaction closely, and his eyes remained on Ty as they separated, two huddles forming on the field. Of course, it wouldn't be easy to take out the number one CB, that's what made it worthwhile. But he still felt as if he and Richaun had the upper hand; he just needed a fraction of an opening.
Ty wasn't about to just GIVE him an opportunity to embarrass him again, however. He stayed at the Line before the snap, but once more backed off rather than engage with Richaun in any kind of press.
Of course, the Cobras were passing again. They had to. As much as they wanted to remind the Dons of their run game, it just wasn't getting the job done. Besides, the real game was between Colby, Richaun, and Ty.
Richaun wasn't surprised by Ty's retreat, and burst out of the gates unhindered. Still, Ty's rapid back-pedalling kept the distance between them both, and when Richaun cut to the outside, even as he flailed an arm across Ty's vision, it didn't obscure the fact Colby was ready to pass, and not just pump-faking.
Ty pounced, lunging forward, ready to undercut the pass and take it back to the house for a pick-six. Colby adjusted at the last second, skying the ball, sending it too far over both Richaun and Ty's heads so neither of them could lay a finger on it.
To the casual viewer, it looked as if Colby was having his worst game ever. Maybe all that time off had rusted his shoulder badly. Maybe he was never any good to begin with. Maybe he was scared of Tyrese Samuels. Those with a sharper eye, and more experience with the game, understood he was doing what he had to to avoid an interception.
Richaun was back to scowling at Colby as the Cobras prepared for third down. Yet even with the full 10 yards to go, Colby wasn't panicking. He suspected he could find enough yards with Dominick or Lamar, but a glance at the scoreboard told him not to worry. As predicted, the Dons' offence had dried up, and the Cobras would get the ball back, even if they had to use their timeouts to accomplish it. Besides, the game was only tied, and there was still a whole other half to play. Plenty of time to blow open a lead if need be. Also plenty of time to break Ty again.
A shower of boos, like rain on a rooftop, was the backdrop as Ty and Richaun came face to face again. 'You lucky this nigga can't throw for shit,' Richaun said.
Ty laughed, unable to help himself. 'You know, I don't think I've ever faced someone as dumb as you.'
'That don't mean shit comin' from a retarded little nigga like you.'
'Seriously, if you can't see how much you're holding him back, you're hopeless.'
Richaun's next curse was swallowed by Colby's cry for the snap. Ty's spear caught Richaun flush on the chest as he pushed forward, expecting Ty to back off again. Ty did after stunning Richaun, drifting back, just close enough to pounce on any short throw, but with more than enough room to keep a clear view of Colby, who waited patiently in the pocket, watching Richaun with disappointment.
He should've gone to a different target, but he wanted to see how Richaun would respond. It was miserable watching him struggle like a worm as he scrambled after Ty, then cut inside. The feints and shimmies outside did nothing to throw Ty off, and he stayed completely on top of the route as they drifted across the field. Pathetic.
Just as Colby was about to look elsewhere, somebody slammed into him, knocking him off his feet, then crunching him into the ground. He clung to the ball protectively, gritting his teeth as air escaped around them.
Donte rolled off him quickly, and sprung to his feet. Dons soon surrounded him, celebrating as the sack pushed the Cobras to fourth down, and ensured they'd be punting the ball back after a three-and-out of their own.
Colby smashed the ball against the turf, refusing help as he pushed himself up. Dammit! Why the fuck was Richaun struggling so much? He was number two, yes, but he wasn't THIS bad. Ty had thrown him off his game, badly. And he needed to get back on it fucking quickly. Colby stalked off, as Special Teams came on for both sides.
Chris finally got a chance to return a punt, as the ball was shanked to the 27-yard line where he caught it on his chest and darted forward, an initial Gunner being pushed wide of him. He tried to dodge past the next, but was wrapped up as he twisted in a spin move, and was brought down after a return of only 6 yards.
He groaned as he was helped up, not in pain but frustration. It was just one of those days where nothing went right for him, and he could do little to impact the game. As he walked back to the bench—Cam still out with the rest of the offence—he wondered what he could change.
Coach Long was adamant the boys could break through if they persevered hard enough. He also hoped that if their drive went well, they could drain most of the clock remaining in the first half, and not give the Cobras another chance with the ball.
So JJ was also out there alongside the offence, joining Cameron in the backfield. Perhaps some would've seen this as stubborn. Coach Long didn't think so, nor did he care. Besides, there was still more they could do with this formation.
At the snap, Jay turned, and instantly handed the ball over to JJ, who ploughed through the middle, cradling the ball tight against his chest. It was an unexpected wrinkle, and it took a moment for the Cobras to register that they shouldn't be avoiding JJ but bringing him down. The confusion bought him 3 yards before he was stopped.
The clock ticked lower, already drawing closer to the two-minute warning. The Dons ambled up to the Line again and prepared for their next play.
When Jay took the snap again, he faked the hand-off to JJ, and instead pitched the ball to Cameron who snuck outside. With all their focus on the inside, the Cobras were out of position, and though they were speedy enough to contain Cameron, again it ended with a 3 yard gain for the Dons.
The Dons were scratching and clawing their way forward bit by bit, and the crowd was getting behind their resilient and crafty efforts. However, on third down, they'd need at least 4 yards to earn another set of downs.
They lined up again, and once more when Jay took the snap he turned straight for JJ and Cameron. He bypassed JJ completely, and then extended the ball to Cameron, but snatched it back to his own chest.
He whirled around, scanning the field. Benny slipped past a block and dropped in behind the eager defence who had rushed towards the Line. Jay lobbed the ball over, and found Benny's extended hands up high. As soon as he landed, Benny backpedalled, not wasting time turning around as he trucked his way across the marker, and earned a total of 9 yards before he was tripped up.
Success! The Dons had earned their next set of downs, and the completed pass brought them to the two-minute warning, leaving Coach Long with another choice.
He welcomed the boys back to the bench, and allowed them their respite, congratulating them on their efforts, then turned his attention back to the empty field. Time wasn't exactly on their side, but with a tied game, even a field goal would give them the lead.
The Cobras would be expecting them to resort to the air with limited time, but they still had all their timeouts. If they could bust out a few big runs, they'd be in with a chance.
Ultimately, he decided to keep the game grounded. When the Dons went back onto the field after the short break, they resumed their drive with another hand-off up the middle.
Unfortunately, Cameron slammed into a wall only 2 yards past the Line of Scrimmage.
The Cobras knew how stubborn the Dons could be, how long it took them to adjust and change, not because of slow-thinking, but because of the belief that they could overcome anything if they tried hard enough. By calling a timeout afterwards, the Cobras not only stopped the clock, but gave the Dons the chance to stew in the realisation that such stubbornness wouldn't help them against the Cobras.
Yet the Dons weren't so easily swayed. After the timeout, the ball was put back in JJ's hands. His run was even shorter than Cameron's, as the Cobras wouldn't be fooled by the same trick twice. They jammed him up at the Line, and though he powered through, he was only rewarded with a single yard.
Another timeout was called. Coach Long paced up and down the sideline. They'd only gained 3 yards in two plays on the ground, and they'd barely burnt ten seconds off the clock. They'd have to pass, but the Cobras would be expecting that. Something told him even if that was the case, they'd still be all over whatever run they tried. He had to believe in the boys and try.
Play-Action was the call. Cameron and JJ were still on the field to better sell the run, though JJ stayed back to give Jay some extra protection, as Cameron slipped out of the backfield. Benny's little hitch Curl was covered over the middle, as was Stephen and Cole's outside routes, but Cameron in the flat was open, and Jay flipped the ball over. However, the Cobras swarmed, and with superior numbers, kept him from the marker, keeping his gain to only 4 yards, and pushing the Dons to fourth down.
The Cobras called their last timeout of the half, and Coach Long internally cursed himself. Maybe he should've stayed on the ground. He glanced to the clock. Hopefully, he'd used up enough time, and without any timeouts for the Cobras, the defence could hold them down and keep them from scoring. If the game was even going into the second half, it was theirs to control.
The following punt pinned the Cobras at their own 6, leaving them with most of the field to cover, and little time to do it in. Sure, you could score a touchdown from anywhere on the field in under two minutes, but doing so without even a single timeout, was a much harder task.
Colby let Richaun lead the Cobras' offence back onto the field. He directed disgust and annoyance at the Receiver's back.
Across the field, Ty hung back as the Dons' defence marched out to match the Cobras. The objective was clear—protect the sidelines, keep the Cobras inbounds to run the clock. He had to be careful of a play over the top through the middle, but otherwise he'd be alright. And if he knew that was the only weakness he had to worry about, it'd be easy to cover it up.
The Dons took their formation, matching the Cobras who set up without a RB in the backfield, just a TE and four WRs. The Dons had to match them with another DB, Amon taking the field with the defence. Donte saw his opportunity without a RB providing extra protection, but knew Colby wouldn't give him a lot of time to close the distance.
Ty stood in front of Richaun, grinning at the scowl that met him. 'You guys smell desperate. You especially,' Ty said.
'Is that how your mama smells, stinkin' up your house waitin' for a real man to take care of her?'
Ty quirked a brow, but his grin didn't waver. What a strange tactic. What did his mother have to do with anything on the field? How scared was Richaun?
"This guy's crazy," Richaun thought. It was a strange reaction. Attack someone's mom, and even the most resolute and stoic opponent will snap and lash out at you. Normally, anyway; Ty wasn't normal.
'Imagine if instead of scoring here, you guys throw me a pick-six. The game would be over at that point.'
'Keep dreamin', 'cause that's the only place that's gon' happen.'
As the ball was snapped, Ty laughed. He was out of reach before Richaun even swung. Both boys burst downfield, Ty with his eyes locked on Colby, and Richaun firmly in his periphery. Richaun put his head down, trying to blast by Ty with speed, yet even when Ty was forced to switch into a sprint of his own, Colby didn't look at them for more than a passing glance; his focus was elsewhere.
Lamar feinted outside, than cut in after Deshaun backed off a step. The window was narrow, but that didn't matter with Colby, he flung the ball over, and squeezed the pass in as Lamar hauled in the 13-yard Reception, and was quickly downed.
The Cobras wasted no time getting back up to the new Line and into formation. The Dons raced with them, not being left behind as they prepared themselves for a drive with little to no breaks.
A smirk was splayed across Ty's face. 'How's it feel knowing you're not even the number one target on your own team anymore? That's how much of a number two you are.'
'Shut the fuck up! For one fuckin' second, shut that big-ass mouth!'
The truth cut deeper than any insult, and there was at least some truth in Ty's biting words. Once again, Colby passed over Richaun briefly at the start of the play, and his attention never returned. Instead, he looked for Dominick, where his Out turned to a Streak up the sideline, but the deep-shot was covered. He'd missed Lamar's cut as well, so his focus turned to a lesser target underneath as another Receiver slipped free from Amon on a shallow Cross.
Colby fired the ball in, but winced. The play was only good for 6 yards, and kept the clock running. With under a minute and a half to go, they needed bigger chunks of yards than that.
Again, they hurried to the line. Ty didn't have long to remind Richaun of the harsh truth that he'd been replaced on his very own team, but he used every stationary second they had together to do so.
Donte led the Dons' pass rush in a relentless attack against the Cobras' Line, yet there was hardly any time to make a move, and the rapid pace of the hurry-up offence left them no time to regroup and prepare for their next charge; each play sapped their stamina more than the last.
Colby found Lamar again. It was a deep Comeback route, good for 11 yards, but though he stepped out of bounds rather than be tackled in the field of play, Lamar's forward progress had been stopped, so the clock continued ticking.
The Cobras moved like that, with rapid-fire, medium-length passes, until they were in field-goal range, and time was running low.
They hurried up to their spot, and spiked the ball into the turf to finally stop the clock with thirty seconds to go. Everyone on the field took a breath, trying to ease the fires in their lungs.
The Cobras had come a long way from their own 6-yard line, but it had taken them most of their remaining time to do so. The next 40-odd yards would be the most difficult, and they only had thirty seconds to accomplish their task now.
Even through all of that, Richaun hadn't touched the ball once. Which meant Ty hadn't been involved in anything either, and that was getting to him. He didn't enjoy being a spectator, least of all when his team was losing without him. But he had an idea.
'At the rate they're going, you might get benched for the second half,' Ty told Richaun.
'Only nigga gettin' benched here is you,' Richaun responded. 'After I Moss your ass.'
'They'd have to remember you exist for that to happen.'
When the ball was snapped, Ty didn't back off, and Richaun's strike came in high. It didn't catch Ty under the chin this time, but smashed into his face-guard, knocking his head back. Ty stumbled, and Richaun blew by him while he was recovering.
Colby saw the opening on his glance, and flicked the ball over. Richaun caught it, but there was already a flag laying at the Line of Scrimmage. Unaware, Richaun ran on, stepping out of bounds only when Zayden neared. The play was called back.
The head official addressed the crowd and cameras. 'Illegal hands to the face, offence number one. Five-yard penalty. Replay second down.'
Colby shook his head. Disappointment was the only thing that welcomed Richaun back to the Cobras' huddle. If his anger hadn't boiled over already, it did then. He was screaming throughout the huddle and even after it ended. If they didn't ignore him this wouldn't have happened. If they passed to him more they'd have already scored another touchdown just like before. Colby and the others did their best to ignore him.
The Cobras were still on the edge of field-goal range when they lined up again, though it'd be a more difficult kick than they'd like. They needed something good. Especially seeing as Richaun's fuck up had taken another five seconds off the clock.
At the snap, Colby didn't even look Richaun's way. It was a punishment. Let him stew in his failure, and see they didn't need him to score and take the lead. How good would it look for Colby if he won against such fierce competition, even without his number one Receiver?
Deshaun still had no answer for Lamar's deep Curl. The deep threat was too much, and he couldn't keep up with the Receiver without fully committing to stop that deep ball, so any type of Curl or Comeback was nearly guaranteed to work, as did another.
But Lamar didn't step out. He stayed inbounds and whipped around, trying to fight across the marker. Deshaun was there and ready, and wrapped him up, dragging him down a couple of yards shy of another first down, pushing the Cobras to third down … and importantly keeping the clock ticking.
The Cobras rushed to the Line. Since they were on third down, they couldn't spike the ball to stop the clock, they just had to reload and go again without wasting any time to even think.
Again Lamar went for another deep Comeback, but Deshaun adjusted, expecting it. It was a gamble, but sometimes you had to take them in football, and it just so happened the cards fell his way. Deshaun left himself open for the deep shot to the end-zone, but Lamar stopped for another Curl, which Deshaun was smothering.
Colby hissed as he tucked the ball back to his chest and quickly searched for another target. There was no time, he just had to get some yards, then stop the clock afterwards so they could reload for a deep shot; he fired the ball in towards Dominick who had an opening over the middle.
JJ dove across, laying himself out as he batted the ball aside and forced the incompletion. Colby stared at the aftermath, confused. He'd been sure there was an opening, however slight. He never missed a window.
The Dons swarmed around JJ as if he'd just blocked a game-winner at the buzzer, and cheers even rained down from the crowd. Slowly but surely the Dons were swaying them to their side, and the longer neither Ty nor Richaun were part of the action, the more positive the crowd became.
It was fourth down, and the Cobras were out of time. The field-goal unit was sent out onto the field as the offence trudged off. Colby was slowest of all, still trying to comprehend how he had made a mistake. It wasn't physical on his part, no error of motion nor mechanics, he'd simply underestimated JJ's will to win.
Colby scoffed as he took his seat. No matter. The Dons could be as courageous, stubborn, and downright stupid as they wanted. They would still lose. They hadn't even changed anything. The Cobras would still enter the second half with a lead. One they wouldn't relinquish. After the field goal, the game would be decided.
The stadium held its breath as the team's prepared for the kick. Nobody blinked as the ball was snapped, and flew low to the ground into the Holder's hands, was planted, and then booted through the air. It arched through the air, tumbling, tumbling …
And faded right, skimming past the outside of the post. No good. The teams entered half time with the score still tied at 7 all.