The visiting locker room at Serra was nicer than most high school home locker rooms I'd seen. Clean white walls, spacious wooden lockers, and motivational quotes painted everywhere. But none of that mattered right now.
"Alright, y'all know the drill!" Coach Rivera called out as we filed in. "Get suited up, focused, and ready to show these people what Malibu Prep football looks like!"
I found my locker and started pulling out my gear. First thing I did was grab my ankle tape - had to get both ankles wrapped tight. Then I pulled out my white turtle neck compression shirt, the one I wore under my pads for every game. It was part of my routine now.
"Yo, look at Jakari getting all professional with that gear," Derek said, laughing as he watched me tape up.
"Man's got that NFL swag already," Tyler added.
I slipped on my white leg sleeves, making sure they were positioned right under my pants. Then came the shoulder pads, and finally my jersey. I grabbed my captain's armband - the one Coach Rivera had given me after last week's practice - and slipped it over my left arm.
"Damn, Jakari got the full drip going," Cameron said, adjusting his own gear. "Looking like a college player already."
Antonio was in the locker next to me, of course taking his time to make sure everything looked perfect.
"Yo, Jakari," he said, adjusting his shoulder pads for the third time. "You see how clean I look in this uniform? But man, your setup is nice. That compression shirt and them sleeves? That's some professional shit right there."
"Cameras?" I asked, pulling my cleats out of my bag - fresh black Jordan football cleats that my grandparents had gotten me for this game.
"Yeah, bro. Didn't you see that dude with the professional camera following us off the bus?"
I was too focused on the phone calls to notice.
I looked around and sure enough, there was a guy with a big camera in the corner of the locker room, filming us getting ready. He had press credentials hanging around his neck and was being really quiet about it.
"Yo, Coach!" Derek called out. "Why we got a camera crew in here?"
Coach Rivera looked over at the cameraman and nodded. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Malibu Prep hired a production company to film a hype trailer for the upcoming season. They're documenting today's scrimmage."
A hype trailer? That's actually pretty cool.
"So we gonna be on some real shit?" Joey asked, immediately checking his appearance in his phone camera.
"They're making a promotional video to get the community excited about football season," Coach explained. "Just play your game and ignore the cameras."
Easier said than done. But this could be good for my recruiting if I ball out.
"Aye, cameraman!" Antonio called out, making sure his jersey was tucked in perfectly. "Make sure you get my good angles, which is all of them!"
"Bro, just focus on football," I said, lacing up my cleats extra tight.
"I am focused," Antonio replied. "Focused on looking good while dominating these fools."
This dude's unbelievable.
"Alright, real talk though," Tyler said, sitting down next to me as I finished taping my wrists. "Y'all nervous about this shit?"
"Hell yeah," Cameron admitted. "Serra's been doing this longer than us. But fuck it, we ready."
"Facts," I said, standing up and checking my gear one more time. "They bleed just like we do."
Brady was sitting quietly in the corner, going through his mental preparation like always. Mason was double-checking his gloves. Owen was eating another snack, somehow. Latrell looked nervous but determined.
"Aye, freshmen!" Derek called out. "Y'all ready for this varsity shit?"
"Been ready," Antonio said, flexing in his uniform.
"Let's get it," Mason said quietly but with fire in his voice.
"Florida's about to show out!" Joey added, bouncing on his toes.
Twenty minutes later, we were suited up and heading out to the field for warm-ups. The camera crew followed us out, and I could see another cameraman already set up on the sideline.
They're really documenting everything.
Serra's stadium was impressive in person. The field was perfect, the stands were bigger than I'd expected, and there were already people filling in to watch. Not a huge crowd since it was just a scrimmage, but enough to create some atmosphere.
"Damn," Tyler said, looking around. "This place is clean as hell."
"Focus," Coach Rivera called out. "Let's start with our dynamic warm-up."
We lined up for stretching and conditioning. The camera crew was getting shots of everything - us stretching, running through our warm-up routine, position groups doing drills.
During individual drills, I noticed the cameraman focusing on me quite a bit. Made sense since I was probably the most recognizable player on the team after my practice performance had gotten around.
Don't think about the camera. Just run routes like you always do.
I went through my route-running drills with the same precision I always did. Clean releases, sharp breaks, catching everything thrown my way. My black compression shirt and leg sleeves made me feel locked in, like I was ready for business.
"Williams!" Coach Rivera called out. "Show them that comeback route from practice!"
I lined up and ran a perfect fifteen-yard comeback, breaking back to the ball and making a clean catch with the camera recording everything. My cleats felt perfect on the turf.
That looked clean. Hope it makes the final cut.
After about thirty minutes of warm-ups, Coach Rivera gathered us around for his pre-game speech. The cameras were positioned to catch every word.
"Alright, listen up!" he said, his voice carrying that intensity that made everyone stop talking immediately. "In fifteen minutes, we're gonna show California what the fuck Malibu Prep football looks like!"
Here we go. Coach is feeling it.
"Serra's got talent, they got tradition, they got home field advantage. But we got something they don't have - we got that hunger that comes from being disrespected. We got that chip on our shoulder that comes from being ranked twelfth when we know damn well we're better than that shit!"
The team was getting hyped, feeding off his energy.
"When this video comes out, I want everyone in this motherfucking state to see what kind of program we're building here! I want them to see the discipline, the effort, the goddamn talent we got!"
He looked directly at me. "Williams, show them why you're one of the best receivers in the state. Show them why that 238 ranking was bullshit!"
No pressure at all.
"Freshmen!" he continued, his voice getting louder. "This is your moment! Show them why we recruited your asses! Show them why you belong at this level!"
Brady nodded with that quiet intensity. Antonio flexed unconsciously. Joey bounced on his toes. Mason stayed focused. Owen somehow had found time to eat another granola bar. Latrell looked determined but nervous.
"Defense, I want you to shut down their pretty boy offense! Offense, move the ball and put points on the board! Special teams, be fucking special!"
The energy in the huddle was electric now.
"And everybody - play with pride, play with passion, and play like you know the whole state is watching! Because they are! Let's show these Serra boys what happens when you sleep on Malibu Prep!"
"MALIBU ON ME MALIBUE ON 3"
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"MALIBU!" the whole team yelled in unison.
"LOUDER"
"MALIBU!" we yelled again, louder this time.
As we broke the huddle and headed toward the field for the scrimmage, I adjusted my captain's armband and made sure my compression shirt was sitting right under my pads.
I could see the Serra players finishing up their own warm-ups. They looked big, fast, and confident. Their jerseys were clean, their helmets were shiny, and they moved with the swagger of a team that expected to win.
Good. I like playing against confident teams.
"Aye, Jakari," Tyler said as we walked toward the field. "Your whole setup looks clean as hell, bro. You look like you ready for business."
"That's the point," I said, adjusting my gloves one more time. "Time to show out."
The crowd was starting to fill in more. I could see college scouts in the stands with their notepads and stopwatches. Parents with phones ready to record their kids. And of course, the professional cameras documenting everything.
This hype trailer's gonna be legendary if we play like I know we can.
As we lined up for the opening kickoff, I thought about everyone back home who would probably see this video when it came out. Maya, my grandparents, my mom, the boys from the Better Men group chat.
Time to give them something to be proud of. Time to show them this drip wasn't just for show.
The referee blew his whistle, and Serra's kicker approached the ball. The cameras rolled, capturing every moment as we prepared to show California what Malibu Prep football was all about.
Let's make this trailer legendary.