"Hut!"
The sound of Lu Ke's voice exploded in Michael Crabtree's ears. Without hesitation, he charged forward, making a small diagonal to the left. He pushed his speed to the limit, as if he were back at rookie training camp, re-testing his 40-yard dash. He swung his arms hard, and the whooshing sound of the wind whistled past his ears.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a figure shadowing him: Orlando Scandrick, the cornerback covering him one-on-one, a shadow he couldn't shake.
Crabtree didn't try to get rid of him. He just accelerated, and then accelerated again. Twenty-seven yards, not long but not short. He could almost hear the ticking of a second hand in his mind. Faster, he needed to be faster.
Amid the anxiety and tension, his mind was clearer than ever. After crossing the 5-yard line, he turned, slowed down, and looked up to see the football slowly descending. Sure enough, Lu Ke had thrown the football. He had released it smoothly with a rainbow pass, without wasting any time.
Before the snap, Lu Ke had said, "Michael, you have the height advantage."
Crabtree was 6'1" (185 cm), and Scandrick was 5'8" (178 cm). The difference in their height was not a large one, but Crabtree weighed 215 pounds (98 kg) and Scandrick only weighed 195 pounds (88 kg). Overall, Crabtree was a size bigger than Scandrick.
So, Crabtree focused, his eyes fixed on the football, tracking its flight path. He could feel Scandrick pressing up against him. The push and squeeze of their bodies were disrupting his steps. However, Crabtree was prepared. With a big stride, he avoided Scandrick's close coverage and...
Jumped high!
Sprinting, jumping, reaching. It was a routine he had repeated hundreds, thousands of times in practice. Crabtree leaped into the air, only to find that the football's arc was a little too far back. So, he stretched his body to the maximum, like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, and arched his back, creating a graceful curve.
His hands reached out, and he suddenly grabbed the football. In the next second, his hands felt the leather texture of the ball. He held on tightly, with only one thought in his mind: "Don't let go, don't let go!" He twisted his body in mid-air and landed firmly on his feet. Immediately, his muscles tensed up. "Don't go out of bounds! Don't go out of bounds! Don't go out of bounds!"
Crabtree used all his strength to control his leg muscles, making sure both his feet landed inside the end zone. The next second, a strong push came from behind, pushing him forward. Losing his balance, Crabtree was sent flying. At that moment, he regained his composure and managed to control his body in time to avoid injury.
But was it a touchdown? Was the catch legal? Were both feet in bounds? Was the touchdown successful?
"Shotgun formation. After the snap, Lu Ke quickly dropped back and, after only a quick observation, threw the ball quickly! The release was incredibly fast, giving the Cowboys very little time to react. He aimed for the lower-left corner of the end zone!"
Troy's eyes were wide open. He didn't want to miss a single moment of the action.
"The arc of the pass is a little high. It seems like the accuracy is a little bit... No! No! There's no problem! Crabtree used his height and size advantage to jump high and dominate Scandrick, snatching the moon from the sky! He made a clean catch! A successful catch! The catch! In 1981, Joe Montana connected with Dwight Clark for 'The Catch,' and it's happening again today! The Catch! Jesus Christ! 'The Catch' has returned!"
Troy's voice was at its peak, sharp enough to crack at any moment. But he didn't seem to notice. He slowly stood up, screaming like a fan seeing their idol.
"The San Francisco 49ers' number 14 quarterback, Lu Ke, made a 27-yard pass and successfully connected with Michael Crabtree! The two of them completed 'The Catch'! In a shotgun formation, Lu Ke's release time was only 1.86 seconds! He completed this pass with an absolute strategic advantage! Against his one-on-one defender, he fully utilized Crabtree's size advantage to suppress Scandrick, who had been playing well tonight! Not only did he complete 'The Catch,' but he also scored a touchdown!"
Troy didn't notice that his headset had fallen to the ground. He was standing, gripping the microphone like a rock star, roaring wildly. All his passion was bursting out in a powerful torrent.
"Thirty years later! On the NFL field, after 30 years, in a game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, 'The Catch' has reappeared! Lu Ke, the first Chinese-American quarterback in league history, has replicated the pass of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana! Brilliant! It's truly brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
Troy could barely hear his own voice, but the passion and excitement were still surging. Seventeen seconds left, second and ten, the San Francisco 49ers needed a touchdown, and Lu Ke delivered a touchdown! This was almost an impossible comeback, and it was precisely at these moments that sports were most charming.
"God! We are witnessing history, history!" Troy spoke non-stop, not caring that his voice was completely hoarse. "The first Chinese-American starting quarterback in the league! Making history! And we're witnessing it! This is a great game, this is a great pass! I can't believe what I'm saying, but I'm saying it: This freshman rookie has once again proven himself. He has the potential to be a great quarterback, or rather, a legendary quarterback!"
"Wow! Wow!" The endless words finally came to a temporary end. All he could do was marvel. Troy leaned forward involuntarily. "The referee is confirming the legality of this catch. Let's look at the replay. Left foot, right foot, control of the ball, no problem. Absolutely no problem. It's a legal catch, it's a touchdown!"
The referees were only a moment behind. They immediately gave the signal for a successful catch and then raised their arms high to signal: Touchdown!
"Aaaah!" Chris Wilson jumped high, all the strength hidden in his body pouring out. His hands were clenched into fists, and he roared, screaming crazily, "Aaaah!"
Even so, the emotion was still erupting like a volcano. Every cell in his body was open, breathing and screaming, and then joining the roar of the entire stadium.
"The Catch! The Catch!" Chris turned around, looking at the stranger next to him, and yelled hoarsely.
A classic had returned. Thirty years later, in a fierce rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, with 17 seconds left, "The Catch" had appeared again!
The stranger next to him also had wide eyes, too excited to control himself. "The Catch!"
It was repeated, and then repeated again, over and over, like a never-ending loop. Not just Chris and the fan next to him, but the veteran fans in Candlestick Park were all shouting the same phrase, like a chant or a belief. One after another, they came together in a mighty chorus, and all 50,000 49ers fans in the stadium were chanting in unison:
"The Catch!"
The mere 20,000 Dallas Cowboys fans had pale faces and red eyes. They felt wronged, humiliated, pained, and angry! Losing the game was not the worst part. "The Catch" was. Thirty years had passed, like a cycle, and they were experiencing this nightmare again.
Would this nightmare last for another thirty years?
"The Catch! The Catch! The Catch!" The entire stadium was cheering and roaring in a collective frenzy, shaking the ground. The whole of Candlestick Park started to shake violently, as if it had experienced a magnitude 10 earthquake. The nearby Bay Area was also stirred up, with roaring waves echoing under the sky, as if the entire city and the entire Bay Area were responding to the call.
At this moment, standing in the middle of the field, as if on top of the world, Lu Ke clenched his fists and roared with all his might, "Ah! Ah!" His eyes met the passionate fans in front of him, who were erupting like a volcano. He yelled, "Who's the King! Who's the King! Ah!" A powerful roar continuously erupted from the depths of his diaphragm.
All the repression, all the passion, all the emotion, was completely released!
"You are the King! You are the King!" Not far away, Logan Newman sprinted over, his eyes red and his veins bulging. He yelled wildly, and then leaped onto Lu Ke, waving his right hand as if he were the one who had completed "The Catch." "Bambi! Bambi!"
The other players also swarmed in, crowding around Lu Ke. Michael Crabtree also ran over, roaring, just roaring, and joined his teammates and all the fans in the stadium.
On the field and off the field, in the commentary booth, in front of the TV, and in front of the radio, everyone was amazed, endlessly amazed. The surging emotions were generating an energy comparable to the sun, igniting the climax of the second week of the regular season!
The celebration was getting a little out of control, and the referees had to step in and find the San Francisco 49ers' key player: Lu Ke.
"The game's not over yet. The extra point still needs to be made," the referee said. Lu Ke nodded repeatedly, acknowledging it. He quickly raised his voice and yelled, "Guys, guys, calm down. The game's not over yet. The special teams need to finish the game."
The touchdown was a total of six points. So, the score between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys was now 20:20, a tie.
There were nine seconds left in the game, and the San Francisco 49ers' special teams officially took the field. They were going to kick the extra point. If it was successful, they would win the game. If they failed, it would be a tie, and the game would go into overtime.
Lu Ke led the offense back to the sideline and saw the team's kicker, David Akers, walk forward. There was excitement and determination in his eyes. He clenched his fist, cheering for Lu Ke and encouraging himself!
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