At the entrance tunnel, the Medford team was gathered for one last round of adjustments.
Before long, a wave of cheers rolled in from outside the tunnel, roaring like crashing surf.
That could only mean one thing—the Austin High players had just made their entrance.
Judging by the noise, the turnout tonight was huge. Realizing this, Mike rolled his neck from side to side, his body gradually heating up.
"Austin Stadium, huh? That's one hell of a stage…" he thought.
The fact that he could stay this calm in a moment like this proved he was a true big-game player.
As Medford's entrance time drew closer, Mike noticed his teammates' faces growing tense and uneasy.
Georgie, crouched in the corner, had legs shaking like he was freezing.
That wouldn't do.
Mike walked over and lightly patted his shoulder. "You okay, Georgie?"
"I…" Georgie had wanted to say I'm fine, but the moment he opened his mouth, he realized his throat was bone-dry. The words got stuck.
He cleared his throat and forced a stiff smile.
Truth was, Georgie didn't want to be like this. He kept telling himself not to be nervous. But the moment he thought about the game ahead, the pressure came crashing down on him—like sinking to the bottom of the ocean, unable to breathe.
"Relax, man. This isn't a solo mission. You've got us out there with you," Mike said loudly.
He wasn't just talking to Georgie—he was reminding everyone nearby.
"R-right. I'm not alone…" Georgie muttered, trying to pump himself up.
Maybe because his attention had been redirected, the shaking in his legs eased up a lot.
Just then, a staff member at the tunnel entrance raised a hand, signaling that Medford could take the field.
"Get ready—" Captain Aaron swung his helmet up and shouted, "Let's go!!!"
As the Medford players ran onto the field one by one, the stands erupted in cheers again.
That sound alone eased their nerves a bit.
Mike entered second and immediately scanned his surroundings.
The stadium seating, rising in tiers around the football field, was packed wall to wall with spectators.
A rough estimate put the crowd at thirty to forty thousand people.
That many voices cheering in unison was a sight—and sound—to behold.
Near the sideline, Mike spotted the Medford students. Their section was by far the loudest.
Someone even unfurled a massive banner that read: "Go Medford!"
Mike waved in their direction, and the cheers instantly grew even louder.
"Mike, look over there!" Georgie said as he jogged toward midfield, his face now lit up with excitement.
Following the direction of his finger, Mike saw a group of TV crew members wearing headsets under the scoreboard, busy setting up broadcast equipment.
Clearly, this top-ten showdown was being aired live on a Texas TV channel.
That was exactly why Georgie was so fired up.
"Play well out there," Mike said with a grin. "There might be a whole lot of people watching you on TV."
"I will!" Georgie clenched his fist hard.
It was obvious—he was in much better shape mentally now. Knowing the game was being broadcast had given him a boost.
On the sideline, Medford's cheerleaders were bursting with youthful energy.
High kicks, side kicks, deep bends with leg lifts—
A fiery thigh-focused routine that perfectly matched the atmosphere.
Among them, Regina, the cheer captain, stood out the most.
Compared to her once lanky frame, she'd filled out by several pounds, and her figure now looked undeniably smoking hot.
When she noticed Mike looking over, Regina tossed him a flirtatious wink and kicked it up a notch.
Mike wandered around midfield a bit more, getting used to the long grass underfoot. Then he headed to the sideline prep area with Georgie.
Soon, the rest of the team gathered there as well.
Coach George pulled out a small notebook and said, "Based on the intel I just got, Austin doesn't just have one solid quarterback. There's another guy we need to watch closely…"
Once everyone focused up, he continued, "Their number twenty-three. Name's Tucker—nickname 'Tank.' He's a defensive end. Big, fast, strong. A lot of quarterbacks have paid the price when they ran into him."
A defensive end's main job is to pressure and sack the opposing quarterback—usually one of the team's sack leaders.
"Aaron, you need to be especially careful with this guy," Coach George warned. "Don't try to muscle through him. If you have to, get rid of the ball. And don't forget what our bread-and-butter play is."
The quarterback is the brain of the team. Everything revolves around him.
Which also meant that if their QB went down, it would be a devastating blow.
"I understand," Aaron said solemnly, nodding.
Then he glanced over at Mike.
Medford's strongest strategy was their dual-core offense.
If Aaron needed to get the ball out, his first option was always Mike, the running back.
Catching the captain's look, Mike turned his head and gave him a confident nod.
I've got you.
Beep—
The opening whistle blew.
Captain Aaron pulled on his helmet and shouted, "Medford—"
"Victory!!!"
…
As both teams lined up at midfield, Mike spotted Austin's number twenty-three—"Tank."
Among players who averaged around six feet tall, Tucker stood out at over six-four.
His shoulders were massive, and his exposed arms looked nearly thicker than some guys' thighs.
Just based on his build alone, this was not someone you wanted to deal with.
After the coin toss, Austin High won first possession.
Aaron flashed a few hand signals, telling everyone to lock in and get ready on defense.
Beep—
The whistle sounded again, and Austin launched their opening drive.
Mike sprinted toward the middle, trying to coordinate a zone defense with Aaron.
But before the two could even converge—before they had a chance to pressure the quarterback—they were swarmed by Austin players.
Clearly, Austin had studied Medford's playbook.
Cut off Aaron and Mike, and Medford lost more than half its firepower.
And that's exactly what happened.
By the time they broke free from the crowd, Austin's quarterback was already in the end zone.
Touchdown.
Austin struck fast, scoring six points in a lightning-quick opening drive.
From kickoff to touchdown, it took less than ten seconds.
That kind of efficiency was terrifying.
This first exchange made one thing clear—Austin High really was as strong as the rumors claimed.
"Fall back! Reset the defense!" Coach George shouted from the sideline.