Page 85 of Playing to Win
“And there will be no interceptions either.” Mattson points right at me. “We can’t afford any mistakes out on that field. If they outplay us, that’s one thing. But if we keep making stupid mistakes that give them the advantage? Then we handed the game to them. We can’t do that.”
“Right,” I say with a nod, breathing deep. “We’ve got this.”
I have to believe it. Believe in myself. If I don’t, I’ll just fuck up and do as Coach says.
Hand them the win.
Well, fuck that.
TWENTY-SEVEN
RUBY
I’m literally sittingon the edge of my seat.
This game has been such a nail-biter, I think I’m going to pass out from anxiety. The back and forth, the teams outplaying each other every single quarter. Ace has played a magnificent game, but the problem is, the other team has played a really great game too.
They’re both struggling to score. It’s a battle on the field, and thank God it’s almost over.
“God, there’s still seven minutes left in the quarter,” Gwyneth mutters, checking the scoreboard for like the millionth time. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“It’s a lot,” I agree, my gaze never straying from the field. We currently have the ball and Ace is in a huddle with the rest of his offense, all of them screaming ‘let’s go’ just as they break up and get into position.
I scoot forward, my ass nearly falling off the bench, my breath lodged in my throat as I listen to Ace’s deep voice call out the play. The ball is hiked to him and he jogs back a few steps, his head swiveling left and right, searching for the open player he can throw the ball to. He finally throws it, the ball spiraling through the air, my gaze tracking its every movement.
The ball falls into the hands of the safety, who clutches it to his chest and runs it in.
Touchdown.
We leap to our feet, hopping up and down, Gwen and I clutching each other. The relief currently sweeping over me is enough to leave me weak, but I can’t get too confident yet. I check the time on the board.
We still have more than six minutes to go.
It’s like this for the rest of the quarter and I realize that whoever has the ball at the very end of this game will determine the winner. It’s not necessarily about skill. It’s more about who’s lucky enough to have that ball.
God, I think I might throw up.
As the clock winds down, I realize the other team is trying to play it to their advantage. Trying to keep that ball as long as possible to not give our team any chance to make another score. I know Ace and his team would do the same thing and I hate this for him.
My gaze drops to where he sits on the bench on the sidelines, staring at the back of his head. His hair is a riotous mess and his white uniform jersey is dirty. Smudged with grass stains and God I swear that might be blood.
Maybe not. I don’t think he’s really taken any hits today.
I tear my gaze away from Ace to watch our defense and the other team’s offense on the field, a gasp escaping me when one of our defensive linemen intercepts the ball. The stadium erupts in cheers, everyone around us leaping to their feet and screaming at the top of their lungs and Gwen and I do the same thing, continuing to jump up and down. Yelling our encouragement as the lineman sprints across the field as fast as he can, heading straight for the end zone, two guys from the opposing team following him. Reaching for him…
Until he ends up in the end zone, the referees holding their arms up in the universal signal that he just scored a touchdown.
We completely lose it, Gwen and I clutching each other, screaming our heads off. My gaze tracks Ace’s every move as he runs out onto the field, grabbing the guy who scored the touchdown and slapping the back of his helmet.
My heart is ready to burst with happiness, it feels so full.
Everyone seems to calm down once the extra point is kicked in. So little time remains on the clock that the rest of the quarter is just a formality. Once it’s deemed impossible for the other team to manage another chance at scoring, the game is over.
The Golden Eagles win.
“Oh my God! We won!” I squeal, reaching for Gwen and giving her a hug.
She returns the gesture before pulling away, keeping her hands on my shoulders. “We need to get down there and film some content.”
