Page 139 of The Goat in the Bedroom
Second play was a quick slant to the slot receiver, another first down.
“He's not playing scared,” Chris observed. “Look at him. He's having fun.”
He was right. Isak was bouncing between plays, chatting with his linemen, even gave a little fist bump to the Bay State player who helped him up after a tackle.
On the third play, Bay State brought the house on a blitz. Isak stood tall in the pocket, waited until the last possible second, and delivered a strike down the sideline for thirty yards.
“WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?” Jules screamed.
“He's been watching film with me,” Chris said, recognizing the route concept. “We ran that play a hundred times in the backyard last summer.”
By halftime, Isak had led two touchdown drives, and we were only down 21-17. The kid who'd grown up as the youngest brother of the seven of us boys, always fighting for attention, was commanding that field like a senior.
The second half was magic.
Isak was seeing the field like a ten-year veteran. When Bay State adjusted their coverage, he adjusted right back. When they brought pressure, he had the hot route ready. His teammates were responding too, playing harder, finishing blocks, fighting for extra yards.
“He's got it,” Dad said quietly in the third quarter. “That thing you can't teach.”
With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, we were up 31-28, but Bay State was driving. Their quarterback found Fox Daws on three straight plays, moving them into field goal range with ruthless efficiency.
“That Fox kid is unreal,” Flynn muttered with grudging respect.
With two minutes left, Bay State punched it in. 35-31, Bay State.
“Okay, baby brother,” Chris said. “Show us what you got.”
Two minutes. One timeout. Eighty yards to go.
Isak took the field, and I swear he looked calmer than I'd ever seen him. He looked up at our section, found us, and gave a little nod.
“Did he just—“ Chris started.
“He's saying watch this,” I finished.
My phone was blowing up with messages from Everett again.
EVERETT
DID HE JUST NOD AT YOU GUYS??
PEN SAYS THAT'S BIG DICK ENERGY
I can't believe I'm missing this
Actually I can because Pen just had another Braxton-Hicks and I need to be here
First down was an incomplete pass, but Isak had seen something. He was talking to his receiver, adjusting the route.
On the second down he did the same play, but this time the receiver broke differently. Twenty-yard gain.
“He's coaching them,” I said, amazed. “Mid-game adjustments.”
The two-minute warning stopped the clock. Isak gathered his offense, and even from the stands, you could see him taking charge. No panic, just focus.
The next four plays were poetry. Short passes to move the chains, a perfectly timed draw to get into field goal range. With thirty seconds left, facing third and goal from the twelve, Isak took the snap.
The pocket collapsed immediately. Isak spun out of a sack that would've ended everything, kept his eyes downfield, pump-faked to freeze the safety, then found his receiver in the back corner of the end zone.
