Page 44 of Go Deep (A Bad Boy Sports Romance)
17
Slade
Three minutes on the clock.
We needed a fucking miracle. We’d been driven back almost to our own end zone, and were getting slaughtered. The score wasn’t that bad. Point-wise we were neck and neck with these guys, but they were killing us on the field.
It was time to take a quick huddle before the play. “Listen, I know it didn’t work before, but we’re not looking to score right now,” I told them. “We just need to make sure they don’t get this last three minutes. They’re on fire tonight, so let’s try our best. Be ready. If you’re open, and I’ll get the ball to you. Let’s go.”
In formation, I saw the satisfaction in the eyes on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage. They were already acting like they had us beat. With three minutes and counting, they had our backs literally against the wall. If they got possession now, they could easily make sure we didn’t get the ball back, and that would cost us the game. If we could start moving the ball, we could run the clock and take the game out from under them. It was time to show them how we played football.
We snapped the ball, and I dipped back into the pocket, watching as my receivers ran for open space.
Evan was open.
I launched the ball, shot it straight at him.
He caught it and ran.
The stadium went nuts.
We got a first down, though, long before they caught up to him and tackled him.
First down.
We were off the goal line and heading in the right direction. We gained thirty yards from our last position. Another one like this and we wouldn’t have to worry about the clock. “Run and gun,” I told them. Our team just needed to rinse and repeat until we made it in. The next play gained us another twenty yards.
One good play could end the game.
One shitty play could cost us the game.
I didn’t do shitty plays.
Time froze. We snapped the ball. Feet moved as my boys shuffled to get me a set of hands to pass to. I stepped back and looked. Coverage was thick. They were getting smart to what we were doing, which left me wide open.
I didn’t want to be wide open. I wanted a receiver to be wide open. I wasn’t a runner, and the last time I ran, it cost us the game. The last time I ran, I had people open, and the coverage was on me. Tonight, it was the opposite. The coverage was on my boys, and I had a straight shot. No one was worried about the quarterback.
Fuck it.
I tucked the ball under my arm and ran.
I heard the collective gasp from my teammates, the coaches on the sidelines, and the fans in the stands. I was doing the last damn thing anybody wanted or expected me to do. Even the cheerleaders stopped mid-cheer. We’d run down the clock enough already trying to get into position, and we didn’t have enough time to draw it out for another two or three plays. The ball needed to reach the end zone. The game needed to be over.
Dammit, I needed the win.
Still no coverage, all the way down. The opposition kept their positions, as though they expected me to throw the ball to someone, but I was already all the way down the field. That ball wasn’t going anywhere except with me. Slowly, the crowd warmed up to what I was doing. They got to their feet and began to cheer when they realized I had it. Damn right I had it. When I wasn’t being stupid, I was damn good. I was the best college quarterback out there, and I was about to take my team all the way to victory.
My foot crossed the goal line, and the place exploded. The defensive linemen who’d been tailing me crossed a moment later, and my teammates were right behind them, patting me on the helmet and head-butting me.
“That’s how you run the ball, son!” Evan shouted, bumping into my shoulder.
“Don’t you forget it.”
I looked at the score. With the touchdown, we didn’t even need an extra point to win. We decided to go with the extra point and kick it in instead of trying to get the two-point conversion. These boys we were up against were liable to intercept a two-point conversion and try to take the game from us. I wasn’t about to let that shit happen. The ball went flying between the goal posts.
Yes.
That was it.
