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We were all amped when we hit the field later. I wasn’t starting, but the crowd was chanting my name, and that brought my energy levels right back up to where they were before Dylan had shown up. Once again, it felt like the game I signed up for, and I wanted to live in the moment.

I sat down on my bench with my fingers drumming against the metal as I took in every movement that went down. We needed this win, and I wanted to be part of it in any way I could.

For the first quarter, the ball snapped, and Ethan handed it over to Dylan. He pushed hard and gained a few yards before a defender crossed his path and took him down hard. Third down on a play we hadn’t done in quite a while. It was impressive. The guys reset and the exchange was easy. Ethan handed off to Dylan again, and he went wide. He passed the scrummage, but a defender came in on his blind spot. Before Dylan knew what hit him, the defender flew into his side and shoved him over the sideline.

It took him a moment to get up, and when he did, I saw his hand fly to his supposedly healed shoulder. No one noticed him wince or the way he tried to throw it back out. But I did.

And I instantly knew the knock hurt more than he would admit.

For the second quarter, Ethan decided to shake things up. There was a hike, and he passed to Lucas, who side-stepped the first defender that came his way and passed to the right. He gained quite a few yards but was taken out before he could make it to the end zone. I was shocked. The Mariners were putting up a good fight, and they were obviously out for another win, no matter the cost.

Ethan was getting frustrated, and I could see him calling the play we aced during our last practice session. Dylan didn’t look convinced, but Ethan brushed him off and reset the line. The snap was smooth, and Ethan pump-faked toward Lucas. The defense caught up to him quickly, and he was taken down just as Ethan rolled out and passed the ball to Dylan. The defenders reset faster than expected because Dylan hadn’t practiced and didn’t know how to pull the play off.

The two-minute warning blared, and he looked like a deer in headlights. He ran, but wasn’t fast enough. Three defenders bore down on him and dragged him to the ground seconds before the halftime whistle blew. Dylan didn’t get back up though, and as the Mariners left the field, Tara and the rest of the medical staff came out.

We all sat on edge as we waited for Coach to let us know what was happening with him. The locker room was quiet, with no one being brave enough to make any assumptions. We all hoped he would be back for the second half, but from what I had seen from the sideline, that was asking for a lot. That shoulder took a few powerful hits, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was right back to where he’d started with that initial injury.

“Prescott,” Coach said as he finally joined us. “I need you to sub for Dylan in the second half.”

“Is he okay?” I asked as my heart began to race.

“We don’t know yet, but we also don’t have time to find out either. We need to get back on that field, and we need to win either way.”

We put our helmets on and ran down the tunnel to start the second half. There was an instant shift in the guys and in the crowd. When they saw me walking onto that field, they erupted with cheers, and if I had to guess, that was what gave the guys the boost they needed to win this match. Because it definitely did that for me.

We lined up for the kickoff, and Cam kicked it all the way into the end zone, but the Mariners’ running back sprinted in, scooped up the ball, and pushed through to earn them yet another touchdown. It was a bad start, but I wasn’t ready to let it drag us down. We deserved this win, and I would do whatever it took to earn it.

“Trace! Let’s go for a draw!” Coach said as we fell back into line.

The ball snapped, and Ethan made the handoff. I ran as fast as I could, but I had a defender right on my ass. Luckily, Malik got through a gap, and took the guy out just as he aimed to eliminate me. The field was clear, and the next thing I knew, the crowd erupted. It was our first touchdown, and we couldn’t have asked for more. As the fourth quarter started, the scoreboard stood at 7-20.

“Let’s change things up a little,” Ethan said, motioning at Lucas.

The ball was hiked, and Ethan passed to Lucas. He dodged a couple of defenders with me following hot on his heels, and when things got too tight, he made the handoff. No one noticed what he had done, and all the defenders kept their attention on him, allowing me to fly through and score yet another touchdown.

At that point, the crowd was going insane. We had never had so many touchdowns so close to one another, and they obviously loved it. Best part of it was… I wasn’t finished yet. We still had some time, and if I were really lucky, I could earn that win we had been praying for since we arrived.

“Are we going to do that special play?” I asked Ethan.

“Do you think we can pull it off?”

“Dylan wasn’t prepared, but we managed with guys who could read the scene better. These douches are arrogant. I don’t think they’ll know what hit them if it’s done right.”

“Okay, let’s try.”

The exchange was easy. Ethan pump-faked to Lucas, and the defense moved in. This time I stayed behind, lingering close to Ethan instead. As they started gaining speed Ethan rolled out and passed to me on the left. The defense had no idea what happened, and once again my path was clear. Malik covered my back, and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. And just before that final whistle blew, I scored us another touchdown.

The crowd roared as the guys enveloped me. It was the most energy we’d ever had after a game, and I really allowed myself to soak it up.

We’d won by one lonely point, but it was all we needed to reclaim our reputation, and nothing could’ve felt better than that. For the first time, I allowed the guys to lead me off the field, but I stopped when I saw Dakota in the tunnel.

I pulled out of Lucas’s grip and ran toward her, unable to help myself. I had been hoping to see her all day. I needed to share the news and thank her for what she had done for me. Now I finally had a chance.

“How could they possibly stop you from playing after that?” she asked with a dazzling smile.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I managed to answer more than half the questions. I managed just enough to stay eligible, but I did it.”

“That’s painfully average,” she said, looking completely flabbergasted. “Well done, I guess.”