“No, tell me.” I knock my helmet against his. “Who’s number one?”
“The Titans are number one!” Jack yells.
“Hell yeah!” Ty knocks his helmet against Jack’s, and then mine.
“WHO’S NUMBER ONE?” I scream.
“WE’RE NUMBER ONE!” We roar together, knocking each other’s helmets and fist-bumping each other. We run out onto the field to warm up with the rest of our team.
After warmups, Coach sits us down one more time, but I’m pep talked out. I want to get this game started. I’m tired of talking about it. Let’s play already. He doesn’t say much he tells us to stay tight. He’s worried the defense won’t be strong enough for Ravenwood’s offense. “Ford, what have you got to say?” Coach Anderson nods at me. I turn to Ty and give him the nod. Our team is too tense tonight with all the college scouts in the stands, and our first real threat to the season. We need to get pumped up.
Ty gives me a shocked look. “Really?” he mouths.
“Do your thing, brother,” I say.
“Hell yeah.” Ty jumps up, pounding his chest. “Stand up! You slackers! Stand up.”
Ty’s attitude is like an infection. It’s slow to spread, but by the end, everyone’s got it.
“Yeah!”
“Go, Titans!” the team starts to holler.
“Who’s number one!” Ty hollers.
“TITIANS!” Jack and I and several other guys yell.
“What are the Titans?” Ty asks.
“THEY’RE NUMBER ONE!” More of us scream.
“And what do Titans do?” Ty’s jumping up and down now, excited.
“They win!” we say.
Ty holds his hands up to his ears. “What are we going to do?”
“WIN!” the team yells.
“I can’t hear you!” T. howls.
“WIN! WIN! WIN!” we chant, the entire team jumping up and down, shrieking at the top of our lungs.
We hold on to that energy as we line up to be announced, and then we barrel through the banner the cheerleaders have made. I glance at Hannah. She winks and yells, “GO, HOLY TRINITY!” I never got a chance to get a good luck kiss from her like I did last week. This week the school choir sings the national anthem. A referee tells Coach they’re ready for the coin toss.
The team is vibrating behind us, ready to play this game. “Here we go.” Ty jumps up and down, hitting his pads, and Jack and I follow him onto the field.
Ravenwood isn’t our rival, but we’ve never had a good relationship with them. We’re not friends with these guys. We shake their hands, and then we all glare at each other.
The visiting team gets to call the toss. They call heads, and it lands on heads. They want the ball, and they want our endzone. They’re trying to throw us off our game, but 35 guys are screaming and pounding their fists against their chests behind me, playing their own intimidation game. Let’s play some football.
The Ravenwood captains turn around and run off the field. I catch sight of the cheerleaders; they’re dancing to a song that just started playing over the loudspeakers. I don’t move. I should follow the guys off the field, but I just stand there watching my girl. I glance back at Jack, and he holds out his hands, shrugging. I look at Ty, and he nods, giving me a stupid smile and a double thumbs up. That decides it, and I jog over to Hannah. I need that good luck kiss.
23. Quarterback Sneak
The music is deafening as the game gets ready to kick off. We’re standing in our cheer formation, and my spot is in the back row at the end on the right side because I’m tall. I raise my hands above my head, shaking my pom-poms. I love these things. “Go, LHS. We’re number one,” I yell. I notice people in the stands pointing and screaming Ford’s name. I glance back to see what the commotion’s about and notice Ford standing at the edge of the field. A sea of Ravenwood players has parted, giving a wide berth. I drop my hands and turn around. Ford smiles and walks toward me. I take a few steps but then stop, unsure of what I’m doing or what he’s doing.
“Hey,” he says, coming to stand in front of me. He runs his knuckles across my cheek.
