quarterback.”
Jason swallowed hard, but he wasn’t really nervous. Without turning his head he shifted his eyes toward Wade, who was scowling slightly but didn’t say a word.
Coach had Miguel return the second-half kickoff so Jason could stay on the sideline and take a few extra snaps from Sergio.
“Don’t be afraid to try the fly pattern to Calvin,” Vinnie said. “Calvin’s got that track speed. He ought to be able to break one.”
“I’ll look for him,” Jason said, taking a snap.
Sergio stood and smacked Jason’s shoulder pad. “Their defensive line is big and quick, my man, like grizzly bears or something. Don’t expect to have all day back there to pass.”
“I know. I seen ’em.”
Sergio leaned closer. “Wade was too scared to hang in there. So move if you have to. At least a scared rabbit can get away. Not like that scared giraffe. ”
Miguel made a good return, and the Hornets set up shop at their own thirty-seven. Jared gained two yards on first down and Miguel got three more on second.
“Wingback pitch,” Jason said, calling for his favorite running play. He had scored on that play a couple of games ago, but this time he’d be getting the ball to Calvin.
At the snap, Calvin ran parallel to the line toward Jason, who flipped him the ball and led the way forward. Jason made a nice block on a linebacker, and Calvin slipped ahead for a first down.
“We’re moving the ball!” Anthony said with passion as the players huddled around Jason.
“Keep opening those holes,” Jason said. “Right down that field.”
A couple of running plays moved the ball forward a few yards, but at third down and seven to go, Jason knew it was time to pass.
“Nothing fancy,” he said in the huddle. “I’ll be looking for Lamont on a slant over the middle or Calvin in the flat. On two. Let’s go.”
A Bayonne lineman burst into the backfield and Jason was forced to roll out, racing toward the sideline and searching for an open receiver. He didn’t see any. And here came another defender, bearing down in a hurry. Jason had to get rid of the ball or take a deep sack.
Calvin was tightly covered, but he was Jason’s only option. If he could sling it far enough, maybe Calvin would chase it down.
Jason stopped short, heaved the ball as far as he could, and was immediately tackled hard. He hit the ground with a thud and quickly rolled away from the tackler.
Getting to his knees, Jason was momentarily confused. Players from both teams were running back toward him. And a Bayonne player had the ball!
Jason leaped to his feet and joined the pursuit, but the player was too far ahead. Obviously the pass had been intercepted. And the Bayonne player was on his way to the end zone. He wouldn’t be caught.
Jason sprinted after him but never got closer than five yards away.
“Should have taken the sack,” Coach said as Jason stepped glumly to the sideline. He put his arm around Jason’s shoulder. “Rookie mistake. Let’s get back to it. We’re still in the game.”
Jason looked nervously at the clock as Bayonne grinded out a lengthy drive late in the fourth quarter. “Gotta get the ball back,” he said to Vinnie. “I just need one more chance.”
The score was still 6-0, but Bayonne was eating up a lot of time. Jason knew that he could pull this one out if the defense could keep the deficit down to one score.
“Stay calm,” Vinnie said. “It’ll happen; I can feel it in my bones.”
Finally, on fourth-and-one at the Hudson City seventeen, Anthony plugged a hole and stopped the Bayonne tailback for a loss. The Hudson City players shouted. The momentum suddenly seemed to be theirs.
Jason raced onto the field and gathered the offensive players around him. “Long way to go,” he said. “Just like last week: a couple of big plays and we’ll stay undefeated.”
The Hornets had two timeouts left and a little less than two minutes to work with. But they also had eighty-two yards to
Jason swallowed hard, but he wasn’t really nervous. Without turning his head he shifted his eyes toward Wade, who was scowling slightly but didn’t say a word.
Coach had Miguel return the second-half kickoff so Jason could stay on the sideline and take a few extra snaps from Sergio.
“Don’t be afraid to try the fly pattern to Calvin,” Vinnie said. “Calvin’s got that track speed. He ought to be able to break one.”
“I’ll look for him,” Jason said, taking a snap.
Sergio stood and smacked Jason’s shoulder pad. “Their defensive line is big and quick, my man, like grizzly bears or something. Don’t expect to have all day back there to pass.”
“I know. I seen ’em.”
Sergio leaned closer. “Wade was too scared to hang in there. So move if you have to. At least a scared rabbit can get away. Not like that scared giraffe. ”
Miguel made a good return, and the Hornets set up shop at their own thirty-seven. Jared gained two yards on first down and Miguel got three more on second.
“Wingback pitch,” Jason said, calling for his favorite running play. He had scored on that play a couple of games ago, but this time he’d be getting the ball to Calvin.
At the snap, Calvin ran parallel to the line toward Jason, who flipped him the ball and led the way forward. Jason made a nice block on a linebacker, and Calvin slipped ahead for a first down.
“We’re moving the ball!” Anthony said with passion as the players huddled around Jason.
“Keep opening those holes,” Jason said. “Right down that field.”
A couple of running plays moved the ball forward a few yards, but at third down and seven to go, Jason knew it was time to pass.
“Nothing fancy,” he said in the huddle. “I’ll be looking for Lamont on a slant over the middle or Calvin in the flat. On two. Let’s go.”
A Bayonne lineman burst into the backfield and Jason was forced to roll out, racing toward the sideline and searching for an open receiver. He didn’t see any. And here came another defender, bearing down in a hurry. Jason had to get rid of the ball or take a deep sack.
Calvin was tightly covered, but he was Jason’s only option. If he could sling it far enough, maybe Calvin would chase it down.
Jason stopped short, heaved the ball as far as he could, and was immediately tackled hard. He hit the ground with a thud and quickly rolled away from the tackler.
Getting to his knees, Jason was momentarily confused. Players from both teams were running back toward him. And a Bayonne player had the ball!
Jason leaped to his feet and joined the pursuit, but the player was too far ahead. Obviously the pass had been intercepted. And the Bayonne player was on his way to the end zone. He wouldn’t be caught.
Jason sprinted after him but never got closer than five yards away.
“Should have taken the sack,” Coach said as Jason stepped glumly to the sideline. He put his arm around Jason’s shoulder. “Rookie mistake. Let’s get back to it. We’re still in the game.”
Jason looked nervously at the clock as Bayonne grinded out a lengthy drive late in the fourth quarter. “Gotta get the ball back,” he said to Vinnie. “I just need one more chance.”
The score was still 6-0, but Bayonne was eating up a lot of time. Jason knew that he could pull this one out if the defense could keep the deficit down to one score.
“Stay calm,” Vinnie said. “It’ll happen; I can feel it in my bones.”
Finally, on fourth-and-one at the Hudson City seventeen, Anthony plugged a hole and stopped the Bayonne tailback for a loss. The Hudson City players shouted. The momentum suddenly seemed to be theirs.
Jason raced onto the field and gathered the offensive players around him. “Long way to go,” he said. “Just like last week: a couple of big plays and we’ll stay undefeated.”
The Hornets had two timeouts left and a little less than two minutes to work with. But they also had eighty-two yards to
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