American Football: King of the Bay Area

Fourth and one, forty-six seconds.

This meant Lu Ke had a few options. He could abandon the drive and opt for a field goal. If they made it, the score would be tied, and they would hand the ball over to the third-string team to see what their offense could accomplish in the time left. It was worth remembering that Lu Ke’s first touchdown drive had taken less than thirty seconds.

Or, they could go for it. If they failed, the third-string team would take over on downs, starting their drive from the 21-yard line—the current spot of the ball. If they succeeded and gained that one yard, they would have the next forty-six seconds to continue their drive, push for a touchdown, and win the game.

One yard. It was a difficult choice.

On this drive, their first and second down attempts had both failed; they hadn’t advanced a single yard. A seemingly simple yard presented different levels of difficulty depending on the position on the field and the time on the clock. Right now, for instance, it was the end of the game, and they weren’t far from the opposing End Zone. This meant the field was compressed, allowing each defender to cover more ground. The defensive intensity would naturally spike, making it that much harder for the offense.

Lu Ke didn’t make a decision right away. In a real game, the coaching staff would make the call, but in a scrimmage, the quarterback was the decision-maker. He lifted his head and looked at his teammates. To his surprise, they showed no hesitation. Tevin was the first to speak. ”Your call.” The others all nodded in agreement, their gazes fixed firmly on Lu Ke.

”Lu Ke,” John spoke up. ”Tell us what to do! We trust you!”

Teammates. Comrades.

Lu Ke clenched his fist and slammed it down. ”We’re going for it!” He then bent down, taking a knee and waving his teammates into a huddle. ”We only get one shot. But we’re going to make it count. Trust me!” ’Don’t think about the consequences, don’t think about the outcome, don’t think about what comes next. Just focus on this play. On this one yard.’

After a quick huddle, Lu Ke stood up, and the players began to line up. The entire field was stunned! If their earlier decision to be aggressive was understandable, a high-stakes gamble at worst, this was something else entirely. To still go for it on fourth and one? This wasn’t just a gamble, it was a crazy risk. A wave of adrenaline rushed over everyone, leaving them frozen. The field fell silent, so quiet you could almost hear hearts pounding.

There was no time to think, no time to vent, and no time to discuss. The play clock for fourth down was only forty seconds, same as any other down. After a quick huddle to set the play, twenty seconds had already vanished. In a flash, the play was about to begin.

Lu Ke held his hands out, ready for the snap, but his gaze was like that of Hawkeye, meticulously scanning the opponent’s defensive formation. ’A run? A pass?’ The defense had to gamble, because Lu Ke had to gamble, too.

For just one yard, a running play is always the safest choice. The running back uses his physical advantage while the entire team pushes forward together, a human plow forcing its way across that one-yard line. That’s all it would take. If college football has one defining characteristic, it’s the reliance on raw physical talent—that’s the absolute core of the game. People always say that college football is played on talent, while professional football is played on hard work and grit.

Therefore, Lu Ke believed the opponents would expect a running play. After all, Derek had been performing exceptionally well today. And after all, Lu Ke’s own accuracy on medium and short passes was a real cause for concern. ’But,’ Lu Ke thought, ’at the critical moment, I absolutely will not falter!’

”Hike!”

Tevin snapped the ball, Lu Ke caught it, took a three-step drop, and raised his arm as if to pass. But the defensive players didn’t fall for it. They thought Lu Ke was about to pull the same trick—a pump fake followed by a run. But in the next second, Lu Ke actually drew his arm back like a bowstring, cocking his right arm into a real passing motion. This scared the piss out of the defenders, who scrambled to locate the receivers and the Tight End—

John.

John was undoubtedly Lu Ke’s favorite target today. He had not only caught the first Touchdown, but had also made most of the successful receptions. Anyone could see the chemistry between John and Lu Ke.

Just then, John had run his route to the right side, turned, and raised his hands to receive the ball. This sent the defenders into a panic, and a whole group of them started to swarm him.

But in the next instant, Lu Ke shifted his stance, changed his target, and without a moment’s hesitation, fired the football. The entire sequence—including a pump fake—took less than two seconds. It was so fast you couldn’t even blink. The defenders stacked against the Offense Line hadn’t had time to break through and could only watch as the football sailed past them.

Not to the right, but to the left. Damn it!

Wasn’t the left side wide open? Who the hell was over there? Wade Yonder! A wide-open Wade Yonder!

He was a freshman who had just joined the team this year. Wade had decent talent, but not to an amazing degree; he was third- or fourth-string material. The coaching staff had suggested he switch to the Defense Team, but Wade refused, so he was temporarily assigned to the practice squad. Wade had only been working with the practice squad players for less than fifteen days. He’d had two targets today, but one was a dropped ball, and the other was an overthrow from Lu Ke. He hadn’t caught a single one.

Now, Wade was actually the intended target?

The thing was, Wade was completely uncovered. It was a seven- or eight-yard pass, and the ball seemed to be flying a little too fast, a little too hard, as if Lu Ke had put too much power on it. But the ball’s trajectory was good—a standard spiral with a decent arc.

There was absolutely no chemistry between Wade and Lu Ke. This time, Wade had overrun his route again, ending up about three or four yards from where they had planned. But the problem was, Lu Ke also seemed to have overthrown the pass, putting way too much power on it and sending it flying. So, what would be the result?

Two wrongs made a right!

Wade stretched out his hands and caught the football. It came in hot, bobbling in his arms for a moment, but his forward momentum helped absorb the force of the pass. After a couple of wobbles, he secured it firmly and used his inertia to keep sprinting forward.

The ten-yard line flashed under his feet. He kept pushing forward. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see a sea of defenders charging at him, but Wade knew they weren’t going to catch him. Sprint, sprint again, and then his whole body crossed into the End Zone.

Once he was in the End Zone, Wade finally came to a stop, clutching the football tightly in his right arm, gasping for breath. He still couldn’t quite process what had happened. He dodged the defenders who were closing in and searched the crowd for Anthony—

Lu Ke’s eyes were glued to the football. He watched it bobble in Wade’s arms, then saw Wade stumble into the End Zone. Everyone around them threw their hands in the air, signaling a Touchdown, but Lu Ke didn’t start celebrating just yet. Instead, he turned to look at Anthony. A moment later, he saw Anthony raise both hands high: Touchdown confirmed!

”YES!” Lu Ke clenched his fists and pumped them fiercely in front of him three times, using every muscle in his body to unleash his joy and elation. But even that couldn’t fully express the emotions churning within him. ’I did it! I successfully completed a short pass, and at the most dangerous, most important moment! With a Short Pass Accuracy of only sixty-four, I didn’t screw up when everything was on the line!’

”AHHHH!” All the players on the practice squad went absolutely wild. Screams, cheers, and roars erupted as everyone started jumping up and down, celebrating wildly. It wasn’t just about winning the game; it was about their resilience in the face of adversity. That iron-willed spirit was forging the unique identity of the practice squad!

Lu Ke finally let it all out. Clenching both fists, he let out a guttural roar, celebrating the clutch comeback! This was the dagger. This was the dagger! Then everyone swarmed him, surrounding Lu Ke completely. ”RAH! RAH! RAH!” they all roared in unison, the sound deafening.

The score was 13-10. The practice squad had once again pulled ahead of the third-string team. There was still the extra point to be kicked, but whether they made it or not, the outcome was already sealed.

The members of the coaching staff were stunned. Clearly, this was not what they had anticipated—not just because of the comeback, but because it was a comeback led by the practice squad. Even against the third-string team, this was an epic turnaround! The wisdom, composure, calm, and command Lu Ke displayed in those final drives were especially impressive. His clutch performance made everyone see him in a new light.

Rick’s jaw hung open. He shook his head. ”Fellas, did any of you see this coming?” At that moment, only six seconds remained on the clock.

This meant the practice squad’s special teams unit would take the field, run down the clock, and kick the extra point at the last second to end the game. The third-string team had no chance. The game was over. The dust had settled.

The other two members of the coaching staff couldn’t even manage a response. They just stood there, mouths agape and completely speechless.

Anthony blew his whistle, signaling for the special teams unit to take the field, but then Rick’s voice cut through. ”No need to kick the extra point. This is a scrimmage, not a real game. Let’s just end it here. Practice is over for today.” With that, Rick motioned to the other two coaches, and they turned to leave.

Cheers erupted behind them. ”We won! We won! We won! AHHH, WE WON!” The members of the Defense Team who had been standing on the sidelines rushed onto the field. No one paid any mind to the third-string team. Even the players from the first and second strings couldn’t help but start murmuring amongst themselves, their eyes filled with a mix of excitement and playful mockery. This time, the ones being tormented weren’t the overlooked practice squad, but the third-stringers.

Defensive players, offensive players—everyone was cheering and celebrating. It was a party. A full-blown party!