American Football: King of the Bay Area

”Logan! It’s Logan again! The Brown Bear Team’s number one Tight End!” Kirk’s commentary came fast. ”A quick short pass, a six-yard throw, and Logan pulls it in with ease. With a backward shove, he breaks the tackle! What a play! He’s running! Logan is sprinting down the right side of the field! Jesus Christ, what are the Trojans Team’s defensive players doing? What are they doing? There are four players chasing Logan, but none of them can keep up with his speed! Wait, wait...”

Kirk felt like he was about to lose his breath. ”Logan is surrounded by the Trojans’ defense! He comes to a dead stop, letting two players run right past him with their own momentum, then slips through the brief opening he created! To the front-left—God! What is happening? What is happening? Touchdown! Touchdown! The Brown Bear Team scores another Touchdown! God, oh God, God, what are we witnessing here! Let’s see that replay!”

After Logan caught the ball, three defenders closed in on him from the left, with another one right behind him. But he used his momentum to lean back and successfully shrug off the tackle, then took off on a long run down the right side.

Because it was a short pass, Logan immediately became a target the moment he caught the ball. The opposing defensive players swarmed him, with four of them forming a pincer. Finally, at the opponent’s thirty-yard line, the encirclement closed in completely.

But unexpectedly, with a bold and brilliant move, Logan came to a sudden stop. Just like an offside trap in soccer, he let the defenders overshoot him. He then slipped through the gap between them and escaped, sprinting all the way to complete the Touchdown.

”I know I’ve already used this word, but now, I have to admit, my vocabulary is seriously lacking.” Kirk’s eyes were wide, the words caught in his chest. Then, as the corners of his mouth turned up, he finally found his voice again. ”Unbelievable! The Brown Bear Team takes the field again, and less than thirty seconds later, they’ve scored another Touchdown! Yes, you heard that right! Led by... by Lu Ke,” Kirk had to look at the name again—this number eleven was truly something magical, ”a short pass, a six-yard short pass, and Logan ends up running it all the way for a sixty-yard passing Touchdown! Wow!”

It wasn’t just Kirk; even the Brown Bear Team’s own players were stunned.

Lu Ke stared, completely baffled, at Logan standing in the end zone. Logan had his feet planted wide, like a Super Saiyan, his fists clenched parallel to his legs, showing off as if to say, ”Aren’t I amazing? Aren’t I amazing? Aren’t I fucking amazing?” But the first thought in Lu Ke’s mind was: ’Did that goofball really just score a Touchdown?’

Everything had happened a little too fast, catching everyone off guard.

Turning his head, Lu Ke looked at his teammates, only to find them all wearing looks of astonishment. Although a Touchdown was their ultimate goal, for it to happen so easily, so quickly, and so simply was beyond anyone’s expectations. To be precise, the original plan for this play wasn’t a Touchdown at all—it was just supposed to be a six-yard short pass!

Caught off guard. It was precisely because they were caught off guard that the Trojans Team’s Defense Team fell into a rut. Panic, panic, and more panic. One mistake, like a domino, triggered a series of others. The Defense Team, which had been performing heroically all day, suddenly seemed to forget how to strategize. Their entire defensive line was riddled with holes, and then it just completely collapsed.

Not even Lu Ke himself, not even Logan himself, could have predicted such a situation. The opportunity was fleeting. Lu Ke seized it, and Logan seized it too. And so—

Touchdown! The referee raised his hands high, signaling a valid Touchdown! The Brown Bear Team had once again delivered a killing blow. In short, it was ”the massacre caused by a short pass.”

”Bambi!” Marcus was the first to pump his fist and start shouting. They didn’t know what had happened; it felt like everything was the same, yet everything had changed. The most important and obvious change was—”Bambi! Bambi!” Marcus yelled, then looked at his teammates. John was the first to join him, joyfully shouting, ”Bambi!”

One person, then two, and finally everyone. They all pumped their fists, celebrating wildly and without restraint. ”Bambi!” Smiles bloomed on their faces involuntarily. In that moment, it was as if they had already won the game, cheering with raised arms, jumping, and shouting with pure joy.

Lu Ke paused, stunned for a moment, then a smile slowly spread across his face until he laughed out loud. ”Alright, alright, I know I’m charming. You don’t have to declare your love for me.” Lu Ke raised a hand and motioned downwards, facing his roaring teammates. He gestured to everyone, ”Let’s go, we need to prepare for the next drive. The game isn’t over yet!”

Lu Ke was incredibly excited, but now wasn’t the time to let it show. Victory was the only goal!

Back on the sideline, Logan trotted back alone, a brilliant smile on his face as he complained loudly, ”Hey, you guys! Is this how you treat the guy who scored the Touchdown? I was standing there all by myself like an idiot. Didn’t anyone see that run I just made? So slick, so sharp!”

John walked up, slung an arm around Logan’s neck, and pulled him down forcefully. ”We all know you’re the hero. But can you cut the crap for a second? We’re in a position to win, but we haven’t won yet. Those guys are no pushovers.” ”Those guys” referred to the Trojans Team. Despise the enemy strategically, but respect them tactically.

The University of Southern California was by no means an easy opponent. If they were allowed to recover, with so much time left in the fourth quarter, all they needed was one more Touchdown, or even just one more score. Or they could simply burn a lot of clock, grinding out first downs by a hair’s breadth each time, and keep the Brown Bear Team’s offense pinned to the bench. If that happened, they would still be the victors.

Silently, the atmosphere inside the Rose Bowl grew tense. After the Brown Bear Team’s special teams successfully converted the extra point, the score closed to 21-28. They were only one Touchdown behind. Once the kickoff was over, there would be ten minutes and three seconds left in the game, which was now truly entering a cutthroat stage.

Anything was possible.

Back on the field, the Trojans’ offense had finally recovered its composure. Led by Matt, they showcased their true strength, mixing passing and running plays with a newly restored clarity in their game plan. But the Brown Bear Team’s Defense Team responded forcefully, slowing the opponent’s advance with impressive defense.

The two sides went back and forth, but the Trojans consistently managed to convert on third down, continuing their drive while also burning the clock, keeping the initiative firmly in their grasp.

Lu Ke and his offensive teammates could only sit on the sideline, studying their plays absent-mindedly. They all knew they should be focusing completely on the tactics; otherwise, if they got a chance to go on the field, they wouldn’t be able to seize it and would just end up coming right back off. But watching the fiery showdown their Defense Team was having on the field, it was incredibly hard to concentrate.

If the Trojans scored on this drive—whether it was a seven-point Touchdown or a three-point field goal—it would mean the Brown Bear Team needed at least two more offensive drives, both resulting in scores, just to avoid losing. With so little time left, the difficulty would multiply exponentially. Time is always the greatest enemy in a comeback—or at least one of them!

So, at this moment, the efforts of the Defense Team were even more important than those of the offense.

This is the beauty of football—you can’t win a game relying on a single hero. The offense, the Defense Team, special teams, and the coaching staff—all are indispensable!

The Trojans’ drive was finally halted at the Brown Bear Team’s forty-one-yard line. This was an awkward position. It was too far for a field goal, making it too risky, but punting felt like a waste, a real shame.

But the Brown Bear Team understood this. To win, they had to stop their opponent right there. And they did it. They pinned the Trojans Team down at the forty-one-yard line. Having used up their three downs, the Trojans didn’t dare risk a fourth-down attempt and had no choice but to punt.

This time, the punt was clean and flew out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. The Brown Bear Team would start their drive from their own twenty-yard line.

Lu Ke glanced at the game clock. Only five minutes and seventeen seconds remained. Although the Trojans hadn’t scored, they had burned enough time, and the window for the Brown Bear Team to make a comeback was shrinking. From a strategic standpoint, the Trojans still had the upper hand; the key to victory was still in their hands.

There was no time for melancholy or hesitation. Lu Ke called to his teammates, and they suited up to take the field once more.

But upon returning to the field, the offense led by Lu Ke faced unprecedented pressure. Following their offense’s lead, the Trojans’ Defense Team had also finally recovered. On the very first play, Lu Ke’s intention to pass was read. The opponent’s number ninety-seven, Malik Jackson, broke through the line quickly and delivered a vicious hit.

In his haste, Lu Ke threw the ball frantically. It sailed in an erratic arc. The Brown Bear Team’s receivers scrambled but couldn’t get to it. It was nearly caught by a Trojans defensive player—which would have been an interception. Fortunately, at the last possible second, John slammed into that player, preventing the tragedy of the Brown Bear Team’s offense having to leave the field immediately after taking it.

After two consecutive, fluid drives, Lu Ke now faced a real test.

But this was a challenge every quarterback had to face. Lu Ke remained unshaken. On the next play, second down, he handed the ball off to Marcus. A running play after a series of passes was once again unexpected. Marcus gained six yards, leaving four more to go.

On third down, Lu Ke faked a run and threw a pass, fooling the defensive players. He then connected with John, gaining five yards and completing the first down, earning a new set of downs to continue the drive.

The most grueling moments of the game had arrived.