American Football: King of the Bay Area

A pass to the right, Marcus caught the ball and ran left. Logan threw a block, and Marcus burst forward.

That first pass to the right drew all the Trojans’ defenders over, leaving Logan’s side of the field wide open—the Tight End’s position is called the strong side for a reason. Logan then blocked the nearby defenders, clearing a path for Marcus.

As a running back, Marcus was already outstanding at breaking tackles and gaining yards, and with an open lane, he was unstoppable. Unfortunately, speed wasn’t his strong suit. After a twelve-yard run, he was tackled.

Marcus wasn’t disappointed, though. He tossed the football to the referee and hurried back. None of his teammates celebrated. They all rushed to the new line of scrimmage and got set for the next down. Marcus was the last one back in formation.

Malik Jackson barely had time to get to his feet before he saw the Brown Bear Team moving. A bad feeling welled up inside him. ”Hurry! Get back in position!” He put his head down and sprinted back to the line.

In a football game, the offense controls the clock. As long as they are set, they can start the play, even if the opponent has not finished setting up their defensive formation. This is one of the key advantages of a no-huddle offense.

Just then, Malik saw the Brown Bear Team’s Offense Line getting set, and alarm bells went off in his head. The Trojans scrambled to get back into formation, but before they could even catch their breath, they heard number eleven’s voice call out, ”Three! Fifty-eight!” followed immediately by, ”Hike!” With no time to rest, the play began again. Malik could only take a deep breath and charge forward once more.

But this time, the Trojans’ blitz lacked some of its usual discipline and intensity. The force of their rush was noticeably weaker.

Bodies. A surging sea of bodies, front and back, friend and foe, all a chaotic jumble. Lu Ke’s vision was still a blurry mess, but this time, he spotted an opening. Without a moment’s hesitation, his arm whipped forward, and the football was out.

Just after releasing the ball, Lu Ke caught sight of number ninety-six in his periphery, charging at him like an angry bull. Lu Ke reacted instantly, sidestepping the rush and scrambling away to successfully evade the tackle.

Amid the dense cluster of players, Logan stood out like a lighthouse, securely catching the ball. He was immediately swarmed by two defenders, preventing any further advance, but it was enough for Logan. He’d made the catch and gained six yards.

’It was like snatching the general’s head from an entire army!’ An explosion of adrenaline shot through him. Logan secretly clenched his fist. Without celebrating, he hurried back to his position on the Offense Line, where his teammates were already set. The goal of that last pass was speed, speed, and more speed. The entire offensive tempo had accelerated. A six-yard gain was exactly what they’d aimed for.

”Logan Newman! Logan makes another catch for a six-yard gain!” Kirk’s eyes were glued to the field, the pace of the game suddenly accelerating. His commentary grew just as brisk. ”The Brown Bear Team is on the ball again. It’s another pass—a seven-yarder caught by John Ward! Whoa, whoa, whoa, the Trojans are looking winded! It’s one wave of attack after another. The Brown Bear Team’s number eleven is using bold, decisive short passes and a no-huddle offense to ramp up the speed, and the Trojans’ blitz can’t seem to keep up!”

”A run play! Marcus powers forward for a nine-yard gain!” Cole didn’t dare to blink, didn’t even dare to breathe, afraid that a moment’s hesitation would make him miss the action. ”The Trojans’ defense is in shambles, completely unable to stop them. The Trojans still have two timeouts, but they’re reluctant to use them, wanting to save them for the final moments of the game. So right now, they have no chance to regroup.”

”He’s going deep! Wow! Lu Ke airs it out with a long pass! The Trojans’ Defense Team never saw it coming! The cornerback is beat! Logan! LOGAN! Oh, what a shame, such a shame! Number thirty-six for the Trojans grabbed Logan’s jersey at the last second! That’s a penalty! He used a foul to stop Logan from making the catch. If that pass had been completed, it would have been a game-winning Touchdown!”

The fluid offensive drive was brought to a halt by the penalty. With the game clock stopped, the players on both sides had a moment to grab some water and catch their breath.

But after gaining ground on four straight downs, the Brown Bear Team had an unstoppable momentum, driving all the way to the Trojans’ 26-yard line, with the End Zone just a stone’s throw away. More importantly, their relentless, flowing offense had completely shattered the Trojans’ defensive formation, leaving their blitz in tatters. This was why Lu Ke had dared to attempt the long pass. Unfortunately, the opposing cornerback refused to give in, resorting to a penalty to stop the play.

”Penalty! Five yards! The Brown Bear Team is now at the 21-yard line, and this game is coming down to the wire! But this is a double-edged sword for the Brown Bear Team. They’ve lost the rhythm of their no-huddle offense, and their opponent has gotten a chance to breathe. The defense gets to reset completely! The question is, can number eleven for the Brown Bear Team pull off another miracle?”

”Let’s go, guys!” Lu Ke lifted his water bottle and poured it over his head. Even though it was December, Los Angeles was never cold this time of year. Besides, his whole body was radiating heat like a mobile sauna. He waved his teammates back onto the field to line up. ”We all know what’s coming. They’re going to go for broke. They’ll be more aggressive. They’ll bring more pressure.”

Once you’re in front of the End Zone, the closer you get to victory, the harder it becomes. The field shrinks, further compressing the space for a no-huddle offense to operate.

All eyes were fixed on Lu Ke, shining with light. No one looked worried, and no one spoke. On the contrary, every expression was resolute, without a hint of doubt. They all believed that this kid from China could lead them into the End Zone and to victory once more.

”But we can beat them!” Lu Ke clenched his fist. No more words were needed. It was a simple gesture, but one that nobody questioned. They exchanged glances, let out a low grunt in unison, and returned to their positions, ready for the snap.

Time seemed to lose all meaning. Everything in Lu Ke’s vision slowed down. He couldn’t track every player’s exact path, but he could feel the tense, suffocating atmosphere closing in. Even the air felt hot and sharp as it slid past his fingers.

’That last drive looked easy, but that was everything I had.’ Lu Ke knew this was his limit.

He had played to his strengths and avoided his weaknesses, pushing himself to the absolute limit. A 67 in Tactical Awareness, an 80 in Willpower, a 70 in Short Pass Accuracy, and a 66 in Running Pass—he had squeezed every ounce out of each skill. His outstanding Tactical Awareness was the main reason he had even become a quarterback in high school. The biggest difference between high school and college lay in Short Pass Accuracy and Running Pass. The complete transformation of those two skills had allowed Lu Ke to fully unleash his tactical understanding.

This was an all-or-nothing blitz. If the opponent figured it out, or managed to stop it, or if Lu Ke’s own hand faltered and a pass went astray, he would have nothing left. Just five months ago, he had been a practice player. Now he was on the field, battling the University of Southern California down to the wire. ’This is my stage,’ Lu Ke knew. ’I will hold nothing back!’

Twenty-one yards.

Lu Ke crouched down, studying the Trojans’ set defense, trying to read their formation. ’Pass? Run? Or should I run it myself? With my limited arsenal, which weapon should I choose for the killing blow?’

”Five! Fourteen!” Lu Ke called out the play, his decision made. The entire offense remained still, already in the formation he wanted. Lu Ke dug his right cleat into the turf, making sure of his footing. Without any hesitation—

”Hike!”

Lu Ke shouted again. He felt the leather of the ball in his hands, took a quick drop back, and handed it off to Marcus. Marcus tucked the ball and started running wide to the left. The Trojans’ defensive coverage was tight, and they immediately converged on him.

But they had only taken two steps before they saw Lu Ke pull the ball back. His body coiled into a huge arc like a fully drawn bow, his arm tracing a wide semicircle through the air as he released the pass.

Too late. They’d been fooled. It was a play-action pass. By the time they halted their momentum and tried to turn back, they were hopelessly out of position. Their only hope was that the cornerbacks could cover the intended receiver.

Three Wide Receivers and one Tight End were scattered across different routes. Who was the target? Who was it? John? Logan? Or one of the other two receivers?

Logan sprinted toward the back of the End Zone and saw the arc of the football. He cursed under his breath. ’He overthrew it! At the most critical moment, Lu Ke actually overthrew the pass!’

The End Zone was twenty-one yards away, which was already a long pass, but the power Lu Ke put on the throw looked like it was meant for twenty-seven or twenty-eight yards.

But Logan didn’t give up. He leaped, using the momentum from his sprint, and stretched out his left hand. He just managed to get his fingertips on the ball. Luckily, it was a perfect spiral. With a light tap, the ball settled into his palm. Logan curled his body, crashing hard onto the ground, every muscle in his body screaming: ’Stay in bounds, stay in bounds, STAY IN BOUNDS!’