American Football: King of the Bay Area

Lu Ke opted for a long pass—the best and most reliable weapon in his arsenal. From twenty-one yards out, he aimed for a spot twenty-three, twenty-four yards downfield. If Logan could get open, the completion was a sure thing.

An 80 in Long Pass Accuracy. This was an ability far beyond Lu Ke’s reach in high school, and it was also his crucial ace in the hole.

This wasn’t a fifty or sixty-yard Rainbow Pass, but a twenty-four-yard bullet. The ball shot out on a flat, straight trajectory, like a projectile. It might not have looked as spectacular, but it was still a long pass, one that required a perfect combination of power, accuracy, control, and trajectory.

The moment the football left his hand, the subtle sensation at his fingertips told Lu Ke one thing: ’I overthrew it.’

In this incredibly tense moment, during the first official game of his life, that slight change in his touch finally had an impact. A pass intended to go twenty-three or twenty-four yards had sailed to twenty-seven or twenty-eight. It didn’t seem like a major deviation, but the target was the End Zone. Those few extra yards could easily send the ball sailing past the end line, resulting in an incompletion.

Lu Ke clenched his jaw. Even with an 80 in willpower, he was still too inexperienced. His eyes were glued to the ball as it arced through the air, his peripheral vision catching the defenders swarming in. Logan was bracketed, with players closing in from both his left and right. But at that exact moment, Logan pushed himself to the limit and somehow found another gear—

Logan had realized it too. The pass was overthrown. To have any chance of catching it, he had to sprint forward two more long strides.

Those two strides were what created the separation between Logan and the defenders.

Lu Ke had a clear view as Logan soared into the air, stretching his left arm to its absolute limit. His massive hand snatched the football from the air. Logan’s body was stretched taut like a bow about to snap. The brief moment of hangtime was breathtakingly beautiful. Then, in a motion that seemed to defy physics, he twisted, tapped one foot down, contorted his body, and landed with both feet, freezing in place like Michael Jackson performing his gravity-defying forty-five-degree lean.

A one-handed catch!

Half a second. It was only half a second, yet time and space seemed to stand still. It was a dance, a breathtaking, world-stunning dance. Logan had pushed his physical talents and skills to their absolute limit, showcasing the pure magic of sports and taking everyone’s breath away. It was as if even the roar of the crowd had vanished.

Half a second later, his momentum sent him flying out of bounds. He stumbled for several steps, desperately trying to regain control of his body, but still slammed hard into the padded sideline wall. A sharp pain shot through his shoulder, but Logan paid it no mind. Snapping back to reality, he stared intently at the official in the End Zone, waiting for the call—

’Was I out of bounds? Was the catch good? Did the touchdown count?’

The stadium fell silent. All eyes were fixed on the officials. Three of them conferred, having seen the play from different angles. They could confirm that Logan made the catch inside the End Zone. The question was, did he get both feet down in-bounds? And did he maintain control of the football as he went out of bounds?

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

The referee walked to the front of the End Zone and then raised both arms high. Touchdown!

The stadium erupted! The entire Rose Bowl erupted!

Lu Ke clenched his fists, clenched them with all his might, the strength of his entire body surging into his hands. He’d done it. He’d completed another pass. He’d thrown another touchdown. He had once again turned the impossible into reality. The emotions churning in his chest were a volcano, erupting violently. Every cell in his body was cheering, roaring, screaming.

So much joy. So much release. So uninhibited. He was completely immersed in the euphoria, lost in the moment.

”AAAAAHHH!” Everyone roared like wild animals, celebrating this incredible drive in their own crazed ways—a drive that had ended with a touchdown!

Logan spread his arms like wings, mimicking a plane as he sprinted toward Lu Ke, every feature on his face—his brows, his eyes, the corners of his mouth—radiating pure joy and excitement. ”Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!” Logan slammed into Lu Ke with a massive hug. ”I did it! I did it! You magnificent bastard! What a pass! What a beautiful pass!”

The game wasn’t over yet; anything could still happen. But in this moment, for this one moment at least, they could unleash their elation without restraint.

From a 7-28 deficit, they had stormed all the way back to tie it 28-28. In the final quarter alone, they had unbelievably scored three touchdowns to even the score! It was a monumental feat. More than that, it was a miracle!

”AAAAAHHH!” Jeff screamed, a scream of pure disbelief. His arms flailed in the air as he let it all out, then he grabbed Nate in a tight hug. Even after seeing the official’s signal again, Jeff still couldn’t believe it had actually happened. ”AAAAAHHH!” A thousand thoughts raced through his mind, but none could form into words. All he could do was shout, expressing himself in the most primal, simple way possible.

Jeff and Nate were just two ordinary fans. The handful of Bruins fans who had remained were now drowning in a sea of euphoria. Screams and cheers merged into a single roar. A frenzied joy battered against their ribs; they had to let it out, they needed to let it out. The sound was a tsunami, crashing through the Rose Bowl, its echoes reverberating wave after wave.

This was the magic of sports. Just when everyone thought the game was lost, hope was rekindled from the depths of despair, and in one fell swoop, hearts that had hit rock bottom were sent soaring into the stratosphere!

Meanwhile, the Trojans fans on the other side of the stadium were plunged into their own personal hell. A mere ten minutes ago, they had a firm grip on victory. Now, their rivals had tied the score.

The freefall was so fast and brutal it threw them into a collective rage. Boos, curses, and shouts rained down on the field like a violent squall. Some cursed the Bruins, some blamed the Trojans, and others just held their heads in their hands, lost in despair...

Some even started throwing things onto the field: Trojans scarves, Trojans caps, Trojans jerseys. The entire Rose Bowl looked like an erupting volcano, with debris raining down like stones, lava, and ash, threatening to turn the world to ruin.

”What did we just witness! Jesus Christ! What in the world did we just witness! Seventy-nine seconds! Just seventy-nine seconds!” Kirk had to fight the urge to slam his fist on the desk, releasing the storm of emotion through his commentary instead. ”After crossing midfield, the Bruins took only seventy-nine seconds and six plays to score a touchdown! A touchdown! Another touchdown! They’ve dealt the Trojans another devastating blow!”

”The entire drive was fluid and relentless, giving them no room to breathe, no time to recover! Number eleven, Lu Ke, unleashed a flurry of fast-paced plays that completely dismantled the Trojans’ defense to secure their third touchdown of the fourth quarter,” Kirk exclaimed, spittle flying. He didn’t even realize he had risen slightly from his seat. Comebacks are spectacular because they’re thrilling, but even more so because they’re unbelievable. And tonight, in the Rose Bowl, he was witnessing the birth of a miracle!

Kirk’s heart was pounding as the words poured out of him. ”Without a doubt, that last Wujushang drive once again demonstrated the immense potential of this Bruins offense. Kevin Clifton’s success last year wasn’t just a fluke. Now, under Lu Ke’s leadership, the Bruins have mounted an incredible comeback. After the extra point, the score is tied, and the ball is back in the hands of the Trojans...”

”To all our listeners out there, everyone tuning in to this game,” Kirk felt the need to reiterate, ”in the final game of the 2011 NCAA football season, the USC Trojans versus the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins, with two minutes and fifty-eight seconds left to play, the Bruins have tied the score! It’s now 28-28. The Trojans are about to start their drive. This is coming down to the wire!”

Two minutes and fifty-eight seconds. This meant the Trojans controlled their own destiny. If they could drive past midfield into field goal range and make the kick, they would win. If they failed to do so? They just needed to run out the remaining three minutes to take the game into overtime and start fresh.

But for the Bruins, the responsibility now fell entirely on their Defense Team. They had to give everything they had to get a stop against the Trojans’ offense. The perfect scenario would be to force a quick turnover, get their offense back on the field, and let Lu Ke decide the outcome!

”Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! What did I just see?” Kirk’s voice was cracking, his words turning into a roar of pure excitement. ”It’s a turnover! It’s a turnover! The quarterback who has been outstanding all game, Matt Barkley, makes a mistake at the most critical moment! Number three for the Bruins, Raheem Moore, he’s made the play! Raheem has the interception! Raheem has the interception! A turnover! An immediate turnover, and the Bruins are about to take the field again! Oh my God, this has to be one of the greatest games in the history of the Los Angeles rivalry!”