Legendary Football Superstar

"Fourth down, one yard to go, forty-six seconds left."

Luke had a couple of choices: ditch the offense and go for a field goal. If they nailed it, the game would be tied, and then they'd hand the ball over to the third team to see what they could do with the remaining time. After all, Luke's first drive had scored a touchdown in under thirty seconds.

Keep pushing the offense and fail, and the third team would start their drive from their own twenty-one-yard line, right where Luke's team was now. Nail it, and they'd keep driving for the next forty-six seconds, gunning for a touchdown to win the game.

One yard. Tough call.

On this drive, their first and second downs had both flopped, not even gaining a yard. What seemed like a simple yard could be a beast depending on the situation. Like now, in the final moments of the game, close to the opponent's end zone. The defensive area was tighter, defenders could cover more ground, and the defensive intensity was cranked up, making it even harder for the offense.

Luke didn't decide right away. In an official game, the coaching staff would call the shots; but in a scrimmage, the quarterback was the boss. He looked at his teammates, and to his surprise, they didn't hesitate. Tevin was the first to say, "Your call." Then the others nodded, looking at Luke with determined eyes.

"Luke," John said, "tell us what to do! We trust you!"

Teammates. Comrades.

Luke clenched his fist and slammed it down hard. "Offense!" Then he bent down, kneeled on one knee, and called his teammates over. "We have only one chance. But we will make this chance count, trust me!" Don't think about the consequences, don't think about the outcome, don't think about the aftermath. Focus on this drive, focus on this one yard.

After a quick and simple huddle, Luke stood up again, and all the players lined up. The entire field was stunned! If going for it earlier was somewhat expected, at least they could take a gamble; but now, going for it on fourth down and one yard was not just a gamble, it was a crazy risk. Adrenaline surged instantly, making it impossible to react, and the field fell silent, with the sound of heartbeats clearly audible.noveldrama

No time to think, no time to vent, no time to chat. They had just forty seconds to prep for a fourth down play, same as the other three downs. A quick huddle and tactical setup, and boom, twenty seconds were gone in a flash. It was go time.

Luke stretched his hands out, ready to snag the ball, but his eyes, sharp like an eagle's, scanned the opponent's defensive setup. Run? Pass? They had to roll the dice, 'cause Luke had to roll the dice.

One yard. Running was usually the safest bet. As long as the running back used his muscle and everyone pushed forward, that one yard was theirs. If college football had a signature move, it was all about using physical advantage. Folks often said college ball was about talent, while the pros were about grit and grind.

So, Luke figured the defense would expect a run. Derek had been killing it today; plus, Luke's medium and short passes were kinda shaky. But Luke knew that in crunch time, he wouldn't flinch!

"Attack!"

Tevin snapped the ball, Luke caught it, took three steps back, and raised his hand like he was gonna pass. But the defenders weren't buying it; they thought Luke was faking and would run again. But then, Luke actually pulled back his right hand, making a passing motion, which threw the defenders off. They started looking for the receiver and tight end, John.

John had been Luke's go-to guy today, not only scoring the first touchdown but also making most of the catches. Everyone could see the chemistry between John and Luke. Right then, John sprinted to the right, turned, and made a catching gesture with his hands, which freaked out the defenders. A bunch of them swarmed over.

But in the next second, Luke adjusted his stance, switched spots, and without a second thought, launched the football. The whole thing took less than two seconds, with a fake move thrown in. It was so quick, you couldn't even blink. The defenders piled up in front of the offensive line didn't have time to break through, and they just watched as the football flew.

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

Wasn't the left side wide open? Who was over there? Wade Yandell! Wade, totally unguarded!

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A freshman who just joined the team this year. Wade's got some talent but nothing mind-blowing, making him a third or fourth backup. The coaches suggested he switch to defense, but Wade wasn't having it, so he ended up on the practice squad. He'd only been practicing with the team for less than fifteen days. Today, he had two chances to catch the ball, but he dropped one, and Luke overthrew the other, so he didn't catch either.

And now, Wade was the target?

The thing was, Wade was completely unguarded. This was a seven or eight-yard pass, and the football seemed to be flying too fast and too hard, maybe 'cause Luke put too much muscle into it. But the trajectory was still good, a standard spiral, and the arc looked decent.

There was no chemistry between Wade and Luke. This time, Wade overran the route, veering three or four yards from the agreed spot. But the kicker was that Luke seemed to have overthrown it too, putting a lot of force into the throw, sending it far out. So, what would happen?

Two wrongs make a right!

Wade stretched out his hands and caught the football. The force was strong, making it bobble in his arms, but Wade pushed forward, absorbing the impact. After a couple of bobbles, he secured it and then used his momentum to keep sprinting forward.

The ten-yard line was already behind him in a flash. He kept going, seeing a swarm of defenders coming at him from the corner of his eye, but Wade knew they wouldn't catch him. He sprinted, sprinted again, and then crossed the end zone, entering the touchdown area.

Standing in the end zone, Wade finally stopped, clutching the football tightly with his right hand, gasping for breath, still looking like he couldn't believe it. He dodged the incoming defenders and searched for Anthony in the crowd.

Luke stared intently at the football, watching it bobble into Wade's arms, and then saw Wade stumble into the end zone. Everyone around raised their hands, signaling a touchdown, but Luke didn't rush to celebrate. Instead, he turned to look at Anthony. He saw Anthony also raising his hands high: Touchdown!

"Way to go!" Luke clenched his fist and pumped it three times, using every muscle in his body to express his joy and excitement. But even so, it couldn't fully convey his true emotions. He did it! He nailed a short pass, and at the most critical, most important moment, with only a 64% short pass accuracy, he didn't mess up!

The practice squad went nuts, losing their minds, screaming, cheering, and roaring together. They jumped and celebrated, not just for the win, but for their grit in tough times. This iron-willed spirit gave the practice squad its unique flavor!

Luke finally let loose, clenching his fists and shouting, celebrating the crucial comeback! This was a killer blow, a killer blow! Then everyone swarmed around him, surrounding Luke, and they all shouted in unison, shaking the heavens.

"13:10," the practice squad had once again taken the lead over the third team. There was still an extra point to kick, but whether they made it or not, the outcome was already decided.

The coaching staff was stunned; this was clearly not what they had expected. It was a comeback, and it came from the practice squad. Even though the opponent was the third team, it was an epic comeback! Especially Luke's display of wisdom, composure, calmness, and strength in the final few plays. His big heart was impressive!

Rick opened his mouth and shook his head, "Guys, did you see this coming?" At this point, there were only six seconds left in the game.

This meant the practice squad's special teams would come on, delay a bit, and then kick the field goal in the last second to end the game. The third team had no chance. The game was over, the dust had settled.

The other two members of the coaching staff were speechless, their mouths agape in astonishment.

Anthony blew his whistle, signaling the special teams to come on, but then Rick's voice came through, "No need to kick the extra point. This is a scrimmage, not an official game. Let's end it here. Today's practice is over." With that, Rick called the other two coaches and turned to leave.

Behind them came the cheers, "We won! We won! We won! Ahhh, we won!" The defensive squad members on the sidelines rushed onto the field. No one paid attention to the third team, and even the first and second team members couldn't help but start discussing in low voices, their eyes filled with excitement and amusement. This time, it wasn't the overlooked practice squad that was suffering, but the third team.

Defensive players, offensive players, everyone was cheering and celebrating. It was a party, a grand party!