shortstory

A championship injury By: Justin

It all started when Peter’s dad introduced him to football. Peter Johnson was a kind kid, an amazing football player, and a risk taking quarterback. He was also the best player on his team the Columbus Raccoons. His favorite place in the world was the football field. His team won almost every game. Their record was 16 - 1. Peter was just showing up for practice when coach Nick had a word with the team. “Boys if we win the game this week we are in the championship.” With that the team went crazy. That was the best news they had heard all season.

“Now lets get to work so we win on Saturday.”

The boys got back to work throwing the football to their teammates. That day they did all the regular drills. The tackle drill, running drill, throwing drill and most of all the teamwork drill. They all knew if they did not work together they would lose the game. Although they worked together they all knew there could be some personal records set this game. Doug could set the record for most picks in a season if he got one more. Matty could set one for most yards by a running back, and Peter could set one for most yards by a quarterback.

The night before the game that could send them to the championship, or send them home the Raccoons were up all night wondering what would happen.

Would they win would they lose? At last at 11:00 Peter got to sleep.

The next morning he got to the field nice and early preparing for the game by warming up his arm. When the other team arrived they were the meanest, ugliest, biggest bunch of kids you will ever see, Their name was the COBRAS, and they were the only team with a better record than them, a perfect 17-0. The Raccoons won the coin toss and they wanted to kick the ball away. Right before the game coach had a final word with them. “All right team this is it. If we lose the season is over. If we win we have a chance to play in the state championship next week. Now lets go 1... 2... 3... team.” Then the team took the field.

TWEET! The reffs whistle blew to start the game. They kicked the ball and they ran it back for 28 yards. The next play the Cobras ran the ball for 39 yards but the Raccoons defense buckled down after that and forced a three and out.

When the offense came on they were out for blood they wanted to score bad.

“All right” Peter said to offense “the play is Fly Fly.” In that play two wide receivers go deep and the tight end goes across the middle of the field. The 2 running backs block so the quarterback (Peter) can make a good, hard, accurate throw to the target. The center snapped the ball and Peter looked deep no receivers were open so he dumped off to the tight end Harry. They gained 16 yards with that play.

The next play they lined up in the I form and ran the ball for 7 yards. The rest of the drive was just as dominating as the first part of it. They ran and passed for over 65 yards. When they came up with a touchdown coach was thrilled.

“That is how you run a drive,” he exclaimed to Peter. The game went back

and forth and at halftime the score was 21-21. A tie.

To start the second half the Raccoons got the ball and they wanted to take the lead. They drove the ball down to the 20 yard line but got forced to kick a field goal. The other team got the ball back and scored a touchdown the Cobras had taken the lead.

As the game continued neither team could score the defense was not giving up any points for both teams. In the final minutes the Raccoons were down 4 points. Peter threw the ball near the sideline and his wide receiver got the ball and got out of bounds to stop the clock. By the time they got inside the redzone there was only 27 seconds left. Peter threw the ball to the endzoneincomplete. On second down he threw it across the goal line to the tight end.

Deflected. Third down they needed to score to make it to the championship. On this play Peter would fake the handoff and run to the outside himself and aggressively make a break for the endzone. The play started and Peter executed the start of the play perfectly. But then he stumbled. Just the smallest bit but enough to make him slow down. The crowd went silent as Peter dove for the endzone. Time seemed to slow down. The defender was closing in fast the crowd gasped. He felt the field brushing up against his stomach. In his head he was chanting I must make it, I must make it. The final seconds were ticking off the clock 3...2...1... CRUNCH. He made it but with a big cost. He got hit and he got hit hard and it really really hurt. The team doctor rushed on the field. He checked him and reported.

“He has a broken arm.”

“Not good,” coach groaned loudly “Very bad but at least I scored,” Peter said “The only good thing that came out of this was that we won the game but we won’t stand a chance in the finals without Peter being able to play,” exclaimed Doug. Indeed the game was over and they had won but there was a nervous and grim feeling in the air. Not even the optimists on the team were able to cheer people up.

Later at the doctor’s office the doctor told him he would have to wear a cast for 4-6 weeks. That ruled him out for the finals. The team would have to use a backup.

“What do you mean out of town!” Coach yelled.

“I am sorry coach,” the backup QB was saying, “I have a family reunion this weekend.”

“Then I guess we need to find a new player for the team.”

The next day Peter went scouting around town for a new player. He saw lots of burly kids, but by 3:00 he was getting desperate. Nobody wanted to be on the team. He had gone through the whole town’s population. Then he got to the soccer field.

The team was practicing. They were racing up and down the field. One kid was standing out as the best, so Peter went over and asked the kid his name. “My name is Ben,” he said.

“Can you play on our football team in the final game this year?”

“I will think about it and talk to my family about it.”

“Good here is my number 666-666-6666.”

“See you later.”

“See you.” That night Peter called coach. “I think I have a replacement.”

“Who?” coach asked. “Ben the star of the soccer team.” The talk continued. Coach thought that it was a fine idea.

The next day it became final. Coach declared him a member of the team.

The crowd was chanting the tension was high. Ben was ready for the game, and it was about to start. The Raccoons were going to get the ball first. The game started the Raccoons got the ball and Ben led a opening drive for a touchdown.

The other team got it and they scored too. The game went back and forth. In the final minutes the Raccoons were down 2. Their kicker missed a field goal so they were still down 2. Then the other team got a field goal so they were down 5. There were 45 seconds left in the game Ben started to get to work. He completed a pass to the outside. Then the running back ran for 15 more. But there was a problem.

There was only 10 seconds left on the clock.

“Timeout!” Coach yelled. “The play we are going to do is the Flea Flicker.”

In that play the QB tosses the ball to the RB and the RB tosses it back then the QB throws it super far down the field. “Now go get them.”

The ball got snapped to Ben and Ben tossed it to the running back. He tossed it back and Ben threw it as hard as he could as far as he could down the field, It went into the endzone and both teams seemed to have it. TWEET. The reffs whistle blew and the game was over. But who had the ball? The reffs went into the booth to review it when they came out they said.

“The Raccoons have the ball. Touchdown the Raccoons win.”

The team went wild there was a huge roar from the crowd.

Twenty minutes later the trophy was given out first place for the Raccoons.

Forty five minutes Ben was given MVP of the game and Peter was given MVP of the season.

Three years later Peter was a scout for football at OHIO STATE. And the next year he was a scout for the Steelers. He found some of the best players in the world.