Ty stared at the goalposts for a long time, even as the other Dons streamed off the field and down to the locker room. It had been a long kick, around 40 yards, but kicks like that were supposed to go through. Maybe the Tigers weren't the only ones who could be lucky.
On the other side of the field, fury mixed with shock and confusion as the Cobras shuffled off the field. They had only scored 7 points in a single half … worse than that, they were TIED. It was all unheard of.
Ty dragged his eyes away from the posts long enough to watch Richaun storm down the tunnel; an explosion was bound to happen in that locker room. He finally stood and followed the Dons to their locker room. Yet he didn't smile. Happiness struggled with disappointment. He hadn't done enough. Nor could he see how he could affect the game more. Colby seemed like an opponent one could resist, but not dominate.
Ty had his puzzle to work out and put together during the break.
Coach Long and Norman also had their own puzzles to figure out. They were busy brainstorming from the moment they stepped into the locker room, suggesting ideas how the offence could overcome the Cobras' stout defence.
Coach Norman suppressed a bitter, mirthless laugh. 'I bet nobody was expecting this game to turn into a slog where defence was the key,' he said.
'That's where you're wrong,' Coach Long responded. 'Defence is ALWAYS the key. Which is why I'm glad we have Coach Hoang on our side, and why I know if we can crack the Cobras' defence, we can count on our own to hold strong. But that means we have to break through.'
It was clear their strong, bullish approach, spear-headed by Cameron had worked and was most effective. It'd reshaped the game, and completely changed the Cobras' defence. Now they just needed to find the openings those changes created.
Which Coach Norman theorised had to be outside along the edges of the formation. The CBs were too isolated now, without any help from the middle. They had to be extra cautious of keeping their Receivers away from the middle, which would open up the sidelines, something Stephen and Benny could exploit with their size.
Coach Long realised Cameron would still have a lot of hard work ahead of him to keep the defence's focus on the middle, or else put them in a situation where they had to choose their poison.
Whether or not it'd work, only the second half would reveal, but the Dons had their new game plan. Coach Long and Norman went around the offence's side of the locker room, congratulating them on keeping up with the Cobras' high-powered offence before informing them of the changes.
On the other side of the ball, Coach Hoang had finally seen enough of the Cobras' other Receivers and how they were being utilised against the Dons, to stabilise the defence. A zone would be the call, splitting the deep into thirds, except Zayden would be filling the middle in more of a LB position, and Ty would still be watching Richaun man-to-man.
Zayden would assist the LBs with anything short, whilst it'd be up to Sonny to deal with deep shots. Deshaun would help slightly, patrolling one side of the field. It'd be a start, but he knew he'd have to fine tune in when the game resumed. He had faith in the boys; they wouldn't lose to second options.
However, it'd all fall apart if Richaun managed to overcome Ty and turn the tables in their duel. Coach Hoang laughed quietly. What kind of messed up game was it where his biggest fear was Ty losing control of a matchup he'd dominated for all but one drive?
The atmosphere within the Cobras' locker room was strange. Panic hadn't set in yet, but there was a pervasive sense of unease regarding the unfamiliar scenario they'd found themselves in.
The Maclin brothers stood before their fellow defenders, grinning as they tried to hype their teammates up.
'We're still doing great,' Immanuel said.
'They only scored once!' Jeremy shouted. Being younger had given him a certain complex about always trying to be heard first and foremost. 'We only messed up for one drive. But we've held them down the rest of the time.'
'We just gotta keep doing what we're doing. We know our offence will start kicking ass soon.'
Hollow eyes shifted from the brothers, across to the other side of the room where an argument was brewing. What they saw ripped any hope from the brothers' words.
Richaun shoved Colby back down into his seat. 'I'm not good enough? The fuck was that last drive then, nigga?'
Colby bounced back to his feet, standing nose to nose with his star Receiver. 'You deaf or something? He's better than you! You can't beat him, and I won't let you drag this team down with you! I'm NOT losing here.'
'Oh you ain't? Could've fooled me. You looked like a stupid-ass loser when you let some no name bitches stuff your passes.'
Colby went to shove Richaun, but Richaun's hands were faster, snatching Colby's wrists. The five biggest Cobras instantly surrounded Richaun, dragging him away, getting between him and Colby. Even off the field, Colby's O-Line would protect him against anything.
'Don't get cocky, nigga!' Richaun shouted, shrugging off meaty hands and dusting himself off. 'You weren't shit before me. You ain't get that number one prospect bullshit before I got here.'
'That's enough, Richaun.'
Coach Swan's voice cut through the noise of the locker room with cold precision. She wasn't the loudest, but she didn't need to be. She had as much control and command in her presence as all their mother's combined as she strode over to Richaun and plucked one of his ears, dragging him to a corner. She shoved him into a seat, looking down at him with all the disappointment she could muster.
Richaun snarled up at her, rubbing his ear, but for once he kept his tongue behind his teeth and stayed quiet.
Coach Swan looked around the room. 'Securing the lead is obviously our top priority, and the way to do that is to break Tyrese Samuels. If we want to accomplish THAT, we have to use Richaun.' Her focus returned to him, not backing down from his icy gaze. 'You still have a point to prove. The whole world's laughing at you. The shitty Receiver. Just number two. But they're wrong, aren't they? AREN'T THEY?! So stop fucking around and start busting some ass! Prove them wrong! Prove that you're the best! Because I already know you are. You're better than that nepo-baby Rice. It's time to start acting like it.'
She walked away; Richaun's scowl followed her, but his anger wasn't directed at her, it reached beyond the locker room. Ty was the source of his anger … but not only him. Kentavious Rice Junior was another source of raging fury.
He'd prove them all wrong, just like she said. And it started with destroying Tyrese Samuels.
Both sides emerged from their locker rooms to general cheers. Only a few spectators crowding near the tunnel-mouths leant over the rails to rain boos directly on Ty and Richaun's heads on either side.
With the game being tied at the half, the score might as well have read 0–0. Another way of looking at it, was that they weren't playing the second half of a game, but a game that would only last half as long.
The Cobras would have the first chance at glory in this new, half-game. The kickoff resulted in another touchback. Richaun rushed onto the field afterwards, having something to prove.
Colby shared a look with Coach Swan as he passed her and entered the battlefield. There was a game plan, of course. Actually, there were two. Coach Swan had hers, and whilst she had some good pointers, it involved Richaun more than Colby liked, so he had his own variation, one that wouldn't rely on any individual Receiver; you could never put all your eggs in one basket, especially with snakes around.
It was clear the Dons had switched things up majorly, which was to be expected after the first half, but seeing it before the snap was a lot different than seeing it in action. The Cobras decided to test those changes with a Draw play, prodding the Dons and seeing how they'd react; like poking a wild animal.
The play, even though it only gained 2 yards, was a success. It had never been about the yards, but more about giving Colby a viewing of how the Dons shifted after the snap.
Ty was more isolated as they'd correctly spotted their strongest point. Elsewhere the defence was an intricate machine full of many different moving cogs all trying to cover for one another. They thought they could overwhelm the Cobras' Receiving Corps with numbers? Colby had to show them how wrong they were.
The next play was an actual pass, no fake, yet Colby never even glanced Richaun's way. No matter what Coach Swan said, Richaun was a lost cause. But Colby knew the Cobras' other weapons were more than enough for the Dons.
Lamar was too good for a number two CB to handle, and Colby was too good for any zone; there were always gaps, and he ALWAYS found them. Guiding Lamar into those gaps was a simple matter.
A sidearm toss whipped across the field and past the outstretched hands of multiple Dons before landing in Lamar's grasp. After the catch, he turned, balancing a step within the sideline, and raced up for a few extra yards, bringing the total to 14 before he was knocked out of bounds.
Boos came from the crowd as the chains moved up to the spot for a new set of downs. Colby laughed. So the crowd was siding with the Dons? It wasn't surprising. People often went with the underdog—it reminded them of themselves and made them believe even they could overachieve if they tried hard enough. What was surprising was the fact the Dons still didn't see they were the underdog. None of the eyes glaring at him from under those black helmets were the eyes of defiant rebellion; no, those eyes were staring DOWN at HIM.
Toppling the Dons from their undeserved high horse was going to be so sweet.
The Cobras kept to the air after that. Again, Colby ignored Richaun and focused on Lamar as his primary target instead. An Out turned vertical, and Colby lobbed the ball over.
Deshaun stuck with Lamar—Colby wasn't sure if he'd abandoned his zone or been switched to man, but he didn't think it mattered. They both twisted around to find the ball, and raised their hands. Deshaun leapt, reaching higher, throwing himself into the ball's path with reckless abandon. Lamar pulled Deshaun down so he couldn't intercept the ball, but he still got a hand to it and forced the incompletion.
The seniors tumbled away from one another and Deshaun popped back to his feet first, glaring down at Lamar. 'That shit don't fly in my house,' Deshaun said before adding: 'bitch!'
Colby watched the interaction. Lamar scoffed and walked away, bumping past Deshaun, but not responding with a retort of his own. Lamar was taller, faster, stronger; the ball should've been his. The pass was on the money so the blame didn't lie with Colby either. How did Deshaun best them?
It was a question that confounded Colby all throughout the Cobras' huddle, and though the answer was a simple one, it eluded him completely. Nothing external changed the outcome of Deshaun and Lamar's duel. The difference came from within.
Both boys were in similar situations, even whilst playing on other sides of the ball. Both were senior members of their teams, leaders, and former number ones. Both had been replaced by a younger star who overshadowed them near-instantly. Yet only one had accepted their new standing as second place. No matter how much Deshaun tried to play nice, he couldn't smother the competitive fire within himself.
He stared at Ty during the Dons' huddle. "I won't be the reason we lose. If this hotshot Freshy can hold a shitty Receiver down, then I can, too."
Ty noticed the stare, returned it with one of his own. 'What are you looking at? You think you deserve some praise after a deflection?'
'Shut your mouth, Freshy.'
'Maybe if you get an interception I'll tell you how much of a good doggy you are,' Ty said, grinning.
The huddle broke away but the two CBs went nose-to-nose, grins more like snarls. 'I bet I get an interception before your ass does, Freshy.'
'Oh you might. Only because they're too scared to throw at me. Any team ever been too scared to throw at you? I didn't think so.'
Deshaun laughed through gritted teeth as he watched Ty walk away. That fucking Freshy. They both took their positions in front of their designated opponents. Lamar was still cool and passive, whilst Richaun was glaring too hard at Colby to notice anything regarding Ty.
The ball was snapped, and on second down, the Cobras were still looking to pass. Colby looked across Lamar, the Dons' zone was expansive, and whilst Deshaun was watching Lamar close, he was still occupying his own zone for the moment.
Something prickled along the back of Colby's neck, warning him not to throw Lamar's way either. What a pain. It didn't matter. Dominick was still there. Lightning quick, he pivoted and fired the ball over. Dominick caught it, but had JJ trailing on his heels, and was soon dragged down just a couple of yards short of the first-down marker.
Third and 2, a tricky situation, especially when their run game had been so inconsistent. Maybe it would've been tricky for another team. The Dons' defence was formidable, but the Cobras' offence was unmatched.
Colby strode up to the line without fear. The Dons' Linemen would be held at bay by the short yardage, and the Secondary, even the LBs would be petrified of a pass; there was enough space on the ground.
At the snap, he flipped the ball back to the RB on a toss, sending them arcing around the outside, arching their back. They scurried ahead, and burst across the marker, getting tripped up after 3 yards. That was good enough.
Back on first down, the Cobras tried to catch the Dons off with a second run in a row, though the Stretch to the left gained only 2 before the RB was once again slammed into the turf; even in the second half, some things didn't change.
So it was back to the air on second down, and despite Richaun's protests and increasingly intense glares, Colby acted as if he wasn't even on the field. Looking at Lamar and Deshaun still shot warning signals through Colby, so his gaze passed to Dominick on a Cross through the middle of the field. He let the ball fly.
JJ lunged across, laying out for the ball, almost fully horizontal as he swatted it into the ground. Colby blinked, taking a step back. Dominick clapped his hands in frustration before raising one, taking the blame for the incompletion. JJ had surprised them once again. Ty wasn't the only one who could close a window at the last second.
But that wasn't what gave Colby pause. He saw it then, the chink in the Dons' armour. He called the Cobras together hurriedly, disregarding the called play in favour for one of his own.
'I should get the fuckin' ball!' Richaun shouted.
'You can't, idiot. Not unless you can beat Tyrese, which you can't.'
'That shitty little nigga ain't got nothin' on me!'
Colby shook his head, ignoring Richaun's ravings. The plan was good. It had to work. He didn't need Richaun.
The huddle dispersed, and everyone took their positions.
Richaun's grumbling and growling brought a smile to Ty's face. At first, he'd been slightly worried that the Cobras had taken him out of the game. It seemed like the type of close encounter that would need his intervention to get the Dons across the line. Yet the rest of the defence was holding up under the added pressure.
There was a noose tightening around the game. A decisive moment was coming, Ty could feel it. The Dons getting a stop even without his involvement, or perhaps Colby and the Cobras would be pushed into such a desperate state they'd test Richaun again, and Ty could capitalise. Whatever it was, Ty could feel it, and so could the crowd; the atmosphere in the stadium was changing.
The ball was snapped, and the crowds cheers and chants cut off, like they were all holding their breath.
Dominick pushed through to a dominant position in the middle of the field, curling back. Zayden sat on top of him, and JJ under him so the Cobra was sandwiched and fully covered. Zayden's focus drifted towards Richaun and Ty as the two raced over the top through the middle, though Richaun's Post route was smothered completely.
Lamar cut through the middle of the field as well, above Zayden also. Everything was getting congested for the moment, and a trailing Deshaun watched it unfold as he drifted back to the outside to cover a streak down the sideline from a third Cobra WR.
Richaun and Lamar scissored across one another, and Sonny followed Richuan's path. Deshaun screamed: 'NO! Outside, outside!' But it was too late. Lamar had a step, and he wouldn't relinquish it.
The ball was already in the air on the way to Lamar's lap. Colby hit him perfectly in stride, and all Lamar had to do was straighten his angle, and he was home free to the end-zone. Sonny was the closest Don, but he was too far back, and Lamar continued pulling away until he crossed the plain.
Like a deflating balloon, air escaped the crowd as disappointed gasps filled the stadium, and butts thudded back onto seats.
Ty watched the scoreboard tick over: 7–13 for a Cobras lead. The noose had tightened, but it had tightened around the Dons' necks.