Chapter 24

Scooter

Thunder and Lightning.

Jeff had provided the thunder. Now it was my job to bring the lightning.

If I could.

When I got the ball, I hesitated. For the first time, there was a clear running lane in front of me. I darted through it and saw that Coach was right. They had overcommitted—blitzed almost everyone.

There was a cornerback to my left, but he was still fifteen yards away.

The South Hill free safety was the only real concern. He was a few yards away, but he was on his heels.

Big mistake.

In the YouTube highlights, even NFL players used to make this mistake against Barry Sanders. Once Sanders got in the open field, the only way you had a chance against him was to be decisive. To get where he was cutting next, and hopefully guess correctly.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying I’m Barry Sanders—just that the free safety was making the same mistake as those guys in the clips. He was waiting for me to make a move. He was bargaining that he’d be able to react to that move in time to stop me from breaking free.

It was a bad bargain.

I faked with my head and hips to the left, then cut to the right.

His body mirrored mine, or tried to. Instead, he just fell down.

One move. That’s all it took. Two, if you count the hip shimmy.

The next thing I knew, I was in the end zone. And the South Hill fans had stopped chanting. And all my teammates were piling around.

Except Jeff.

He stood there on the sideline, head down, refusing to look up.