Chapter 45

"Feel like we've done this before?"

After the referee flipped the coin, I was shaking hands with the Grizzly quarterback. "Now that you mention it, it does feel familiar," I said with a grin.

"Yeah, but last time was just a bad dream. This time we'll get it right."

I shrugged. "I thought it turned out pretty good last time." Last year we'd met the Grizzlies in the semi-finals and beaten them, though all the sportswriters had predicted they'd have an easy game. This year, we were the favorite. I hoped that wasn't a bad sign.

He gave me what I assumed was a Grizzly growl, then walked back to his sideline with his co-captain.

"Stirring up the natives?" Robbie asked as we walked back.

"It's a gift."

The ball sailed through the air.

"It's yours!" I yelled to Robbie, then moved in front of her to intercept the Grizzlies heading our way. Robbie caught the ball on our five yard line, then fell in behind me. We fought our way to the forty using what any good Roman would recognize as a phalanx, but then it started falling apart as Grizzlies broke through.

Robbie dodged one and leap-frogged over another. Then she was clear and, in a burst of speed, headed toward the goal. I blocked a Grizzly who was trying to catch her. There was only one defender with any chance, and he was coming from the side. He launched himself at her legs, but they weren't there as she jinked out of the way. I watched in amazement as she almost glided the last twenty yards to the end zone.

I knew she was good, but sometimes I forgot how good.

Coach Vickers pulled us for the extra point, but Mike sailed a perfect pass into Luke's arms to put us up by seven less than a minute into the game.

"Missed by two," I said as I pulled my helmet off.

"Two what?" Robbie said, pulling off her own headgear. She shook her head, and I again missed her long hair.

"Two yards. The record for a kickoff return in the play-offs is ninety-seven. You got lazy and only made ninety-five."

"It's not about records."

I cocked my head and looked at her as our team set up for the kickoff.

She shrugged. "Okay, records are nice. What did you want me to do, take two big steps backwards before I started running?"

I grinned. "Maybe we can talk to the Grizzlies about kicking harder."

"You know what I hate about being on the team?"

"I know I'm going to hate myself for asking, but what?" Robbie asked with a hint of a smile as we walked toward the locker room.

"I always miss the cheerleaders' halftime show."

"Poor baby," Robbie said with a laugh.

"But they have short skirts and they kick so high."

Robbie looked like she was debating where to hit me, so I changed the subject. "How's the elbow?"

"Sore." She'd banged it pretty good against a Grizzly helmet halfway through the second quarter.

Robbie had taken them by surprise on the kickoff, but the Grizzlies were a good team, better than last year, and they made us fight for every yard. Mike and Luke were on fire, and we'd come within five yards three times, but the Grizzlies fought us back. The Grizzly offense had scared us a couple times, but hadn't penetrated our ten.

"Settle!" Coach Vickers yelled as we got to the locker room.

"Good first half," he said as we all found spots on the benches. "Robbie, great job on that kickoff." He looked around at us. "There isn't much for a coach to do. The offense is working great."

I couldn't argue with that. Mike was really in the zone with his passes. He'd completed about fourteen out of twenty attempts. He probably had a good two hundred yards in the air and another forty or fifty on the ground. Robbie had completed six passes out of seven attempts, and Luke was looking like the star he thought he was.

"Defense," he continued. "You're looking like a wall. The Grizzlies can't get around you."

I stood. "On behalf of the defense, I thank you," I said with a half bow. "We will be wanting to renegotiate our contracts before the next game. We feel we don't get the appreciation and accolades that the offense does. We want more accolades."

"I don't know what an accolade is, but I'm with Tony, I want more," David Jackson said. If anyone deserved them, he did. The junior who'd been on second string until this week was having the game of his life. He'd racked up an interception and a fumble recovery in addition to a half dozen bone-crushing tackles.

The coach laughed. "We'll worry about dividing the accolades after the game if you don't mind. Everybody relax for a minute, then let's see if we can't get a few more points on the board." He walked toward the door, then paused. "And somebody get David a dictionary."

The third quarter followed the same pattern as the first half, except the coach pulled me off of defense and started rotating me with Luke. Though he'd never admit it, I knew Luke was taking a beating out there and needed the breather.

We almost scored once on a Mike-to-Luke pass that got called back on a penalty. The defense, even without me, managed to keep the Grizzlies outside our ten.

With seven seconds left in the third quarter the Grizzlies tried a field goal from the fifteen, but it hit the crossbar and bounced back just as the clock ran out.

"Get the fuck off him now!"

Robbie grabbed a green jersey and pulled. I was several yards away but ran up and grabbed another jersey and pulled another player off the pile. By then the refs were helping untangle the dog pile.

I searched the look on Robbie's face. "What's wrong?"

"When he went down, I thought I heard... I mean... I..."

I ran for the sidelines and one of the medics. Robbie without words wasn't a good thing. Not now.

"For Mike," I said simply in the huddle. We clapped and ran to the line. I stepped up behind Jeffrey at center and looked around. I nodded to Luke. I leaned forward, my hands between Jeffrey's legs.

"Seventeen! Fourteen!" I looked at the chainsmen on the sidelines. Fourth down with twelve to go. "A smart quarterback would punt. "Seven! Hut!"