"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GET BACK UP!" God this kid made me so mad. Jackob Yerdladson, he was a king at tackle drills and was a varsity cross country runner. But, every time he even sniffed a blocker he went down like a sack of potatoes.
"Don't just throw yourself into him, there are five of them and four of you, if you fall and get held down he does his job and the line is now down three to four. Use your hips, yes your hips to generate the power to push him off his balance and then shove him aside."
Coach was good at teaching a lot of things but had trouble teaching technical skills to kids. I was an honorary captain for homecoming tonight. I had gotten in early and was up earlier for "dawn drills", a traditional practice for gameday where the team did position drills before class that Friday, they would then nap as one team in the locker room after class until the game.
I heard the coach's whistle for drills to end. I helped pick him up after falling again over the blocking dummy. "Look, just think about it, try to find time to enjoy today."
I struggled to find anything to enjoy that day. I hadn't come back to my high school for seven years now. Things looked a lot worse then I remembered. The concrete floors had more cracks then I remembered, the buses were rustier and more in need of a coat of paint. The German books were still from West Germany.
But those lights. God I dreamed of those lights. This is where the world would always make sense. The stadium was rebar and concrete block reinforced with mold, dust, and grime. The concessions stand was new and served a good hot dog from the local factory. No parking lot, everyone walked to the field and then walked home, after the game.
"Uh, sir, it’s time." I looked to my right and the regular captains were holding hands and looking to me. I took his hand and walked to the middle of the field. I saw on the other side of the field, Palmer Anderson. A QB, He had gotten a scholarship for college for five years but never showed any interest in the DSFL. It took me back to the last game I ever got to play for my hometown. I was a few inches from taking him to the ground when he got the ball out of his hands and down the field. Forty thousand people were screaming as he took the state title from us.
My city produced a running game that never could be stopped, but it took time to score; while the away team ran an offense that would make the Otters proud. The game was a blur, except for the very end. I watched as the visiting Quarterback scrambled to Jakobs's side and I could see just how we were going to lose this game. Jakob had kept on his feet but hadn't been able to do much of anything this game, but this time was different. Suddenly I saw him do the move he had been saving the entire game. He flicked away the guard's arms with his inside hand and shoved him away with his outside hand. Like a thunderbolt, he was off and tackled that QB so hard the ball popped out. He wasn't first to the ball, the other team’s Runningback was there to pick it up, but as soon as he turned around he was hit by Jakob as well... in the endzone for a safety. Good field position saw my home team to make the game-winning field goal.
But I wasn't watching the final drive like the rest of the sideline and the crowd. During the kickoff, I looked over to the other side of the field and saw someone else that knew what was going to happen next. Palmer Anderson was with his wife and pushing a stroller with two young kids out of the stadium. He was happy, I guess you don't always get what you want.
692 words. good luck to everyone else.
"Don't just throw yourself into him, there are five of them and four of you, if you fall and get held down he does his job and the line is now down three to four. Use your hips, yes your hips to generate the power to push him off his balance and then shove him aside."
Coach was good at teaching a lot of things but had trouble teaching technical skills to kids. I was an honorary captain for homecoming tonight. I had gotten in early and was up earlier for "dawn drills", a traditional practice for gameday where the team did position drills before class that Friday, they would then nap as one team in the locker room after class until the game.
I heard the coach's whistle for drills to end. I helped pick him up after falling again over the blocking dummy. "Look, just think about it, try to find time to enjoy today."
I struggled to find anything to enjoy that day. I hadn't come back to my high school for seven years now. Things looked a lot worse then I remembered. The concrete floors had more cracks then I remembered, the buses were rustier and more in need of a coat of paint. The German books were still from West Germany.
But those lights. God I dreamed of those lights. This is where the world would always make sense. The stadium was rebar and concrete block reinforced with mold, dust, and grime. The concessions stand was new and served a good hot dog from the local factory. No parking lot, everyone walked to the field and then walked home, after the game.
"Uh, sir, it’s time." I looked to my right and the regular captains were holding hands and looking to me. I took his hand and walked to the middle of the field. I saw on the other side of the field, Palmer Anderson. A QB, He had gotten a scholarship for college for five years but never showed any interest in the DSFL. It took me back to the last game I ever got to play for my hometown. I was a few inches from taking him to the ground when he got the ball out of his hands and down the field. Forty thousand people were screaming as he took the state title from us.
My city produced a running game that never could be stopped, but it took time to score; while the away team ran an offense that would make the Otters proud. The game was a blur, except for the very end. I watched as the visiting Quarterback scrambled to Jakobs's side and I could see just how we were going to lose this game. Jakob had kept on his feet but hadn't been able to do much of anything this game, but this time was different. Suddenly I saw him do the move he had been saving the entire game. He flicked away the guard's arms with his inside hand and shoved him away with his outside hand. Like a thunderbolt, he was off and tackled that QB so hard the ball popped out. He wasn't first to the ball, the other team’s Runningback was there to pick it up, but as soon as he turned around he was hit by Jakob as well... in the endzone for a safety. Good field position saw my home team to make the game-winning field goal.
But I wasn't watching the final drive like the rest of the sideline and the crowd. During the kickoff, I looked over to the other side of the field and saw someone else that knew what was going to happen next. Palmer Anderson was with his wife and pushing a stroller with two young kids out of the stadium. He was happy, I guess you don't always get what you want.
692 words. good luck to everyone else.
![[Image: alejandro_chainbreaker.jpg?width=769&height=364]](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/372602034198806530/716040994080161802/alejandro_chainbreaker.jpg?width=769&height=364)
