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"Total Package", by Nathan S.
Copyright © May 15, 2001, Age 12
Kevin, Trey and Nathan were the total package. They were all seniors in high school. Kevin was the receiver and safety for the Rams football team. Trey was the tailback and the strong side linebacker. Nathan was the Q.B. and the weak side linebacker.
As Nathan walked under the tunnel that lead to the football field he had flashbacks of the experiences he had shared with Trey and Kevin. The one experience that came to mind was the promise he made with them. The one promise that clearly stated that they would quit playing football if something ever happened to one of them. That meant that if Nathan died the other two would have to quit their careers.
"Hut!" Nathan yelled. He dropped back to pass. He chocked his arm and thrust his arm forward while releasing the ball. A beautiful spiral glided effortlessly through the air and Kevin caught the ball perfectly. Kevin galloped down the sideline and scored. Suddenly the shrill sound of Coach Swanson's whistle rang in Nathan's ear. "Okay, that's it for today. Go hit the showers!" Coach hollered.
The next day we had a game. All during school Nathan couldn't help but think about how they were going to clobber South. The Comets were the Rams biggest rivals. Nathan ran out of the tunnel with his teammates. The only thing he could hear was the crowds deafening roar. As the Comets got ready to kick, Nathan's muscles went tense. He couldn't hear a thing. All he could think about was what if I drop the ball. What if they beat us. The Comets kick was high and short. Nathan ran up and caught the ball on the thirty-five yard line. Smack, Nathan plowed defender after defender over! He was finally knocked out on the Comets forty-five yard line.
"Hut!" Nathan hollered over the crowd. Nathan grabbed the ball and turned to the right. He ran down the line. Pop! Nathan got smothered by the defensive end. A split second before that happened he pitched the ball back to Trey. Trey ran to the sideline like a freight train. No one could stop him. He ran over the corner back and swiftly cut up field for a gain of twenty-five yards. "Hut! Hu..." The referee's whistle blew and the referee signaled that the defense was offsides. That gave the Rams five yards and the repeat of the down.
"Hut!" Nathan screamed. Nathan took the ball and darted to the sidelines. He broke one tackle and galloped into the end zone! The crowd rose to their feet and the cheerleaders sang "The Rams Rock the House!" Everyone was going wild. The Rams' kicker kicked a low scorcher which the kick returner dropped. He picked the ball up and got smothered. South Gwinnett drove down the field in four plays and scored which made the score even at seven.
"Hut!" Nathan yelled. Nathan turned around and pitched the ball back to Trey who gained a yard. "Hut!" Nathan hollered. Nathan dropped back and saw Kevin wide open. As he chocked his arm, he was nailed from the blind side. The ball squirted out of his arms and into South's defensive ends waiting arms. He flew down the field and scored untouched. At the two minute warning of the fourth quarter the score was Rams 7-Comets 14. The Comets had the ball.
Nathan called timeout and yelled at his teammates, "Do you want to lose this game! I don't! Let's get fired up and hold South! Let's Go!" The Comets Q.B. yelled hike and dropped back. He looked for a receiver and spotted his target. Nathan & Trey read his eyes perfectly and darted at the receiver from opposite sides as the ball was unleashed Nathan & Trey hit each other and the ball popped straight into the air. The receiver slipped and Kevin dives and caught the ball. He bounced up but was immediately tackled. "Hut!" Nathan yelled over the screaming fans. Nathan dropped back and looked for a receiver. Kevin was double covered. With fifty seconds left Kevin busted open through the middle and Nathan threw the ball to Kevin. Nathan's throw was a little high so Kevin jumped and right before he touched the ball he was clobbered by the safety. Kevin dropped the ball and the crowd went silent. The crowd roared when the Rams received the ball at the spot of the penalty so the Rams gained thirty yards and a first down.
"Hut!" Nathan screamed. The clock slowly ticked down. Nathan pitched the ball to Trey and Trey gained fifteen yards. The clock kept ticking. Nathan couldn't believe that they might lose. "On the line!" Nathan yelled in desperation. The buzzer went off just before he could get the snap off. The Comets won. The victory was very sweet for the Comets because they hadn't beat Grayson in six years. Trey, Kevin, and Nathan couldn't believe what happened. They had lost their first game of their High School careers. As Nathan headed back to the locker, he heard some players saying that they hated losing. They went on and on, whining and complaining. Suddenly Nathan walked over and yelled in their face, "I hate losing too! I don't go complaining when I lose. I do not have a lot of patients, and when I lose I have no patients. You just pushed my patience to the limit. Get a life, and SHUT-UP!!!"
After Nathan said that no one said a word while in the locker room. Everyone was moping around but Trey, Kevin, & Nathan. For some reason they had a since of pride that they wouldn't go moping around. After that loss the Rams breezed through the season winning every game there after. They beat Brookwood 21-0, the states best team. Going into the playoffs, the Rams were ranked # 2. Their first game was against Shiloh. The Rams blew by Shiloh with a score of Rams 28-Shiloh 0. The Rams smothered South, Brookwood and Berkmar. In the championship game the Rams faced the undefeated Parkveiw Panthers.
Today was the big night for Nathan, Trey, and Kevin. This game was their last game of their careers in High School. All the college scouts were watching this game. The stadium was packed. The weather was cold and the grass was muddy. It was not a good night for football. The Panthers kicker kicked a high long ball. Trey retrieved the ball at the one yard line and ran up to the twenty. "Hut!"Nathan yelled and pitched the ball back to Trey. Trey was tripped up in the backfield for a loss of four. "Hut!" Nathan screamed, his breath rose in the air like a puff of smoke from a train. Nathan dropped back and handed the ball to the fullback. The fullback darted up the middle for six yards. "Hut!" Nathan hollered. Nathan dropped back and unleashed a bomb to Kevin. The ball landed in Kevin's outstretched hands. Kevin slipped as he caught the ball. "Hut!" Nathan hollered over the deafening crowd. He turned and pitched back to Trey who stopped and threw a bomb to Kevin. The pass was right on target and Kevin scored. The Panther's first play was an unexpected pass. Out of nowhere Kevin intercepted the ball and raced down the sidelines but slipped in the mud just before he could score. Trey scored on the next play. The Rams were now ahead by fourteen.
Nothing happened the rest of the game, until the fourth quarter. With three minutes left. "Hut!" Nathan hollered. Nathan turned and pitched the ball to Trey. He broke the cornerback's tackle and ran like a freight train down the sidelines seventy-eight yards. Two yards away from the endzone Trey was clobbered by the safety. Trey scored!!! He hit the ground hard and his head snapped violently. He slid in the mud six feet and lay there silently. He was covered in mud and looked like a frozen popsicle that was dropped in the mud. There was silence in the crowd and suspense grew. No one moved or talked. The paramedics rushed onto the field and carried the unconscious Trey on a stretcher to the ambulance.
The Panthers scored three times in a row tying the game. The rams won by a desperation kick at the last second. The Rams won the championship and the game 24-21. There was no cheering in the locker room. Trey was all anybody could think about. During the meeting after the game, Coach said to pray for Trey and visit him at the hospital. Everyone dressed silently and left. Nobody dared to be the first to talk, especially because of the incident of the beginning of the year with Nathan. There was no celebration just a deep sorrow.
The next day Trey announced to Nathan and Kevin at the hospital that he was paralyzed. The promise Nathan made to his friends last year flashed into Nathan's mind. "I guess our football career is over." Nathan said in sorrow. "Are you kidding me?" Trey asked astonished. "Remember the promise we made last year?" Nathan asked. Trey answered, "Yeah, but we never thought that would ever happen. Go on and play football I won't care." Kevin and Nathan both said, "I'm a man of my word."
From that day on Trey, Kevin, and Nathan had nothing to do with football but they still remember their glorious High School days. No one knows if Nathan and Kevin ever regretted their decisions.
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