Chapter 17: Westfield Prep
The bus ride to Westfield Prep was anything but quiet. The team's energy was high, and the air was filled with nervous anticipation. DJ, Malik, and Travis sat together near the back, joking around to ease the tension.
"DJ, you know we're counting on you to carry
us today," Travis said, nudging him.
DJ laughed, "No pressure, right? Just my
entire future and the team's hopes and dreams."
Malik chimed in, "Just make sure you don't trip over your own feet."
"That was one time, and it was 6th grade!" DJ protested, and the whole bus erupted in laughter.
'Man, I needed that laugh,' DJ thought, trying to shake off his nerves.
As the bus hit a bump, the freshman sitting at the front, known for his weak stomach, turned a shade of green. Malik pointed; eyes
wide. "Oh no, guys, I think he's gonna blow."
The freshman seemed like he couldn't hold it any longer before stopping and regaining his composure. The bus echoed with groans
and laughter.
"Hope he feels better before the game," DJ said, shaking his head.
"Maybe we should've skipped the pre-game
burritos, I blame James for urging him on even when he said he's bad with food before a game" Travis joked, earning another round of laughs.
James, sitting a few rows up, turned around and said, " Hey that's besides the point, you remember when Coach tried to give us that motivational speech and tripped over the water cooler?"
DJ grinned, "Yeah, and he tried to play it off like it was part of the plan."
"it's always part of the plan with DJ." Malik added while doing his best Coach Carter Impression.
Everyone laughed again, the tension easing
slightly. 'These guys always know how to lighten the mood,' DJ thought, appreciating the atmosphere.
"I swear, if we win tonight, I'll buy everyone on the team pizza," Malik declared.
"You're on," DJ said, "But make sure it's the good stuff, none of that cardboard crust."
Travis added, "And wings. Lots of wings."
DJ chuckled. 'I love these guys. Win or lose,
we're in it together.'
The bus hit another bump, and the freshman groaned again. "Poor guy," DJ said, feeling a pang of sympathy.
"Just think of it as part of the initiation," Malik said. "We've all been there."
———
In the locker room, the atmosphere shifted to one of focus as everyone could feel they were in enemy territory. DJ changed into his uniform, adjusting his number 1 jersey. He could hear the muffled sounds of the home crowd outside, already loud, and buzzing.
Coach Carter walked in, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Alright, men, this is it. Let's get out there and show them what we're made of. Stick to the game plan and give it your all."
DJ strapped on his gear, feeling the familiar
adrenaline rush. 'This is what I live for,' he thought, tightening his gloves.
As the team took the field for warm-ups, the home crowd greeted them with a chorus of boos. DJ ignored them, focusing on his
stretches. He spotted his dad, Brianna, her family, Ellie, and Addison in the stands. Seeing them there gave him a boost of confidence.
He also noticed Jordan in the cheerleading squad, her curly black hair bouncing as she cheered. She caught his eye and waved, but
DJ quickly looked away, not wanting to add fuel to what he thought was fire.
———-
The game started, and Westfield Prep's defense was relentless. The Sharks struggled to find their rhythm. On the first play, DJ lined up at the 30-yard line, third and long, ready to
explode off the line. He used a hop release, faking a quick slant before cutting outside. But the cornerback was all over him, and the safety closed in fast, making it impossible to catch the ball cleanly. He dropped the pass,
frustration bubbling up inside him.
On the next play, DJ tried a stutter step to
create separation, but again, the defense was prepared. They had clearly schemed to stop him, and it was working. Westfield Prep's linebackers were constantly pressuring the quarterback, and their cornerbacks and safeties were dedicated to double and triple-teaming DJ.
Meanwhile, Westfield Prep's offense was on fire. Jake Johnson, their star wide receiver, was tearing through the Sharks' defense. DJ watched helplessly as Jake outran their cornerbacks, showing why he was a star track athlete. By halftime, Westfield Prep had a commanding lead of 28-14.
Despite the tough coverage, DJ managed to make a couple of tough plays. On one play, he lined up at the 45-yard line, second and
ten. He executed a triple move, faking a quick deep out before cutting into a post. Seeing the James scramble and pointing towards the end zone telling him to go deep and he made another sharp cut upfield. The ball sailed through the air, and DJ dove, catching it just before hitting the ground for a touchdown.
Later, just before halftime, DJ lined up in the
slot on the 35-yard line, second and long. He used a burst off the line, but the cornerback was draped all over him, and the safety loomed in front. DJ made a desperate leap off one, extending his arms over the safety's helmet to snag the ball for another touchdown. He crashed to the turf, the impact jarring, but he held on tight. The crowd erupted in boos, but DJ felt a surge of satisfaction.
Halftime
In the locker room, the team sat in silence,
breathing heavily from the grueling first half. Coach Carter paced in front of them, his expression stern and angry.
"Listen up! Yall better be ready to play"
he began, his voice commanding attention. "If yall aren't ready to play go home. DJ, they're focusing on you for a reason, which means there scared of you, drive the ball down their damn throats you hear me, none of them can guard you! Linemen, protect your damn quarterback I shouldn't need to tell you not to escort the defense into sacking our quarterback. Defense, tighten up and stop
letting Jake Johnson run all over us, you literally go against DJ every day in
practice. Let the helmet do the talking and we'll party tomorrow, you gotta believe that, you gotta believe that they don't got the passion to beat us and that you outworked them you hear me! We've got twenty-four minutes to turn this damn game around. Let's show them who we are! DJ break the huddle."
"Sharks on m- "
"LOUDER!" Coach Carter said looking like he was about to pop a vein.
Sharks on 3, family on-
"I SAID LOUDER"
"SHARKS ON 3 FAMILY ON 6."
"1 2 3 SHARKS 4 5 6 FAMILY." The team said in unison.
DJ nodded, 'Time to step up,' he thought 'winning is all that matters'.
DJ's First Half Stats:
Receptions: 4
Receiving Yards: 72
Touchdowns: 2
Dropped Passes: 3
———
The third quarter opened with the Sharks in
possession. DJ, feeling the weight of the game, lined up wide left, his heart pounding. It was 1st and 10, and DJ knew he had to make a statement. With a burst of speed, he exploded off the line, executing a sharp route, a post, aiming to pierce the heart of the defense. The ball was snapped, and DJ
sprinted downfield, his eyes fixed on the quarterback. As the ball spiraled towards him, DJ soared into the air, stretching out his arm to snag it with one hand over the shoulder of the safety as if he was playing basketball, drawing gasps from the crowd.
The Sharks offense continued to march down the field, each play met with fierce resistance from the opposing team, but DJ's determination never wavered. On 3rd and 5, he ran a double move on a go route, his agility and speed eluding defenders as he exploded off the line before hitting the brakes faking a cut inside and then quickly going upfield and
securing another crucial first down. As the quarter wore on, the Sharks found themselves within striking distance of the end zone.
Sharks: 28
Westfield Prep: 35
Fourth Quarter:
With the game hanging in the balance 'Closer' activated, the intensity reached a fever pitch. DJ lined up wide right, his eyes locked on the cornerback. It was 1st and Goal, and DJ knew this was his moment to shine. With lightning speed, he exploded off the line, running a corner route towards the sideline. The quarterback released the ball, and DJ leaped into the air, reaching out with both hands to make the catch. The crowd
held its breath as DJ's fingertips grazed the ball, but it slipped through his grasp, agonizingly close to a touchdown.
Undeterred, DJ lined up again, his mind focused on redemption. On 2nd and Goal, he executed a goal line fade, faking inside before
breaking towards the sideline. The cornerback didn't bite on the fake, leaving
DJ in tight coverage. The ball was thrown, and DJ made a leaping catch, with the CB not turning his head to look at the ball, his arms reached around the CBs head catching the ball against his helmet before coming down with it in the end zone for a touchdown. The away crowd erupted in cheers as the Sharks closed the gap.
As the game entered its final minutes, DJ
continued to shine. On 3rd and long, he ran a deep post route, streaking down the field with blazing speed. The quarterback launched a deep pass, and DJ tracked it down, making a spectacular two-handed catch despite tight coverage from the defense by bending and lowering his body to the point he was sitting
on the turf. It was a moment of brilliance, but the Sharks still trailed by a slim margin.
With time running out, the Sharks launched one final drive. DJ lined up in the slot, his heart pounding in his chest. It was 4th and Goal, and the game hung in the balance. The quarterback dropped back, scanning the field for an open receiver. DJ sprinted towards the end zone; his eyes locked on the ball. The pass was thrown, and DJ leaped into the air,
reaching out with both hands to make the catch. The crowd held its breath as the ball sailed towards him, but a defender tried swatted it away at the last second, DJs arm and hands seemed to have magnets as he juggled the ball in the air despite the pass getting tipped, before coming down with it ,hard on the turf sending the game into overtime and the away crowd jumping and cheering.
Sharks: 35
Westfield Prep: 35
Overtime
the atmosphere was tense, and the Sharks and Westfield Prep battled fiercely, neither team willing to concede defeat. DJ's heart pounded in his chest as he lined up for what could be the game-winning drive. With the ball in their possession, the Sharks pushed forward, inch by inch, determined to secure victory.
But despite their efforts, Westfield Prep's
defense proved formidable. DJ fought with everything he had, executing sharp routes, and making incredible catches, but the opposing team's defense was relentless, seeming determined to send him to the hospital with big hit after big hit. As the clock ticked down, the Sharks found themselves in a crucial fourth-down situation for the game.
With the game on the line, DJ ran a C route with precision towards his best friend the sideline, but the Westfield Prep defenders closed in, blocking his path. With no other options, the quarterback lobbed a desperate pass towards the end zone near the sideline. In a moment of breathtaking suspense, DJ leaped into the air, his fingertips snatching the
ball over the crowd of defenders, but unfortunately not being in bounds.
The stadium fell silent before cheering like no
tomorrow, the referee shortly after signaling the end of the game. Despite their valiant efforts, the Sharks had come up just short. Defeat weighed heavily on DJ and his teammates as they trudged off the field, the
disappointment palpable in the air.
As they gathered in the locker room, Coach Carter delivered a somber but encouraging speech, praising their resilience, and telling
them to be ready for practice on Monday. Though they had fallen short that day, he reminded them that they had fought with all they had and that there would be more opportunities ahead and that the season was not over.
As the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read:
Westfield Prep: 41 Sharks: 35
Despite the efforts of DJ and the Sharks,
they fell just short of victory. However, DJ's performance was nothing short of remarkable. His stats for the game were as follows:
Receptions: 10
Yards: 225
Touchdowns: 4
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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