Senior Year Box Set

We soon switched to number-two offense against our number-one defense. Coach Mason was all smiles when I joined the huddle.

“Glad to have you back. What do you think we should start off with?” he asked.

“Let’s pound them up the middle,” I said.

“Okay, power I dive right on the first sound,” Coach Mason called.

Wolf moved from his tight end position to act as another fullback with Bert. Jake was our tailback.

“Blue!” I called.

The play was designed to go between the center and right guard. Wolf was to lead Bert and Jake through the hole. If the center needed help with the nose tackle, Wolf would double-team him. If not, he was to take the linebacker on. Bert was supposed to either help with the nose tackle or the linebacker. If they were both blocked, he would pick up either the backside linebacker or the safety.

The nose tackle had slanted away from the play, so Wolf zeroed in on the linebacker. I heard a crack of pads as I handed the ball to Jake. Wolf had pancaked the linebacker, and Bert actually stepped in front of the other middle linebacker. Jake was in the secondary before he was brought down after a ten yard gain.

Coach Rector lost his shit. Coach Hope was right there with him.

“I think we need to do that again,” I said.

“RSP, Baby! Repeat Successful Plays!” Coach Mason called out.

“Blue!”

This time, the nose tackle slanted to the right side, so Wolf had to help block him. I was shocked when Bert met the linebacker head-on and knocked him down. What had gotten into him? Was he going to block this year?

Jake did his thing and picked up twelve yards.

“Antakov, Foresee … get in there,” Coach Rector ordered.

“That’s not good,” I told Coach Mason.

“Run the counter,” he said under his breath. “RSP!”

I called the play on one.

“Blue!” … was all I got out before the whole defensive line jumped offsides.

“What do you go on? Tell me! What do you go on?” Coach Rector ranted. “The ball! You don’t let the quarterback get free plays!”

We stepped right back to the line.

“Line up! Line up!” screamed Coach Hope.

The defense was used to huddling up. They sprinted to the line, and I waited until they were in position. If it had been a game, I would have taken advantage of the chaos.

“Blue! Set. Hut.”

They put Yuri and Tim in at the two middle-linebacker slots. Tim read the lead block by Wolf and stepped into the hole. Yuri sprinted over to help clean up in case Jake slipped through.

Jake made a jab-step to the hole and then exploded between the guard and tackle on the other side of the center. The safety dove at his legs, and Jake gave him a little juke and was gone.

“Let’s run the power I counter quarterback run/pass play,” Coach Mason called. “RSP, Men!”

“Blue. Set. Hut, HUT!”

This time Yuri stayed home and met Jake in the hole.

“Sheeeit!” Bryan Callahan yelled to get everyone’s attention that I had the ball.

On every play, the quarterback runs a fake in an attempt to confuse the defense. Most times, the defense just ignores it because the quarterback never has the ball. With my size, I could almost hide the ball on my hip. I tucked it like I planned to run. That pulled the outside linebacker, corner, and safety to me. It was an easy pitch-and-catch to Roc, who jogged into the end zone.

“Power I play-action tight end fly,” Coach Mason called.

I came up under center and let my right foot sit back, then looked over at Roc and nodded to him. Tim couldn’t help himself as he held up his fist. Yuri hustled up to the line on the left-hand side of me.

“Blue. Set. Hut, HUT!”

I faked to Jake, and he swerved off to help block Yuri. Wolf slipped through the line and popped Tim like he planned to block him. The safety had cheated out to Roc’s side, so when Wolf stepped past Tim and began to run full-out, the middle of the field was open. I took a little off it to make sure it was a catchable ball. The safety sprinted back, but Wolf gave him a straight-arm to fend him off for the score.

“JV offense! Dawson, you remain at quarterback,” Coach Hope ordered.

I smiled when I saw my half brother come onto the field. He was playing a wideout.

“It seems they want to get some success under their belts,” Coach Mason observed.

“Coach, this is my brother Phil. He and I have practiced daily together against players better than we have at corner. Let me help him make varsity,” I suggested.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yeah. Phil can play with them. Let’s run the fade until they can stop it,” I suggested.

Phil lined up across from Nick Rake, our junior cornerback. I could tell they were in man-press by how he lined up and how the safety was inside the hash marks. On the snap, I knew my protection wasn’t going to be there. But fortunately, the fade was a timing route, and I was able to pass the ball before they could get to me. Phil caught it for a fifteen yard gain.