Blood, Sweat and Tears Part 64
"Please welcome the Baltimore Romans!" the announcer said over the audio system of Patriot Stadium. The Pittsburgh crowd booed and hackled loudly as the gold-and-brown clad team ran out onto the field. Ignoring the taunts the athletes just grinned smugly and waved to the stands.
As the starting lineup was introduced, the Wolverines watched and took mental notes on the few first-stringers that were missing due to injuries. Having to mentally shift some of their strategies based on the strengths and weakness of the second-stringers now added to the mix, the odds were stacking up to make this a pretty even match up.
Once the last Roman was called out, the music started up again and the Pittsburgh cheerleaders formed a line at either side of the doors where the team waited. Making a runway, they raised their shimmering pompoms high and shook them to catch the hazy sunlight peering through the clouds above. Relena and Wufei shared a private smile and wink. Catherine and Trowa did the same.
With a grin in his voice, the announcer's voice cried, "And now, ladies and gentlemen, your Pittsburgh Wolverines!" The shouts, cheers and applause that filled the air was explosive as the red-and-gold uniformed players ran out to their sideline while the first-stringers stayed inside the doorway.
Starting with the defensive lineup, each starter was introduced one-by-one. The special team and offensive line were next until only Heero and Duo remained. Finally, the announcer shouted over the crowd, "Number 21, running back, Duo Maxwell!"
If it was possible, the audience grew even louder as the braided athlete took the field. Looking up with wide eyes, he looked to the many signs and banners with his name and a variety of messages saying things like 'Maxwell- Bad Boy No More!!' or 'One of the Good Guys!' Many faces had the number '121' painted on their cheeks in support of his relationship with Heero by combining their numbers.
Up in the owner's box, the running back's family looked on with Dorothy, Quatre Lady Une, Noin, Gavin and Derek. Chuckling deeply, the head coach's wife smiled, "This is a pretty far cry from how it had been for his first game here."
"And rightfully so," the team owner smirked in amusement. Sitting beside her, the little ones were all wearing their Maxwell jerseys with eyes sparkling in excitement.
Back on the field, Duo bit his lip as the crowd continued their celebration of him. Violet eyes shimmering, he bit back the small sob that threatened to escape him. Joining the line that the offensive starters were making, he shook Trowa's hand and the center leaned in to whisper, "Don't start crying now. You'll smear your grease lines." Laughing, the running back pat his back in thanks for breaking up the intensity of the moment.
Once more, the announcer's voice retuned to shout over the crowd, "And last, but certainly not least, the team captain." Throughout the buildup, the thunderous cries from the crowd grew. "Number 1, quarterback, Heero Yuy!" All around, the air just seemed vibrate from the deafening accolade.
Smiling, the quarterback raised a hand in greeting as he ran towards his teammates. When he reached his lover's side, he pulled him in for a one-armed embrace and shook hands with the other starters as they gathered around.
The usual motions were run between the singing of the anthem to the coin toss. After winning the call, Baltimore took first possession of the football for the chance to score first. Watching from the sideline, the offensive line and back-up players yelled to their comrades on the field.
Just within the first few plays, it was pretty clear that Baltimore was being affected by the cold wind that shifted direction constantly. It opened a few windows of opportunity for the Wolverine defense. The Romans' quarterback was taking too long to find someone open to throw the ball to and was sacked during one of the plays during their first possession.
In the end, Baltimore was held to a failed field goal kick attempt. While the kick by the punter was good, it was not strong enough to hold its course in the wind and was blown well out of range of the field posts.
Jumping and cheering along with the crowd, the Wolverines of the sidelines celebrated. After the kick to Pittsburgh, the ball was placed at a mark of sixty-eight yards to the end zone. Howard and Darren quickly assembled a string of plays to run in succession based on the factor they believed the weather would play. Given the rundown, Heero secured his helmet in place and led the offensive line's charge onto the field.
Quickly huddling with his teammates, the team captain spoke loudly over the crowd, "Throw, hand off, fake toss turned hand off, toss. We don't want them to have time to regroup after each play, so we're not huddling again until after the fourth play. Remember the order. Throw, hand off, fake toss turned hand off, throw." The others all nodded, the determination in their eyes and faces.
Breaking, they took their places, glaring heatedly at the players facing them. Wufei dug his cleats into the hard ground as far as he could for the best traction. Trowa's taped hand gripped the chilled football tightly. Duo bent down low behind his partner as not to tip their opponents off that a throw was coming. Heero stretched his arms out in preparation of the snap.
"Set!" the quarterback cried. "Set! Set! Hike!" Fluidly, the ball was pushed back into his waiting hands and he scanned the field to see which receiver would find an opening first. Growling deeply, Wufei dodged and weaved his blockers as best he could, but remained tangled.
On the other end of the field, Scott Dailey managed to break free of his aggressors. Looking over his shoulder, the receiver raised his arm high to show he was ready. Heero took a couple sidesteps to avoid being taken down by a lineman that punched through the offensive team. Target in sight as it continued to run ahead, the quarterback pulled his arm back and launched the football with a grunt of effort.
In the owner's box, everyone held their breath while watching the long, high soar of the ball. Seeing the wind begin to snarl the ball on its way towards him, Scott slowed his pace and shifted to the right in order to be able to catch it. While his hands were able to hold on, there was enough of a delay that his blockers caught up and took him out before he could gain another yard.
But, the damage had been done with a gain of fifteen yards and now for more chances to get at least another ten. On their feet, the fans renewed their cheering and applause.
Just as discussed, there was no huddle. The offensive team just ran to their new place on the field and dug into their positions before their adversaries had a moment to talk over the situation. Trowa gripped the ball and stared heatedly at the linemen at either side of him. "Set!" Heero yelled. "Set! Hike!"
The moment the ball was in his hands, the quarterback turned to hand the ball off to Duo. Like so many times before, the running back found an opening where most would not have seen anything but bodies. Pounding his way through, he broke free of the arms and hands extending to stop him. Once in the open, he bolted onward as fast as his legs could carry him. Twelve more yards gained, he was brought down by a tackle from the side.
Shaken up by the speed at which the Wolverines were getting into their places, one of the Baltimore blockers scrambled to reach his mark as he breathed, "They're so damned fast!" He never had a chance to get anywhere near his teammates to collect himself.
Cobalt eyes narrowed, Heero looked up and down the line at either side of him as he shouted, "Set! Set! Hike!" Another smooth snap and he was running backwards with his arm raised as though he was about to throw. It was enough to trick the blockers into working their way for the receivers to keep them from making a catch.
At the last second, the quarterback turned to hand the ball off to his partner. This time when Duo broke through, there was no one close enough to stop him as he ran the remaining forty-plus yards in for a touchdown.
"Touchdown Pittsburgh!" Tim screamed in the commentator tower. "Unbelievable! That was one of the fastest transitions and scores the Wolverines have made all season!"
It was nearly impossible to hear over the thunder of the crowd as the offensive line celebrated in the end zone. First to greet the running back, Heero laughed excitedly as he wrapped his arms around the slender waist and lifted his lover off the ground. Raising his arms overhead, Duo let out a loud, "Wwhhooohhhooo!"
Everyone on the Wolverine sideline jumped and joined in the party their own way as the players on the field returned. Raising his arm, Duo flashed a peace sign to the stands as he headed back with his teammates. "And with that long run, Maxwell is well on the way to pushing the gap for the best personal standing between himself and Alex Denton into a wide margin." Adam stated. "He is just a monster out there!"
Grinning, Tim nodded, "It's very good to see that the straining events of the last week have not affected his heart during a game. In fact, he seems even more driven and stronger than he's looked all season, if that were possible! It just stands to reason, beyond any prior doubt, that the weakest link in the chain was removed and replaced by the right bolt to solidify the whole when he was traded onboard."
Adam shook his head, "And steady as ever, Yuy knows how to lead his team through his example and patience. We're looking at a quarterback who has come into his own and only gets better every time he takes the field. Because of him, we get to see a tight bond amongst the team that few others reach. There just seems to be no shaking the Wolverines any time soon with the right mix of players that they have."
"It's still only the beginning of the first quarter," the other commentator reminded. "We'll have to see if Pittsburgh can keep up the momentum."
Still dancing and cheering, the children in the owner's box hugged and shouted. Dorothy watched with a wide smile and her arms folded. Noin giggled quietly before looking back to the field as the next kick off was being set into motion.
A fire was lit under the Romans following that first touchdown. The snowflakes thickened and actually held when they landed to begin forming a thin white blanket on the ground. Even with that, Baltimore pushed themselves to not have the weather affect them as they allowed it to in their first possession. They managed to score the second time around.
Holding back his frustration, Trent welcomed his defensive team with pats on the back when they returned. The fact that the score was now tied was at no fault for a lack of effort on the players' parts. Even the Roman kicker seemed to find the rhythm he needed to make his kicks hit their mark despite the wind factor.
"Watch it out there, boys," Howard warned the offensive lineup as he pulled the hood on his coat over his head to fend off the snow. "If their own offense is getting their footing, you know that means their defense will be, too. Just don't make any mistakes if you can help it." Heads nodded as the first stringers slid their helmets on.
Unfortunately, that mistake did come a couple of possessions later. After neither team scored for some time, Trowa could not get a good enough grip on the slick football and his snap was anything but clean. It bounced off the ground before it even reached Heero's hands. Scrambling to get it, the quarterback tried to land on it before anyone from Baltimore could.
There was enough of a confusion from the slip that the offensive line crumbled, exposing gaps for the Romans to break through. As the football slipped from one person to the next in their attempt to recover it, the end result left a pile of bodies from both teams.
Referees ran in to separate the players and determine who had possession. Crawling from the bottom of the stack, a brown-and-gold lineman ran out with his prize in hand as he held it high for all to see.
A collective groan, sigh and round of 'boos' rose from the crowd. Throwing his head back, Trowa took a shuddery breath with a muttered, "Goddamn it." Shaken by the rare error on his part, the center turned and headed back to the sideline with his teammates so that the defensive line could take the field to stop the Baltimore push.
Hands covering his mouth, Quatre's wide eyes watched all through the clear glass shielding the owner's box and whispered, "Shake it off, Trowa." Noin was chewing on her lip nervously, Lady Une was quietly beginning to pace and Dorothy remained still with an unreadable expression.
Back in the commentator's tower, Tim frowned deeply, "Well this is a very unexpected turn of events, folks. Trowa Barton, one of the best at what he does, brought on a costly fumble. If there were going to be any errors due to the wet snow today, that was not one that I would have predicted happening."
Throwing his helmet off, Trowa sat down on the bench. Leaned forward, he covered his face with his hands.
In four plays, the Romans managed to capitalize on the opportunity presented to them and scored to take over the lead. With the extra point, they were up 14-7.
Throughout the whole of the Baltimore possession, Trowa kept his head lowered and his teammates gave him his space to sort his head out. If the game was lost because of that mistake, the blame would rightfully fall on his shoulders. He couldn't bear to look at his teammates, knowing fully what was at stake. With one slip, he could have cost them all the opportunity to see the playoffs.
A hand came to rest on his shoulder and a familiar voice reassured, "Shake it off, man. The game's nowhere near over, so we need you right now."
Sad emerald looked up into calm violet. Heero, Wufei, Howard and Zechs were standing close with concern on their own faces. "I'm sorry," was all Trowa could manage quietly.
"No apologies needed," the Chinese receiver answered. "We've had worse mistakes and dug out of bigger holes than this. Like Maxwell said, we need you."
Zechs nodded, "Get it together, Barton. You're up as soon as the ball is placed after the kick." Howard bent at the waist to pat his center on the back before heading off with a wink. Together, the two coaches headed down the line to check on the remainder of the offensive team.
Offering a hand that was firmly grasped, Heero helped his tall friend up to his feet and handed over his helmet. Their eyes locked, he stated, "I still wouldn't trust another center more than you out there. Don't you start doubting yourself now."
Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Trowa nodded and accepted his helmet with a muttered word of thanks. The remaining members of the offensive line came up to him with hand shakes and slaps to his shoulders for support. With a deep breath, the center charged back out to the field once the football had been marked.
* * * * * *
With less than one quarter remaining, the score was still in Baltimore's favor at 24 to 21. Close as the game was, it only took one point for the winner to be decided. Frustration and a bit of fatigue starting to take their toll thanks to the slick situation, Pittsburgh was grasping tightly to any opening they had to make something happen.
That came when Heero stretched his hands out for the snap of the ball with thirty-one yards to go before reaching the end zone. "Set!" he yelled over the crowd. "Hike! Hike!" Eyes arrowed in determination, Trowa tossed the ball back with ease and instantly wrapped his long arms around the oncoming defenders.
Sticking to their plan, Duo races out a couple of yards ahead of Heero and turned back. Arms up, he caught the toss directed to him and spun to break through the wall of bodies forming ahead of him. "Maxwell makes the catch!" Adam cried. "And off he goes, folks!"
Without looking back at the players barely on his heels, the running back sped off ahead and did not stop until he reached the end zone. A wild roar went up from the crowd. "Pittsburgh takes the lead 27 to 24!" Tim yelled. "With the extra point kick coming up, they'll be at a less than comfortable four-point lead!"
Still celebrating on their way back to the sideline, the offensive line patted the backs of the special team and their kicker as they stepped out to take over. From the sideline, Duo's reddened hands shook from the cold as he poured a cup of warm tea for himself. "Man, those bastards are giving us a time out there, huh?" he chuckled to his comrades.
There was a sudden startle of gasps and cries from the crowd just as one of the Wolverines shouted, "Oh shit! It's not going to make it!" Spinning to look to the field with wide eyes, Duo and the offensive line saw the reason for the disruption. In disbelief, they watched as the football, freshly kicked for the extra point, was carried by the wind and bounced off the right goal post to miss its mark.
Dropping the paper cup in this hold, Duo's hands reached up to the back of his head. "Oh fuck!" he yelled as the team around him reacted in shock and fear. "The kick was missed!" Tim gasped. "And the Romans have time on the clock to score a touchdown to win or kick a field goal to tie for overtime!" [1]
Heero dry-washed his face before looking to where the football had fallen just to see that he hadn't imagined what happened. The wide eyes all around him and the despondent crowd were all the proof he needed to know he had actually witnessed the failed kick. Head low and shaking from side to side, their kicker slowly returned to the sideline with the rest of the special team. Many rushed to reassure Brent, knowing the pressure that had been put of the young man's shoulders to make the kick.
Nearly falling out of his seat, Adam exclaimed, "With six minutes on the clock, this game is not over yet, everyone! After slips and misses from both teams during this face off, there is still a chance for Baltimore to rip away Pittsburgh's lock for the playoffs. If they do lose, the Wolverines will have to put every bit of their effort in the last game of the season next week."
Helpless to do anything, the offensive line could do nothing but sit, watch and wait as the defense took the field. Cheering their teammates on, every Wolverine on the sideling was on their feet.
Baltimore used the same strategy that had been used against then, taking only one huddle for a stretch of plays. Just as it had worked for Pittsburgh, it worked for them. They gained momentum and gained well more than ten yards after each snap.
Throwing the baseball cap off his head, Trent screamed, "Come on, you guys! Stop those bastards!" a lot of eyes both in the stands and on the sidelines looked away, afraid to watch any more as the Romans drew closer and closer to the end zone.
Despite the quick change over from play to play, the clock continued to wind down. When the time reached down to less than a minute, the Roman quarterback raised his hands to signal the use of their last timeout.
Leaning over his desk for a better look at what was happening below, Tim relayed, "It looks like Baltimore is bringing out their kicking team. Not a bad call since they are at their last attempt to make for a first down with five yards away for that and total of twenty-four total yards to score a touchdown."
Adam nodded, "It's the only move that they can make now, Tim. With only twenty seconds left in the game, this is going to be the last play. Luckily for the Romans, Gary Nomas had kicked successful field goals from as far as forty-one yards away from the posts. He has almost half that distance to go for this attempt. After all of their hard work in this impressive season, it all comes down to this for Pittsburgh."
Everyone on the Wolverine sideline was on their feet, waiting and watching anxiously as Nomas and his spotter gagged the direction of the wind and adjusted their positions accordingly.
"OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod," Duo muttered over and over as he bounced from one foot to the other anxiously. Heero's hands were gripping the back of his head, Wufei bit his lip nervously and Trowa folded his arms tight against himself. Of anyone on their sideline, only Zechs was in a state of calm, as he always was.
Breaths hitched in throats at the snap of the ball to the spotter. Holding it up and in place, he turned to watch the kicker running up to him. Throwing back is right leg as he neared, Nomas let off a powerful kick to launch the ball high and fast. The inertia behind the football had it spinning and fighting the wind gusts to stay on track, straight and narrow.
Eyes wide, the Wolverines and Romans alike witnessed the ball soar the first fifteen yards on target. Then, it began to hook in the wind and at the last moment, was pushed too far left to fly between the posts to soar wide by mere inches.
For just a second, there was a stillness before the crowd erupted. "Pittsburgh is in the playoffs!" Adam yelled. "Pittsburgh is in the playoffs!" Water, towels, helmets and anything that was in the Wolverines' hands on the sidelines were thrown in the air as they shouted and jumped around.
In the owner's box, Dorothy's guests were cheering, embracing and dancing around in elation over the close win. A hand covering her mouth, the team owner fought the urge of tears from her eyes as she just stared down on the field. Beside her, Noin turned to the young woman with her own eyes shimmering and smiled, "Congratulations. You've officially created a team to be respected and reckoned with."
Lowering her hands to fold them against her breastplate, Dorothy kept her gaze on her team. A wide and proud smile lit her face as nodded.
Zechs showed the most emotion her ever had on the sideline as he wiped a stray tear at finally making the playoffs for the first time in his career. The moment lasted but a moment before Heero, Duo, Wufei and Trowa hoisted the huge water jug to douse him with the gallons still inside from behind. From their place, Sally, Howard and Trent had a good laugh at the sight. Laughing loudly himself, the head coach ignored the cold and embraced his players tightly.
And the crowd never stopped cheering or applauding their heroes.
Whatever the playoffs held for them, every last soul involved with the Wolverines-whether they were a fan of a member of the organization- was never going to forget that day.
TBC...
Back to SkyLark's Fanfictions Page