Page 70 of The Game Plan

They can do this, I believe.

“Are you ready?” Amy asked, covering her hand with hers.

“I think so.”

Reese stood behind Eli,sweat pouring down his neck as he breathed heavily, waiting for the play to start.

The Kings had worked so hard to even the score and clawed their way to a three-point game, yet Preston’s last field goal attempt bounced off the uprights and was no good.

Now, they were seconds away from the two-minute warning of the end of the game, the ball in Kings hands and in Wolves territory.

Eli made the call and took the snap, passing it to Reese as he shot forward into the bodies of the offensive line pushing through to the left as a hole opened up for him to get through to get the first down.

“No huddle, no huddle!” Eli called, moving the line with the chains.

They got into position, and Eli received the ball from the center, tossing the ball to Carter, who danced across the first down line with ease.

“What is happening?” Reese called, cheering as he watched his teammate take them to the thirty-yard line.

“No huddle, no huddle!” Eli called again, stepping up as the offensive line took their position.

“Are you ready?” Eli asked, turning to glance at Reese.

He nodded, and the ball was hiked, and Eli passed it to Reese, who rushed forward through the same hole. This time, he was blindsided by a linebacker, the big man crushing Reese under his body.

“Fuck!” Reese cried, his wrist stinging in pain around the ball.

He looked to the side and watched a referee throw a flag, the yellow nylon swimming before his eyes as he pushed away the pain.

“Personal foul,” the referee called, “Unnecessary roughness! Fifteen-yard penalty.”

“Reese!” Eli called, pushing off the linebacker as he reached down to help him up. “Are you okay?”

Reese grimaced at the pain in his wrist. “I don’t know.” He tossed the ball one handed to the referee and walked to the sidelines.

He headed over to the medical tent to get his wrist checked out, getting the approval to re-enter the game after sitting out acouple of plays with some ice. He watched the first down and Eli was able to run the ball to the ten and slide to the ground.

“You good to go?” Magnus asked, coming over to him. “I want this for you.”

“I want this, too,” he replied, looking down at his wrist. “You think I’m good?”

Magnus looked over at the medical tent, and they gave him a thumbs up.

“Be careful but get out there.”

Reese tossed the ice down and clapped a hand on his coach’s arm. “Thanks, Coach.”

Magnus tapped his back with his hand, and Reese re-took the field, the crowd chanting his name as he joined his teammates in the huddle.

“This is it,” Eli said, looking at the clock. “Less than two minutes, and we are first and goal. We can do this!” He called the play, and they took their position.

Eli took the snap and faked the ball to Reese, aiming the other direction as Reese dove through the defense, and Eli turned back to him, shooting the ball down the field to land securely in Reese’s hands as he rushed into the end zone.

The stadium burst into noise as he held up the ball, running down the end zone to jump into Spenser’s arms.

“Fuck yeah!” Spenser cried, clapping his hand on Reese’s helmet.

They looked over at the sideline, and Magnus held up a two, indicating they were going for two points.