Page 84 of A Game as Old as Time

“Gunner!” His coach grabbed his facemask.

“I got it, Coach. I’ll get it to Ty.” He jerked away, leaving no time for any other conversation before he pressed onto the field.

Get it to Ty.

The Nike cleats on Gunner’s feet were a blur as he willed them toward the ball. He forced himself to look up and find Emilio, who had just set into position. He was struggling to focus. The silver and black jerseys of the other team were shifting in and out of his field of vision as they shouted out signals.

Just give the ball to Ty.

Gunner’s heart started to beat faster. A final deep inhale gave him enough breath to call out the cadence. His hands shook in front of him.

“OK, ladies and gentlemen, Coach Bianchi is going for the win. You have to love the aggressiveness, but if they do not make this, Grove City will have a chance to knock South Mountain out of the playoffs!

Weston calls out his cadence and looks over the line. He takes the sn---Oh no! Weston fumbles the snap! The ball is on the ground! Weston picks it up and runs to the right side. He has two GroveCity defenders chasing him. Weston looks down the field and just throws one deep! What is he doing!? He takes a huge hit as the ball flutters down the field, and it is…CAUGHT! It is CAUGHT! Andy Green, with a fantastic catch! Andy Green just saved the game and Gunner Weston! What an incred---hold up folks. Gunner Weston is still down on the field as the Pioneers begin to celebrate. He is rolling around in pain, and it looks like it’s his shoulder. This is not good news for South Mountain, as they may have won this game but potentially could have just lost their starting quarterback.”

**********

Hailey shifted nervously. The hanging lights reflected off the linoleum tile under her feet.

Please be OK.

The rest of the boys were arguing nearby, and Tyquan was pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself, almost out of control.

“We should have just punted the ball, man. I mean, we would have stopped them! Why did I have to open my mouth? He didn’t look right tonight! I knew something was wrong!”

He banged his fists against the wall, causing Hailey to jump in her seat.

“Hey, Ty, come on, man.” JT moved in close and wrapped up the bulky running back, who was breathing heavily.

“Man! If, what if, man, what if he’s done?!”

Her heart was in her throat as the concern spread to each of the faces in the waiting room.

“We…we will make it work, Ty.” Emilio’s normally upbeat nature was somber as Andy put his arm around him.

“This is what we have worked for since we were six, man! He puteverything into this!” Tyquan turned to her. “He gave everything for this chance!”

Is he crying?

She had been at the hospital since the end of the game. The entire team had shown up, but her father had sent them all home, except the four captains.

She had a feeling, like Tyquan, that something was not right. Gunner had not played like his normal self, and when he started rolling on the ground in pain, she knew something was seriously wrong.

“This can’t be how it ends!” Tyquan was up against the wall now, tears streaming down his face. “We were supposed to do this together! We were supposed to win state!”

She buried her head in her hands and took a deep breath.

Please be OK, Gunner.

Maybe to her, it was just a stupid game. To these boys, though, it was something different. They were playing for something so much more than just a trophy.

Her father once said that a football team was like a family. Now, after moving to this town and getting to know them all, she was starting to understand. These guys were Gunner’s brothers, and just like her, they had watched him writhe on the ground, screaming in pain. They had been together since they were little kids, working toward one common goal. A goal that might now be taken away from one of them.

“Gentlemen,” her father’s voice boomed into the waiting room, making them all jump.

“Coach!” Tyquan ran over to him. “How is he? Is he going to be OK? Can he play?”

Her father straightened and paused.

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