by Gregg Stutts
The Lakeside quarterback took the snap, faked the handoff and then faked the screen pass. The linebackers bit on the fake run, then the fake screen, leaving a huge hole opened up by TJ and Carl. The quarterback cut to his left into open field, but never saw the free safety who came up and put the biggest hit of the game on him. As he was going down, the ball came loose and both teams dove for the ball.
The clock stopped with 7:35 remaining while the officials pulled guys off the pile to see who had recovered. One by one, they peeled away Lakeside and Bentonville players until there were two guys left fighting for the ball—a Bentonville linebacker and Carl, who stood up with the ball in his hands. The referee signaled first down for Lakeside at the Bentonville twenty-one yard line.
TJ, Carl, and the rest of the offensive line were dominating now. They were taking over the game. All they needed to do was keep pushing the Bentonville defensive line back three yards at a time, so they could eat up the clock and go up by two scores.
The call on first down was 32-Power, running right behind TJ and Carl again. The quarterback took the snap, handed the ball off and the tailback hit the hole hard and gained five yards.
As the players un-piled and went to their huddles, one player remained on the ground.
Carl was lying motionless on the field.
Chapter 37
“It’s Carl!” Bo yelled as he and the trainer ran onto the field.
When Max heard who it was, he ran out also. Carl was on his back and moaning as he held his side. “I’m sorry, Coach,” Carl said. “Gimme a minute.” He winced. “I was good until that fumble. That Bentonville dude was punching my ribs underneath the pile.”
As much as Max wanted to leave him in the game, Carl was in no shape to stay on the field. He argued until he tried to take a deep breath while standing up and doubled-over in pain. Two of his buddies helped him off the field.
The official placed the ball at the Bentonville sixteen-yard line and restarted the game clock. Max told his quarterback to start milking the clock, to wait until there were two-seconds left on the play clock before taking the snap.
With 6:57 left in the game, the ball was snapped and the quarterback handed the ball to the fullback this time on a dive behind the guard and tackle on the other side of the line. Now wasn’t the time to test Carl’s back-up. The play gained two yards, which brought up third down and three from the thirteen-yard line. The clock was still running.
The closer they got to the end zone and the end of the game, the more conservative the play calling was becoming. Lakeside called a quarterback sneak to get a first down, but if not, they wanted to get the ball to the middle of the field to set up the field goal attempt. Bentonville stuffed the play right at the line of scrimmage, which resulted in a loss of two yards. The clock was running with 5:49 remaining.
“Field goal team! Field goal team!” Max yelled. The ball was at the fifteen-yard line almost dead center in the middle of the field. That would make it a thirty-two yard field goal. It was by no means guaranteed, but Tommy, their sophomore kicker, had hit from longer and looked good in warm-ups. If it was good, they’d be up 17-7. The way the defense was playing, Max felt good about getting out of town with the biggest upset victory in school history.
But Bentonville was ranked number two in the state for a reason. They knew how to win. They’d won two of the last four state championships and had appeared in all four games. Over a four-year run, they’d only lost three regular season games. They weren’t used to being behind this late in the game, but they were well coached and were not out of the game.
The Lakeside field goal team lined up and the official put the ball in play. The holder called for the snap. And that’s when everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. As the ball made its way from the long-snapper to the holder, Max realized Carl was not on the field. His sophomore replacement was, a kid who’d never blocked for a field goal in an actual game situation.
Bentonville’s coaches realized it too, but before Max did. They overloaded that side of the line with two of their biggest linemen and one of their most athletic linebackers. The young sophomore never had a chance. If Max had seen it, he could have called a timeout and made an adjustment, but his head was not in the game.
To say that Carl’s replacement got run over didn’t do it justice. Later, when Max watched the play on film, he was surprised the kid was still alive. Through the hole in the line, the Bentonville linebacker, who had scholarship offers from almost every SEC school, exploded like he’d been shot from a cannon. He arrived at the spot the ball was being placed almost faster than the ball did.
Tommy stepped to make the kick, but the ball barely made it off the ground before the Bentonville linebacker blocked the kick. The ball took a couple bounces and the same kid who blocked the kick picked it up without ever breaking stride.
There was one Lakeside player who might be able to run him down. It was the fastest kid on the team. After watching Auburn return an Alabama missed field goal attempt a couple years earlier, Max’s special teams coach had suggested always having the fastest kid on the team somewhere on the field on every special teams play. If he could also block or catch then it was a bonus, but mostly he was needed for his speed and be able to tackle someone from behind. In a situation just like this.
He was on the field for every special teams play all year, but until this play, late in the game with a playoff berth riding on the outcome, he wasn’t needed. Well, he was needed now. By the time he realized what happened the Bentonville linebacker had a 10-yard lead. At mid-field, the gap was down to seven yards. At the Lakeside forty-yard line, the gap was four yards. At the twenty, it was down to just two yards. And that’s when Jake, Lakeside’s speed man, dove for the feet of the ball carrier.
Chapter 38
It looked like Jake had missed, but Bentonville’s 5-star linebacker stumbled. He used his hand to regain his balance, but his downward momentum was too much. He stayed on his feet for another five yards, but finally went down at the fourteen-yard line with 5:25 left to play.
Max fell to his knees, hands on his head. Ten seconds ago, they were about to go up by two scores and put the game away. And now Bentonville was within fourteen yards of tying the game.
Max got to his feet. “Let’s go defense, huddle up on me!” He pulled together the eleven guys who could still pull out a win for them. “Take a look at the scoreboard men! You’re up 14-7. Five minutes left. Take a good look around, because this the moment you’ll remember for the rest of your lives. This is the night you and ten of your teammates defended your goal line!” He looked each boy in the eye. “If you do your job, we win. It’s as simple as that.”
The official blew the whistle to call the Bentonville offense and the Lakeside defense onto the field. Max put his hands on his knees and looked at the ground. “Come on D, let’s pull this out,” he said to himself. He thought about saying a prayer but didn’t. He figured God could just as easily be a Bentonville fan. The official put the ball in play and started the play clock.
The Bentonville quarterback looked over the defense, called his signals and took the snap. He handed the ball to their tailback who ran wide toward the Lakeside sideline. The cornerback came up fast to force the run inside. It was a great play. The ball carrier cut upfield right into the path of a Lakeside linebacker who made a picture-perfect tackle. Bentonville gained one yard.
It brought up second down and nine. The ball was snapped with 4:58 remaining. The quarterback faked a quick pass and handed the ball to the fullback who ran behind the left guard and tackle. Lakeside’s defense closed inside and stopped him for a gain of two yards.
It was third down and seven from the eleven-yard line. There was 4:12 left in the game. Bentonville came to the line and ran the play on a quick snap count. Lakeside wasn’t ready. It was a quick pass to the tight end running right up the middle of the field. The pass and catch were perfect. The Lakeside strong safety dragged him down at the four-yard
line.
It was close to a first down. The officials stopped the clock with 3:58 remaining and brought out the chains. The official stretched the chain. It was close. The referee bent down for a better look. He held up both hands about an inch apart. It was fourth down and one inch.
The official restarted the game clock as Bentonville brought in their “Jumbo Package.” It was their short yardage formation consisting of two tight ends and a fullback. Lakeside countered with their short yardage defense. This was the biggest play of the year for Lakeside. A stop meant they’d take over deep inside their own territory up by a touchdown. A score by Bentonville likely meant overtime.
The quarterback placed his hands underneath the center and started to call the offensive signals. Then all eleven players on offense looked to the sideline where their offensive coordinator was signaling in a new play. Suddenly, the two tight ends split wide and the fullback moved into the slot position as an extra receiver. Max ran to the closest official and yelled, “Timeout! Timeout!” The clock stopped with 3:49 remaining.
The Lakeside coaches huddled and decided to stay with the same defense they’d called originally. It was a good decision, because Bentonville lined up in their normal short yardage offense when play resumed. At the snap of the ball, the quarterback turned and handed the ball to the tailback who followed the fullback right behind the center and right guard. A yard shy of the line of scrimmage, the tailback launched himself toward the first down. He was met in the air by a Lakeside linebacker and safety. Max ran down the sideline to get a better look.
The ball carrier’s forward momentum was enough for the first down though. Bentonville now had first and goal just inside the four-yard line. They kept their short yardage offense on the field and ran the same play on first down and gained one yard to the three-yard line.
With 2:47 remaining, Bentonville had second down and goal and were just under four yards from tying the game and sending it to overtime. They kept the same players on the field and ran the same play for the third straight time and gained a little over two yards. The ball was spotted just inside the one-yard line.
Bentonville called a timeout with 2:13 remaining. Max called the defense to the sideline. “They call it a game of inches for a reason,” Max said. “You’re literally fighting over inches now! Take another look at the scoreboard. Let’s remember this. Let’s remember the night we came to play. As a team. And went home winners, because we wanted those inches more than they did.”
Both teams ran back onto the field for third and goal from the just inside the one. The game, the season, maybe his coaching career could possibly come down to the next two plays. Win or lose, it had been a great game. The twelve thousand fans in attendance certainly hadn’t been cheated. Surprised maybe, but not cheated. They were seeing one of the best high school games Max had ever been a part of.
As the Bentonville offense broke the huddle, Max took a second to glance around the stadium and take it all in. These were the moments you dreamed of as a coach. As the quarterback got under center, he took a quick glance over his shoulder at Michelle. He was relieved to see she was still there as were Willy and Rose. He was glad they were sharing this moment with him.
The quarterback took the snap, put his head down and tried following the center and both guards into the end zone. The fullback started pushing him toward the goal line, but the Lakeside defense held him to a gain of half a yard. With 1:58 and the clock ticking, Bentonville had the ball eighteen inches from the goal line.
The official marked the ball. It was fourth down.
Max looked over his shoulder again and nodded to Michelle. That’s when he noticed Bob Burns and Donnie’s henchman, JD, still sitting two rows behind Michelle, but Donnie Black was gone.
Chapter 39
The Bentonville offense came to the line of scrimmage. The Lakeside defense dug into their positions. It was coming down to one play. Who wanted eighteen inches more? Max waited. Head down. Eyes closed.
At the snap of the ball, the Bentonville quarterback handed the ball to the fullback who ran behind his right guard and tackle. The Lakeside linebacker shot into the hole and stopped the ball carrier just inches from the goal line and drove him into the backfield, but he was not able to wrap him up and take him to the ground. The runner bounced the play outside.
It was now a race to the pylon on the Lakeside side of the field. The cornerback got himself out of position and tried to reverse direction. By the time he recovered, it was too late. The Bentonville ball carrier was in the end zone. Max didn’t even see the play but heard the result.
The extra point would tie the game and send it to overtime. The Lakeside coaches sent the kick-block team onto the field, but Bentonville was keeping their offense on the field. They were going for the two-point conversion and the win.
Max would have called a timeout, but they were out of them. The eleven guys on the field would have to stop Bentonville or Lakeside would go home, 15-14 losers, and possibly be out of the playoffs. For the two-point conversion, the Tigers took their tight ends and full back out of the game and brought in three wide receivers. Each of them was 6’ 3’’ or taller. Lakeside’s defensive backs looked like junior high kids in comparison.
Bentonville spread their receivers across the field and lined their quarterback up in the pistol formation. He called for the ball and the center snapped it. The second the ball was in his hands, he released a lob pass to the back corner of the end zone. The receiver and corner went up for it together.
The height advantage was just too much for the Lakeside corner to overcome and the ball was thrown as perfectly as it could be. The receiver grabbed it with both hands and held it tightly as he came back down. A roar went up from the home fans even louder than the opening seconds of the game when they recovered the onside kick and scored on the next play.
But the two officials closest to the play were huddling together.
Chapter 40
The officials finished their brief conference, then waved off the two-point conversion. The deafening cheers turned to stunned silence then a loud chorus of boos. The official pointed to the white line indicating the receiver had not gotten his foot in-bounds. The two-point conversion was no good. Max had no idea he could still jump as high as he did.
With 1:51 remaining, both teams lined up for the onside kick with Bentonville trailing 14-13. If Lakeside recovered, they could easily run the clock out because Bentonville was out of timeouts.
Max looked over his shoulder again and saw Michelle, Willy and Rose on their feet now. Donnie Black was still missing. In the distance, Max heard the wail of an emergency vehicle’s siren.
The Bentonville kicker approached the ball and hit it just as he had to open the game. The difference this time was the Lakeside “good hands” team. Their front line was all receivers, guys used to handling a live ball. Max’s heart was about to pound out of his chest.
The ball took a quick short hop and then bounced ten feet in the air. As he’d been taught to do, the closest Lakeside receiver went up for the ball like he was going for a rebound. He snatched the ball from the air, tucked it into his stomach and went to the ground. Three players from the kicking team came in hard to try and dislodge the ball, but the play was whistled dead. It was Lakeside’s football.
The last minute and a half ticked away quickly as the Lakeside quarterback took a knee on three consecutive plays. Time expired with the scoreboard showing the Lakeside Dragons had come into Tiger Stadium and knocked off the defending state champions and had secured a spot in the playoffs with a 14-13 victory.
After the handshakes at mid-field, the Lakeside players ran to the student section to celebrate with their friends. Family members stood along the fence to offer their congratulations. Max waved to Michelle, Willy and Rose before heading into the tunnel.
The sound of another emergency vehicle could be heard approaching the stadium.
Chapter 41
Inside the locker room, Max sa
id, “Now that’s how to play Dragon football! I’m couldn’t be more proud of you guys. You never quit. When no one else believed in you…you believed in yourselves. Now let’s get on the busses and take this momentum home. And be ready to go to work on Monday!”
As Max finished his post-game talk, Bo tapped him on the shoulder and said, “Bob Burns is outside. He wants to talk to you.”
Well, I don’t want to talk to him.
Bob was the last man Max wanted to see. He stepped outside and saw Bob pacing back and forth talking on the phone. When he finished, he made his way to Max. “There’s going to be a delay getting out of here tonight,” Bob said. “The police are trying to secure the stadium.”
“Secure the stadium?” Max said. “For what?”
“Donnie Black was found in the men’s room,” Bob said. “He was stabbed. Multiple times.”
“That’s what the sirens were for,” Max said. “How bad is it?”
“He’s dead.”