Andrew chapter 33: The championship game

[sl97aq]

It was 2:30 pm on Friday, November 18th, 2005: the day of the Provincial Championship Game, which would start at 4 pm. Andrew's team had breezed through the provincial football tournament once again, but they would face their toughest opponents in today's Provincial Championship game ? the team from Barrie. Even though Orillia had not faced the Barrie team that season, Andrew remembered with bitterness how that team, with David Harrington at Center, had beaten them in the last minute of the Provincial Championship game last season.

Andrew walked down the hall reading the newspaper from that day to find out what kind of attention the rematch between Orillia and Barrie was generating. What he saw in one passage caused him to growl in fury and crumple the entire paper up into a ball the size of his fist.

"That pathetic little twerp!" Andrew roared to himself as he approached Coach Everson's office. "If he thinks he can bash our team like this, we'll pummel him when we see him on the field today!"

"Who are you talking about Andrew?" Coach Everson asked him from inside his office.

Andrew stormed into Everson's office and tossed the ball of paper onto his desk in fury.

"Have you read this slander about our team Coach?" Andrew asked him with gritted teeth.

"If it's in print, it's libel, not slander Andrew, and I can't read any paper that's been crushed into a ball in a fit of rage," Everson informed Andrew. When Andrew glared at him and clenched his fists, Everson quickly decided to say something more calming and useful for his own safety. "Why don't you smooth out the paper Andrew, then we can both read what has made you so furious."

Andrew did what he asked and then they both read the entire article together.

?This is the quote that really bugs me," Andrew said, pointing to a couple of lines halfway down the page. ?'When asked if his team could stop the momentum of the ODCVI team from Orillia, Eastview center David Harrington replied, "Well, when your team is made up of cheaters, it doesn?t matter how good they are, anyone can beat them."' What is that idiot trying to imply: that natural filtering of our own hormones is cheating?"

"I think he's implying that he's mad because he didn't think of undergoing the same procedure himself," Everson corrected Andrew. ?After all, he's a prime candidate for the Enhancement Procedure, considering that he's almost as big as you are."

"If he wants a procedure so badly, I'll make sure he needs a medical procedure by the end of today's game!!" Andrew roared in fury.

"Calm down Andrew," Everson urged him, closing the office door so that noone else would witness Andrew's rage. "It's just trash talk from the defending Provincial Champions who are afraid that our unbeaten season will end with us taking the trophy from them."

"But what if they beat us again?" Andrew asked Everson. "My friends and I could lose our scholarships and the entire team's morale could suffer!"

"Don't you ever say that again, not even to yourself!" Everson yelled at Andrew, getting mad now himself. "I don't want to hear a defeatist statement like that ever come out of your mouth again! Do you understand me Mr. Pearson?"

"Yes sir," Andrew said hastily, suddenly shocked by Everson's anger, especially since he was so much bigger than his coach. "I'm sorry Coach; it's just that what David said has gotten me so mad that I can't think straight."

"He's just trying to get inside your head and undermine the confidence that you have built up by being undefeated for the whole season," Everson informed Andrew. "And judging by your outburst here today, his strategy is working. You know that David Harrington has always been jealous of you Andrew," Coach Everson stated. "We both know that." When Andrew nodded, Everson added, "I'm a little surprised that you would be so emotional about what David said about you Andrew; it's not like you to let him get to you like this."

"It's just that we're facing the exact same team we did last year and we lost!" Andrew reminded him.

"This year we'll win," Everson assured him. ?Their defense may be one of the best in the province, as we found out last year, but they don?t have the offense we do this year.? He gazed right at Andrew as he spoke, and added, ?David?s probably just probably trying to rattle us, but it won?t work. Now I know you don't want to let David beat you at anything Andrew, especially since you've been ahead of him all your life. You're not going to let him beat you like he did last year, are you Andrew?"

Andrew shook his head, understanding what Coach Everson meant.

"No I'm not Coach, but David just makes me so mad that I just want to snap his neck!" Andrew shouted.

?This is the Provincial Championship Game Andrew; the Barrie news is probably going to be here today," Everson reminded Andrew.

"And if they see me go after David in a fit of rage?" Andrew realized.

"Exactly Andrew: our hopes of winning the Provincial Championship on home turf will be lost and with them your Miami football scholarship," Coach Everson reminded him. "Also, your absence from the game due to penalties or an outright ejection would probably cause us to lose. While we were able to compensate for your absence due to Reserves training three weeks ago, we weren't facing a team as skilled as Barrie's then. I suggest that you turn your anger at David into determination to win this game and rip that championship trophy out of his hands."

"So you're suggesting that instead of beating David into a pulp, I should beat him on the field instead," Andrew summarized.

"That's right Andrew," Coach Everson agreed. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yes I can Coach," Andrew assured him. "We'll all bring that trophy home where it belongs."

"Thanks for that Andrew, and thanks for calming down," Everson said. "Now, I think it would be a good idea if I held onto this article until after the game and then we can put it in a frame right beside the article about our win. That should teach David the price of overconfidence, don't you think Andrew?"

"Good idea Coach; you always know how to calm me down," Andrew said gratefully.

"I'm glad I could help you Andrew, now why don't you help the team by taking some laps around the track to warm up and run off your anger," Coach Everson suggested. "The game won't be till 4 pm, so you have some time to cool down."

"Thanks Coach; I'll see you at 3:30 in the locker room," Andrew said.

Everson nodded and watched Andrew jog out of his office. He had just sat down in his desk chair when he heard a knock at his office door.

"Come in," Everson said, standing up from his desk chair. The office door opened and Everson saw Steve Peterson standing there.

"What was Andrew so angry about Coach?" Steve asked him.

"Read this article and see for yourself," Everson ordered him, pointing to the newspaper on his desk.

Steve sat down and picked up the paper to read it. His eyes narrowed in anger as he read what David had said about their team, but he didn't explode in fury like Andrew had.

"I see that David is up to his old tricks again, trying to discredit Andrew and make himself look better," Steve said once he had finished reading the article. "And he's dragged Darrel and I into his vendetta now."

"I really hope Andrew keeps his temper in check on the football field," Everson said to Steve. "We don't want him to lose his cool like he did in here and punch David's lights out."

"No we don't Coach," Steve agreed. "Don't worry, Darrel and I should be able to keep Andrew from doing anything stupid."

"I'll hold you to that Steve, because it would be really upsetting if we lost our last game in our first unbeaten season," Everson reminded him.

"We're in our hometown, playing on a field whose stands are packed with our supporters," Steve reminded Everson. "David's team won't stand a chance, since we have the homefield advantage this year!"

"Good point Steve; be sure to pass it on to your teammates in the locker room," Everson suggested. "Better get there and see if they've arrived there yet Steve, and if they're there, let them know where Andrew is."

"Yeah, they'll be wondering where the star player is," Steve chuckled, as he ran off to the locker room.

30 minutes later, Andrew entered the locker room to find the entire team preparing for the final game of the season, and for the seniors: the final game of their high school careers.

"Hey everyone, are you all ready to win the Provincial Championship today?" Andrew asked his teammates.

Everyone clapped and cheered and Andrew grinned at their enthusiasm. Steve pulled Andrew into a quiet corner of the locker room and they began to get changed for the game.

"Do you feel better after your run around the track Andrew?" Steve asked him.

"Yes I do Steve, and I'm not surprised that you head my angry outbursts in Everson's office, even with the door closed," Andrew said.

"Yeah, you were furious Andrew, but after reading what David wrote in that article, I can't blame you," Steve said. He saw Andrew's face turning red with anger and he quickly decided to change the subject. "So, did you get a chance to see if our parents have arrived yet?"

"Yes they have Steve and Mike and his friends are also in the stands," Andrew replied.

"That's good; we have all the support we need to win today," Steve said, as he finished putting on his uniform.

"That's correct Steve and I want everyone to remember that," Coach Everson said, stepping into the locker room. All the players crowded around him as he continued speaking. "Now I know that you guys are all nervous facing the team that beat us last year, but it's a totally different situation this year. We're coming into this game with an unbeaten season behind us, and the Barrie team is obviously scared of the momentum we have. I don't know about you, but I see no reason why we can't use that momentum to run over the Barrie team like a freight train and win that Provincial Championship! Who's with me!"

All the players yelled in excitement and pumped their fists into the air.

"Let's go get 'em guys!" Andrew shouted, running out of the locker room. "Follow me!"

Andrew's teammates followed him out to the field to meet their rivals from Barrie for the Provincial Championship game.

?Did you see that sign up there in the Barrie side of the stands?? Steve asked Andrew as they stood by their team's bench a few minutes before kickoff.
?The big one held by David's friends that says 'Orillia's team is on drugs'?? Andrew asked Steve with a smirk. ?Yeah, I saw it. David must be getting pretty desperate, spreading those lies around where the press can see them. In case you didn't notice, our fans don't have anything on their signs except good wishes for us."

"You're right Andrew," Steve agreed, pleased that his big friend wasn't getting angry.

?Let?s go out there and show them what the OD team can do!" Andrew shouted to the entire team. His teammates cheered in response to his enthusiasm and then Ralph and the Barrie team captain met at the center of the field for the coin toss.

?Alright, boys,? the referee said. ?Have a good clean game and I don't want to see anyone hitting after the whistle blows or they'll be ejected from the game.?

Both captains nodded and the coin toss commenced. The OD team won it and decided to be the receiving team.

The Barrie kicker ran up to kick the ball as the whistle blew to signal the start of the game. Lining up for their first play of the game, Ralph signaled his recievers to perform the one pass play, which was designed to test the Barrie team?s defense. The Orillia offense met the Barrie defense and Connor instantly ran to the left and then forward, with the largest Barrie defender right behind him, giving him no room to even turn around to see where the ball was coming from.

Andrew, where are you? he mentally screamed. Get this guy off me!

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the football come sailing toward him, but the defender still wouldn?t give him space to move. Connor twisted his body to the left as far as he could, but he couldn?t stretch his arms out far enough to make the catch. The defender tackled him hard along the left sidelines and Connor saw the ball bounce on the ground in front of him, making the pass incomplete. He got up immediately, determined to show the big defender that he couldn't stop him, but could only slow him down. He looked over at Andrew, who nodded in encouragement as he helped up his opponent.

?Come on little man, don't tell me you can't run fast enough to catch the ball!? the defender bellowed. Connor looked up to see the David Harrington, who was nearly the size of Andrew, peering down at him with a cocky smirk on his face. "What's the matter boy, surprised that 'Super Andrew' couldn't stop me? That's the least of your problems, I can promise you that!"

David laughed as he jogged back to his side of the field and Connor shut his eyes to keep from screaming in frustration as he ran to the huddle.

?Sorry, man,? Ralph immediately apologized. ?You were the only one even close to open. This is the strongest defensive line we?ve seen this season, and I have no idea how David managed to evade Andrew's tackle and get to you.? He looked hastily over at Andrew, whose face was red with anger and he decided to change the subject quickly. "Let's not let this get us down; it's only the first play of the game!" he encouraged everyone.

His teammates nodded and Ralph quickly told him the next play he wanted them to run.

?Ralph, isn't it too early in the game for that?? Andrew asked him.

Ralph glared at Andrew and reminded him, "Since you missed blocking David, we're going to try things my way this time!"

?Alright buddy, you're the boss,? Andrew agreed and the huddle broke.

Connor lined up along the right side of the Line of Scrimmage, eyeing the new defender angrily. The defender smirked at him just as the ball was snapped, but Connor ignored him and blasted right past him. As expected, the guy was right behind him just like David had been, assuming that this play was going to be similar to the last one. After five yards, Connor turned on his heels and ran in the opposite direction, catching the defender off guard and getting a head start as he headed straight for the hole in the defensive line that Andrew had opened by knocking down David. He noticed the ball spiralling towards him and caught it perfectly in his arms. He ran at full speed toward the end zone, noticing David trying to cut him off at the 20 yard line.

You're not going to stop me this time David, Connor thought as he tucked the ball under his right arm.

He dodged aside just in time as Andrew tackled David, and ran unimpeded into the endzone.

"TOUCHDOWN for ODCVI!!" the announcer yelled.

The crowd erupted in cheers for Connor scoring the first six points of the game, with great help from Ralph and Andrew. Connor ran back to the OD side of the field, feeling pleased that they had managed to trick the Barrie defense so easily.

"I can't believe that David's team fell for the same trick we've been using all season!" Connor shouted in excitement as Andrew lifted him high in the air to celebrate their first touchdown.

"It wouldn't have worked if you hadn't reversed direction like that at the last minute Big Guy," Andrew reminded him. He set Connor down and slapped his helmet in congratulations. "Good job man."

After the extra point from a perfect kick by Ralph, the score was 7-0 Orillia. But those first points would be the only ones they would manage for the rest of the half. The Barrie team ran far enough on their first drive to score a touchdown, making the score 7-6, but they also tightened up the holes in their defensive line when Orillia tried to run the ball. Ralph had trouble completing a pass to anyone, especially Connor, who was being constantly covered by defenders. Obviously Barrie had no intention of letting him score another touchdown. Even the Orillia defense had trouble guarding the Orillia quarterback; Ralph got sacked twice before he could throw the ball away to Connor on the third try.

"I wonder if your theory about David getting secretly enhanced was correct Andrew," Ralph said to Andrew as they lined up for the last play of the first half.

"I don't know Ralph, but even if it's true, we outnumber them three enhanced players to one!" Andrew fumed. "We shouldn't be having this much trouble winning against them!"

By halftime, with the score still 7-6, Ralph and Connor could tell that Andrew was ready to explode. As they jogged into the locker room, they watched Andrew go into the showers and scream, banging his fists against the wall repeatedly. The sound reverberated off the tiles, scaring the rest of the team. Steve instantly ran to Andrew and tried to settle him down.

?Andrew, you have to calm down!" Steve urged his huge friend, grabbing him by his shoulders.
"I don't want to calm down, I want to break David's neck!" Andrew screamed in fury, throwing his helmet into the corner of the shower room with a loud bang.
?If you do that, you'll be ejected from the game and get hauled away to jail,? Steve informed him, emphasizing every word. He was feeling the same thing that his best friend was, but he was able to keep his temper in check better than Andrew was. He wanted to punch the Barrie defenders in the face every time they beat his team on a play, but he knew that was what they wanted. ?Barrie's tough defense isn't going to keep us from scoring forever,? he reminded Andrew, ?Don't forget, we're still one point ahead of them."

?We should be 20 points ahead of them by now!? Andrew seethed in fury. "How do you expect me to calm down by reminding me of that?"

?I don't know Andrew, but you have to or we'll lose the game in penalty points,? Steve warned him, squeezing Andrew's shoulders to calm him down.

Once he saw Andrew take a few deep breaths, he carefully let go of him and backed away, afraid to make Andrew any more angry than he already was.

Andrew cracked his neck and yelled, "David's going down; I don't care if I have to take him out over and over!"

He stormed out of the showers, passing his teammates who had gathered at the shower room entrance to see what was going on. Coach Everson gave them a pep talk before they headed out for the second half, but the game pretty much picked up where it left off?purely defense for Orillia, which gave them no chances to score a touchdown or even run the ball towards the Barrie endzone. No one thought it could get any worse, until the Orillia defense received a five-yard penalty. From there, Orillia's momentum completely stalled, resulting in a 45-yard touchdown for the Barrie team, making the score 13-7 for Barrie after the bonus point kick.

?What happened; how did we get a penalty?? Ralph quietly asked Andrew as the Orillia team jogged off the field at the end of the third quarter.

?It was my fault,? Andrew fumed in fury. ?You don?t want to know what David said to me after their team scored. I just lost it and shoved him flat on his back.?

Ralph closed his eyes and sighed.

Rats, the whole team was feeling it, the same feeling of defeat that had gripped them a year ago.

As soon as they had possession of the ball on the first play of the fourth quarter, he called a timeout.
?Why did you call a timeout Ralph?? Coach Everson asked him as the entire team surrounded them at the Orillia bench.
?Trust me Coach, we can still turn this game around,? Ralph replied. Everson nodded and let him speak. ?Guys,? Ralph began, ?I know we?re bummed out about Barrie being six points ahead with only one quarter left in the game, but we can?t keep our fear of being defeated by them drag us down.? He paused and looked around at all of his teammates, making sure that they were paying close attention to what he had to say. ?Whatever feelings of defeat you're feeling, I want you to get rid of them now, or we'll never win this game." He pointed to his temple and added, Right now, the Barrie team is winning the head game?don?t let them win the football game as well.?

He glanced over at Andrew as he finished speaking and watched him look down at his feet. Then Andrew looked up with determination in his eyes, but no anger.

?You heard what Ralph said guys, let?s do it!" Andrew shouted in determination.

The entire team cheered in response and Coach Everson sent them back out onto the field for the fourth quarter.

Ralph?s speech seemed to give new life to the Orillia team and thanks to Andrew keeping his temper in check, he and the rest of the defensive line blocked any scoring attempts by Barrie's offense without getting anymore penalties. Ralph himself made some great plays to get the Orillia team closer to Barrie's end zone, which eventually led to a touchdown, tying the game at 13 points midway through the fourth quarter.

As Andrew lined up opposite David for the next play, he was the one with the smirk on his face this time and he saw the uncertainty in David's eyes.

"Enjoy this game while it lasts David; it'll be the last one you ever play," Andrew warned him.

As the whistle blew, Ralph threw the ball straight for Connor, who was running from left to right across the field. Andrew tried to stop David, but he slipped in the grass as he pushed him and David rolled to his feet and ran after Connor. Andrew jumped up and ran after David, realizing that the rest of his offensive line was occupied with David's teammates. Andrew was just two steps behind David when he tackled Connor, who just missed catching Ralph's pass. The ball bounced freely a few yards away, and David picked it up and began running towards the OD end zone, dodging around Andrew, who tried to stop him. It took a few seconds for the rest of OD's offense to respond and run after David, but by that time he was almost to the OD end zone. The Barrie side of the stands cheered in excitement as David approached the end zone, and he scored a touchdown without any further interference from Orillia's defense.
Andrew?s heart fell as he realized that the Barrie team had pulled ahead again: 19-13, but he cheered up a bit when he saw the Barrie kicker miss the bonus kick for the second time in the game.

There's still a chance for us to win this game without going to Overtime, Andrew realized. We can do this; we have to!

He looked over at the stands and his eyes widened as he noticed Matt and Mark and Coach Malcolm from Miami watching him intently. Coach Malcolm pumped his fist in determination and Andrew grinned at him.

Coach Everson called them in for their last time-out and began planning the last plays of the game.

?This is what we're going to do,? he decided, ?Steve and Andrew, switch spots."

"Why do we have to switch spots Coach?" Andrew asked him.

"I just realized that David has been playing the Left Guard position this whole game; that's why he keeps getting past you," Everson replied. "By switching to Right Guard from Center, you'll be in perfect position to keep him from tackling Connor and the other receivers. Steve and the rest of our defensive line can handle the Barrie offense, as long as you keep David busy. Can you do that for us Andrew?"

"Yeah Coach, I'll knock David out of the way!? Andrew yelled in determination, staring right into Coach Everson?s eyes.

"You're right Andrew, because we?re only down by six points, not seven, and we know that Ralph never misses a bonus kick after a touchdown," Coach Everson agreed.

Once the huddle broke, Steve immediately went over to Andrew and slapped him on his shoulder pads.
?You?ll do fine now that you're in the right position Andrew,? he shouted into his ear. ?Just take David out and we'll win this game and the Provincial Championship!?

Andrew grinned at him and shoved his helmet onto his head.
?Let?s do it!? he growled, slapping Steve on the shoulder. "I can take him down no problem!"

With the score 19-13 for Barrie, the Orillia team started on their side of the field, close to their own end zone. They got a first down pretty easily; the Barrie team was caught off guard by David being taken out so quickly by Andrew.

The Barrie team had obviously not expected the Orillia team to adapt to Barrie's defensive line so late in the game; Barrie still defended as if Andrew was out of position at Left Guard, instead of Center where he belonged. But as the clock ticked below the one-minute mark, the Barrie team finally adapted to Andrew's new position. Every time Ralph tried to throw a pass to Connor, the Barrie defense would read the play and David would block the pass by jumping up and knocking the ball to the ground. Then with 30 seconds left on the clock, Ralph was sacked by David just shy of the Barrie 40 yard line.
?This is nuts!? Andrew yelled in frustration. "They weren't supposed to adapt so quickly!"
?Too bad you adapted to my true position too late in the game Andrew!" David taunted him. "I changed my position again and you didn't even notice!"

Andrew clenched his fists in fury as David laughed at him. He wanted to knock David out with one punch; he knew he could do it easily even if David had been enhanced, but he also knew that it was the wrong time and place to give into his anger. Ignoring David's taunts, Andrew quickly ran to the huddle.
?We?re not giving up guys, even with only 30 seconds left,? he stated simply.

His teammates stared at him as if he'd lost his mind.
?Are you kidding me?? Connor spoke up. ?We're stuck on Barrie's 40-yard line and they're still six points ahead! How do you possibly expect us to score a touchdown in 30 seconds??

Andrew looked over at the Orillia stands and had his answer.

"Look over at the stands Connor and see if you recognize anyone who wouldn't normally be here," he suggested quietly.

Connor looked over at the stands and scanned the faces of the crowd until he recognized someone he had seen in Miami.

"It's Coach Malcolm from Miami!" Connor shouted in astonishment. "And he brought Mark Stevenson, the Miami Hurricanes starting quarterback, with him!"

"That's right Connor; they both came up from Miami on a Friday night just to see us win the Provincial Championship," Andrew informed him. "We don't want to disappoint them, do we boys?"

?We have nothing to lose guys; let's do it!" Connor shouted, and the entire team cheered in response.
?What do you have in mind for our next play Ralph?? Andrew asked their quarterback, letting the team know that Ralph was still in charge.
?The same double-fake play we used when Coach Malcolm was last with us should work here,? he answered quickly. ?It worked before, Barrie's never seen it and if it works, we'll have scored a touchdown, and tied the game. If I miss the bonus kick, the game will go into Overtime but if I nail the shot, we'll have won the game and with it the Provincial Championship!"

Connor shot his head up and looked Ralph straight in the eyes.
?The double-fake play?? he asked Ralph uncertainly. ?We haven?t done that play in six weeks!"
?I know that Connor,? Ralph responded, ?and that's why it's going to work. Even if the Barrie team saw the tape of our game on Thanksgiving weekend, they've probably forgotten the plays we used to win the game that day.?

Suddenly, the referee blew his whistle and the huddle broke. With his stomach churning from nervous energy, Andrew lined up opposite David in the Right Guard position, with Ralph's encouraging words running through his mind. When Steve snapped the ball to Ralph, Andrew launched his body forward, blasting past David and nearly knocking him to the ground. David stumbled as he tried to regain his footing, but it was too late for him for him to catch Andrew, who was already runnign full speed down the field, keeping an eye on the football as it spiraled through the air towards Connor. Connor caught the ball and ran a few steps towards the Barrie end zone, before suddenly throwing the ball back to Ralph, who had charged through the Barrie defensive line using the hole that Andrew had opened for him. Andrew charged toward the Barrie end zone, seeing nothing but the goal line as he guarded Ralph. Suddenly, out of nowhere, David tackled Andrew at the 10-yard line, but the play had worked: Orillia had scored a touchdown, tying the game at 19 points.

?Come on guys, we've tied the game; one bonus kick and we'll win the trophy!? Andrew shouted to his teammates, jumping to his feet and running back to his position in Orillia's offensive line.

The Barrie defenders shifted in preparation for the final play of the game, with David moving back to his original position at Center. Andrew nudged Steve, who nodded and let Andrew shift back into his old position at Center. David glared at Andrew with furious eyes, knowing that it was too late for him to change position again and keep Andrew away.

Andrew grinned to himself and thought, If David thinks he's going to block the bonus kick, he's kidding himself.
Then the whistle blew, the final play started, and the entire crowd held their breath in anticipation. Andrew ran past David towards the end zone, getting ready to defend Ralph's bonus kick. Ralph kicked the ball and David jumped up high to block it, being the only Barrie player with the reach to do so. But Andrew ran right into him from behind, knocking David flat on his back as the ball sailed through the Barrie uprights for an extra point. The roar of the crowd was deafening, the referee blew the whistle and the game was finally over, with a score of 20 to 19 for Orillia.
Immediately, Andrew jumped up and down in excitement as the Orillia side of the stands erupted in celebration. The Orillia team had won the Provincial Championship by beating the defending champions from Barrie in the l;ast few seconds of the game. The fake-pass play had tied the game, the bonus kick had won it; and the Barrie players were now walking toward their bench with their heads down in shame. Ralph ran over to Andrew and jumped into his arms, with his helmet off, revealing tears of joy streaming down his face.
?We did it!? he screamed in excitement. ?We won the Provincial Championship!?
?No Ralph, you did it,? Andrew corrected him modestly with a big grin. ?You won the Provincial Championship for us with that bonus kick!?

"Great game guys, you had me worried there for a while," Coach Everson said, coming up to them and slapping them on the shoulders as the rest of the team surrounded them and cheered.

"You didn't think we'd let our undefeated season end with a loss to the former Provincial Champions, did you Coach?" Andrew asked him with a cocky smirk, raising his voice to be heard over the cheering of his teammates.

"No I didn't Andrew!" Everson yelled back over the loud celebrating of the Orillia players and fans. "Let's get to the center of the field; the officials are getting ready to present the Provincial Championship trophy!"
"You mean our Provincial Championship trophy, don't you Coach?" Ralph asked him with a big grin.

"Yes I did Ralph, just a slip of the tongue!" Everson assured him as the entire team ran to the center of the field for the trophy presentation.

"Ladies and gentleman, your 2005 Provincial Champions: ODCVI!" the announcer shouted as the Orillia crowd went wild.

Andrew hoisted the trophy above his head, making sure to keep it low enough so that all his teammates could touch it. As he looked out at the fans who were cheering in celebration, he knew that he would remember this hard fought victory for the rest of his life.