"You've been pretty lucky this year—landing a monster like that on your roster…"
During the postgame handshake, the head coach of St. Martin Academy looked anything but happy. His expression was stiff, and his tone carried a sharp edge of jealousy.
Anyone with eyes could tell that if it hadn't been for Number 21, the outcome of this game between Melville High and St. Martin might have gone either way.
But sports don't come with asterisks. A win is a win.
Coach George trusting Mike at a critical moment and putting him into the game was, in itself, a show of real coaching ability.
Right now, Coach George wore a polite, measured smile—the kind winners wear when they know they've earned it.
"…Best of luck in your next games. Hopefully you'll make it into the state quarterfinals."
The St. Martin head coach clearly had more he wanted to say, but the smile on George's face was just too irritating to look at. In the end, he swallowed his pride and offered a begrudging blessing.
Compared to private schools, public schools lag behind in both facilities and resources.
It's like comparing a pickup game to a pro league.
"For a public school to make the state quarterfinals" was already the highest praise possible. As for winning the state championship? Even Coach George didn't dare dream that big.
Meanwhile, St. Martin Academy's summer league season had ended almost as soon as it began.
If Melville High's football team could keep charging forward and make it into the state quarterfinals, then at least St. Martin could say they lost to a top-eight team. That sounded a lot better, no matter how you framed it.
"Thank you for the kind words," Coach George said with a smile as he shook the other coach's hand.
With that, the game officially came to an end. The losers exited the stage.
The entire Melville High football team—starters and backups alike—returned to the center of the field.
"One, two, three—"
Hands stacked together.
Unity. Grit. Relentless effort. Honor bound the entire team as one.
Captain Aaron shouted, "Melville—!"
"CAN'T LOSE!!!"
In that moment, victory itself was the greatest reward.
Amid the roaring cheers, Little George exchanged a glance with Aaron. Without saying a word, the two moved in perfect sync from opposite sides and hoisted Mike—the biggest hero of the game—off the ground.
The fired-up players lifted him high into the air and paraded him around the field.
On the sidelines, the cheerleaders, led by Regina, showered the field with streamers and colored smoke.
Beyond the stands, local fans erupted with another wave of deafening applause.
This kind of wild, electric atmosphere only happened at a home game.
After getting over the initial awkwardness, Mike started to enjoy being the center of attention.
He took off his helmet, waving both hands as he shared the joy of victory with the crowd.
It took more than ten minutes before he finally escaped his teammates' clutches. Straightening his uniform, he headed toward the sideline.
---
Nearby, Sheldon, Grandma Connie, and the rest of the group were standing next to Coach George, waiting for Mike to come over.
"Excuse me—mind if we ask you a few questions?"
A middle-aged man carrying a video camera stepped in front of Mike. "Oh, right—let me introduce myself. I'm Jack, a reporter from the state TV network. Your performance today was incredible. You really blew me away…"
Jack had a receding hairline, scruffy stubble around his lips, and the worn-down look of a middle-aged man who'd seen better days. But right now, his face was lit up with excitement.
Mike didn't turn down the enthusiasm. He waved to the Cooper family first, then looked back at Jack and said, "I'm Mike. Nice to meet you. What would you like to know?"
As he spoke, Mike brushed his sweat-damp hair back, revealing his sharp, well-defined features.
"That's it—perfect!"
Jack's eyes lit up as he raised the camera and moved in close, snapping several tight shots of Mike's face.
The teenager's bright, confident smile shone even brighter than the midday sun.
To be fair, Jack might look a little rough, but he definitely had an eye for beauty. After taking a few more shots, he said excitedly, "Mike, trust me—once you're on TV, you're going to make countless girls fall in love."
Faced with that level of middle-aged enthusiasm, Mike could only let out an awkward but polite chuckle and say nothing.
Jack seemed to realize he'd gone overboard. He took a breath, reined himself in, and slipped back into professional mode.
"Alright, Mike. I'm going to ask you a few quick questions. If there's anything you don't feel comfortable answering, that's totally fine."
Mike nodded.
"First question," Jack said, adjusting the camera angle. "At the end of the third quarter, during that second push on the drive—what was going through your head?"
"Nothing special, really," Mike replied with a smile. "I was just thinking about helping the team score. That play was part of the coach's plan—I just followed it. And honestly, I couldn't have gotten into the end zone without my teammates' help."
A lot of people can talk nonstop in private, but freeze up in front of a camera.
Mike wasn't one of them. He handled the interview with ease.
Jack watched Mike's natural performance through the viewfinder and nodded in satisfaction.
"Second question," he continued. "You've reached an incredible level of skill. How long have you been training?"
"Uh… about six months," Mike said. That wasn't exactly a lie—two months fit inside six, after all.
For most people, athletic training is a long, grueling grind. You get out what you put in.
Mike, however, wasn't most people. He was more of a cheat-code kind of player.
"Six months? You're a genius…" Jack said in awe of Mike's talent.
Before Jack could keep praising him, a blonde beauty suddenly stepped into the frame.
"Hey, Mike~"
Regina greeted him warmly, then turned to Jack with casual familiarity. "You're a local reporter, right? I know Mike pretty well. If you want to know anything, you can ask me too."
"Oh—uh, sure."
Faced with a woman like Regina, Jack suddenly looked a lot more nervous.
"Oh, by the way," Regina added, leaning comfortably against Mike as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "I saw you taking photos earlier. Could you take a couple more for us?"
Thrown completely off his rhythm, Jack could only nod.
Regina was effortlessly charming and clearly born for the camera. On screen, she and the handsome Mike looked like the perfect golden couple.
For the rest of the interview, Regina enthusiastically praised Mike's performance at school—and, before wrapping up, casually slipped in some promotion for her own Devil's Body cheer squad.
"Mike, don't forget to watch the state TV channel this Friday…"
As soon as the interview ended, Jack hurriedly said goodbye and practically fled the school, clutching his camera like he was escaping a disaster zone.
Regina, now fully satisfied after her moment in the spotlight, watched him leave and commented cheerfully, "That reporter was actually pretty nice…"
Mike silently observed a three-second moment of respect for Jack, who had been thoroughly worn down over the past half hour. Then he shook his head and turned to walk toward the Cooper family.
"Wait~"
Regina called out to him and smiled. "To celebrate the team's big win, I'm throwing a party. You, of all people, can't miss it."
With the way Mike had played today, he was guaranteed to become the school's next big star.
And feeling a sudden sense of urgency, Regina decided it was time to make the first move.