It was Friday afternoon, and the football team was out on the field going through their usual practice.
"Mike, when you throw, try to use more power from your hips. It'll give you a faster release and put less strain on your wrist and arm..." Coach George was breaking down the mechanics of passing to Mike right there on the field.
Normally, as a running back, Mike wouldn't really need passing skills.
But from the way Coach George was acting, it sure seemed like he was grooming Mike to be the next quarterback.
After all, come May next year, Captain Aaron would graduate and leave the team.
Clearly, Coach George was planning ahead for the future.
As for the game next Monday? Once everyone found out they'd be facing Austin High, the whole team—including Coach George—pretty much lost their fire.
They were already treating the matchup like a chance to see how the big boys played.
Instead of dreaming about pulling off an upset, the Medford guys were more focused on how to lose without getting totally embarrassed.
In that kind of vibe, practice felt a lot more relaxed.
[Football Experience +66]
With all the football experience points he'd been racking up, Mike's football skill level was almost at Level 4 now. And Level 4? That's straight-up pro territory.
Thanks to his solid foundation, Mike only needed Coach George to explain the passing technique twice before he nailed the key points.
A few real throws, and he'd have it down pat.
Seeing that Mike got it, Coach George said, "Alright, go practice with George Jr."
Mike watched him waddle off, then called out, "Coach George!"
"Yeah?" The coach turned back. "Something you don't get?"
"Nah, nothing." Mike shook his head, hugging the football.
He'd actually wanted to suggest the team take the next game more seriously.
But thinking about his own situation, he just couldn't bring himself to say it.
Coach George gave his star player a long look, then suddenly asked, "You grow taller again lately?"
Thanks to the [Moonlight] boost and Mike's nonstop training, yeah—he'd shot up a few more centimeters recently.
Now over 6'1", he looked even taller and more built.
Mike noticed the change the most himself. He nodded. "Yeah, a couple centimeters. Probably a late growth spurt."
"Good stuff—keep it up. Next summer, you're gonna be the team's main guy." Coach didn't bother suggesting he get measured officially.
He gave Mike a few more words of encouragement, then headed to the sideline to chill.
Mike got the message: just keep grinding. So he jogged to the middle of the field, found George Jr., and the two started working on passing and catching.
No matter what everyone else thought, Mike stayed focused. As long as he was on the team, he'd do his job right.
Practice wrapped up near the end of the school day, and Mike wiped off his sweat before joining the rest of the guys.
"For Monday's game against Austin—no pressure, guys. Just go out there, play loose, and don't leave any regrets." Once everyone gathered, Coach George still tried to hype them up a bit.
Clearly, he'd kinda given up, but not totally.
It probably came down to the massive gap in team strength—Coach just couldn't see a path to victory.
One word for it: tanking.
The guys just laughed off his pep talk and didn't take it to heart.
Only Captain Aaron looked dead serious.
"Alright, that's it. Have a great weekend, everybody." Coach didn't mind their reaction—he just grinned and waved goodbye.
Amid the clapping and cheers, the team bolted for the locker room like wild horses let loose.
Captain Aaron, trailing at the back, suddenly called out, "Mike!"
Mike stopped and turned. "What's up?"
"Nothing." Aaron shook his head at first, then added after a pause, "I'm coming to the field this weekend for extra practice. Wanna join?"
Aaron, who dreamed of going pro in football, wasn't about to mail in any game.
"We'll see. If I come, I'll give you a heads-up," Mike replied.
"Cool." Aaron flashed a big smile and left it at that.
As the two walked quietly toward the edge of the field, a red sports car pulled up smoothly right in front of them.
Aaron glanced at Regina in the driver's seat, then at Mike.
In the end, he just patted Mike on the shoulder and headed to the locker room alone.
"Mike, you free this weekend? We could throw a private party," Regina said with a smile, leaning over to show off her curves.
Error-free version here! First release of this novel.
"Sorry, I've got plans. Maybe next time." Mike turned her down flat, walked around the car, and went to the locker room.
Watching him go, Regina gritted her teeth and muttered, "Damn it. I refuse to believe I can't get you. Just wait..."
With that, she floored the gas and peeled out, disappearing from school in a cloud of dust.
...
Another Friday night meant it was time for the state TV broadcast of the league's Top 10 Plays.
The Coopers and Mike all piled in front of the TV right on time to watch. It was starting to feel like a family tradition.
"Oh my God! Mike, that's insane!" Grandma Connie gasped as they replayed the slow-motion clip over and over.
Yep, the screen was showing Mike's brutal collision with Oher.
That hit had sent Oher off the field and sealed the win for their team.
The slow-mo captured the sheer violence—both guys' pads deformed from the impact.
Oher's arm twisted and went limp from the force. In slow motion, it looked excruciating.
"It's fine, Grandma Connie. That stuff happens on the field all the time," Mike reassured her.
The slow-mo made it look way more dangerous than it felt. For Mike, in the moment, it hadn't seemed that risky.
"It's still too dangerous—that big guy's arm basically broke," Connie said, still shaken. "Mike, next game, please be careful. Learn to protect yourself."
That's how it goes sometimes—you might not bat an eye when a stranger's in danger.
But when it's family? It hits different, especially with a visual like that to compare.
"I got it, Grandma," Mike said with a smile. Getting that concern felt pretty good.
Once Mike's highlight finished, the Top 10 Plays wrapped up.
"Mike, you were so awesome! You took down that huge dude in one hit..." On the way to the dinner table, Missy grabbed his arm, bubbling with excitement.
For the little girl, all that mattered was that Mike won and came out on top—no downside.