the Eagles had recovered the fumble.
Instead of starting the second half on defense, desperately trying to stop the Rockets from going up by fourteen, the Eagles now had a chance to tie the game. Starting on the Rockets forty yard line, the offense got to work.
Ronde watched from the sidelines, cheering his lungs out as Tiki ran for twelve yards and a first down. It was amazing to see his twin bowl over the opposing players like that. Last year Tiki would have bounced right off them. Now he was much bigger and stronger, and it was the defenders who were getting knocked down!
Ronde felt a brief pang of jealousy. Still skinny and short, he had to make up for it with his speed and leaping ability, knocking the ball away from wide receivers who were six inches taller and fifty pounds heavier.
But for now all Ronde cared about was that Tiki keep on plowing through the defense. âGo, TIKI!â he yelled,making himself hoarse as his twin rushed for another eight tough yards, down to the Rockets twenty.
Next Manny faked a handoff, then rolled to his right and found Frank Amadou in the back of the end zone. Frank made a tremendous leap and came down with the ball, but he landed with one foot out of the end zone! Cheers turned to groans on the Eagles sideline.
But they need not have worried. On the very next play Tiki burst through the line like an bullet, running straight up the gut for an easy touchdown.
âUnstoppable!â Ronde screamed, punching the air. âYesss!!!â
Adamâs kick tied the game, and Ronde strapped his helmet back on. Now it was his turn.
The Rockets went to work from their own twenty yard line. Ronde lined up against their number one wide receiver, Zach Martin. Last season, Martin had scored ten touchdowns in the Rocketsâ twelve games, as Ronde knew because he studied all the stats. Ronde was good at math, and he knew Zach was seven inches taller than he was.
No matter. Today Zach would not be scoring a single touchdown. He would not be catching any long passes. Not with Ronde covering him like a barnacle on a rock.
On this drive the Rockets kept the ball on the ground, grinding out first downs and eating up the clock. Ronde understood their strategy. It was the same one the Eaglesused when they played against high-powered offenses: Keep the ball out of the other teamâs hands.
It turned out to be a good strategy. The Rockets, taking advantage of the younger Eagles defenders, used fake handoffs, misdirection plays, and draw plays to move the ball into Eagles territory.
At the Eagles twenty-five, with third down and two to go, Ronde got a sudden shiver up his spine. They were going to put it into the air, he just knew it. He could feel it.
Sure enough, the quarterback faked a handoff and then dropped back to pass. Ronde gave his man a vicious bump, sending him sprawling out of bounds. That meant Zach Martin was now out of the play.
Then, seeing that the quarterback was having trouble finding an open man, Ronde went straight for him. He blindsided him just as he was about to throw. The ball flew straight up, and Ronde leapt to grab it. He hauled it in just as a huge offensive lineman slammed him to the turf, but he held on to the ball!
Tiki found him and helped him up. âThatâs what I call playing proud!â he told Ronde.
âYou run that ball in, Brother,â Ronde said, gripping his twinâs hand in a mutual fist-lock.
âWatch me.â
As the ref blew the whistle for play to resume, Ronde ran off the field. He accepted hugs and high fives all around, but he noticed that the players were alreadywatching the offense go to work. This was a determined team, so different from the one that had showed up to play the first half.
Ronde smiled, feeling deeply happy.
This
was the team he remembered from last yearârefusing to go down, refusing to lose.
On instructions from Coach Wheeler the offense now went to the air. Manny fired off successive
Instead of starting the second half on defense, desperately trying to stop the Rockets from going up by fourteen, the Eagles now had a chance to tie the game. Starting on the Rockets forty yard line, the offense got to work.
Ronde watched from the sidelines, cheering his lungs out as Tiki ran for twelve yards and a first down. It was amazing to see his twin bowl over the opposing players like that. Last year Tiki would have bounced right off them. Now he was much bigger and stronger, and it was the defenders who were getting knocked down!
Ronde felt a brief pang of jealousy. Still skinny and short, he had to make up for it with his speed and leaping ability, knocking the ball away from wide receivers who were six inches taller and fifty pounds heavier.
But for now all Ronde cared about was that Tiki keep on plowing through the defense. âGo, TIKI!â he yelled,making himself hoarse as his twin rushed for another eight tough yards, down to the Rockets twenty.
Next Manny faked a handoff, then rolled to his right and found Frank Amadou in the back of the end zone. Frank made a tremendous leap and came down with the ball, but he landed with one foot out of the end zone! Cheers turned to groans on the Eagles sideline.
But they need not have worried. On the very next play Tiki burst through the line like an bullet, running straight up the gut for an easy touchdown.
âUnstoppable!â Ronde screamed, punching the air. âYesss!!!â
Adamâs kick tied the game, and Ronde strapped his helmet back on. Now it was his turn.
The Rockets went to work from their own twenty yard line. Ronde lined up against their number one wide receiver, Zach Martin. Last season, Martin had scored ten touchdowns in the Rocketsâ twelve games, as Ronde knew because he studied all the stats. Ronde was good at math, and he knew Zach was seven inches taller than he was.
No matter. Today Zach would not be scoring a single touchdown. He would not be catching any long passes. Not with Ronde covering him like a barnacle on a rock.
On this drive the Rockets kept the ball on the ground, grinding out first downs and eating up the clock. Ronde understood their strategy. It was the same one the Eaglesused when they played against high-powered offenses: Keep the ball out of the other teamâs hands.
It turned out to be a good strategy. The Rockets, taking advantage of the younger Eagles defenders, used fake handoffs, misdirection plays, and draw plays to move the ball into Eagles territory.
At the Eagles twenty-five, with third down and two to go, Ronde got a sudden shiver up his spine. They were going to put it into the air, he just knew it. He could feel it.
Sure enough, the quarterback faked a handoff and then dropped back to pass. Ronde gave his man a vicious bump, sending him sprawling out of bounds. That meant Zach Martin was now out of the play.
Then, seeing that the quarterback was having trouble finding an open man, Ronde went straight for him. He blindsided him just as he was about to throw. The ball flew straight up, and Ronde leapt to grab it. He hauled it in just as a huge offensive lineman slammed him to the turf, but he held on to the ball!
Tiki found him and helped him up. âThatâs what I call playing proud!â he told Ronde.
âYou run that ball in, Brother,â Ronde said, gripping his twinâs hand in a mutual fist-lock.
âWatch me.â
As the ref blew the whistle for play to resume, Ronde ran off the field. He accepted hugs and high fives all around, but he noticed that the players were alreadywatching the offense go to work. This was a determined team, so different from the one that had showed up to play the first half.
Ronde smiled, feeling deeply happy.
This
was the team he remembered from last yearârefusing to go down, refusing to lose.
On instructions from Coach Wheeler the offense now went to the air. Manny fired off successive
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