The skies above are grey and a strong breeze drags new, greyer clouds into view. I am unable to kit-up for the game tomorrow so I have come to the ground the evening before the game to help mark out the pitch, it's not much but at it feels like I am contributing in a small way. The turnout is high, better than previous weeks and the four regulars frequently make remarks about how too many cooks are spoiling the broth, next time they can watch the broth themselves. We untangle the two-hundred yard long lengths of blue nylon rope and first mark out the sidelines, then we mark the lines that run the width of the pitch every five yards. We snake the rope across the pitch and anchor it off the pitch with stakes, the tight-end has assumed control of the paint-roller and trundles around all the lines. Two of the senior defensive players have turned up, they stand under shelter talking with the managers that are present.
After the horizontal lines are in place along the length of the pitch, we mark the one-yard hashes on the sideline using a tape measure and white aerosol turf paint, the numbers on the tape measure disappear every three-feet due to errant paint from previous uses. Once the ninety yards of hashes over both sides of the pitch are completed, two ropes are placed vertically down the length of the pitch, ten-feet from the outside of each rugby goal post. Two-foot long hashes are placed every yard. The final marks on the pitch are the extra-point mark which is three-yards from the goal-line, it is about two-yards long.
With the finishing touches in place, I begin to wrestle with one of the impractically long lengths of rope and attempt to coil it into some sort of ordered chaos. I give it my best and produce two bulky balls of rope, I place them into the bag - when they are pulled out next April they will have inexplicably tangled themselves into a knotted blue nightmare. We pack up and I head home, I stop at McDonalds and get twenty chicken nuggets and a double cheeseburger - I share the nuggets with my brother and eat the cheeseburger myself. I warm a pizza from Asda later in the evening, I feel full.
I remember listening to my radio alarm-clock, someone from the world of television has died. I don't recall fumbling for my alarm clock and stopping the irritating buzzing. When I wake up I reckon that it is around eleven o'clock due to the angle of the sun shining through the window above my bed. I had intentions of heading out to the garage and moving some weight around but it is too late for that now. I head downstairs, I fry an egg and warm some baked-beans, I add these to a bowl containing a cold sausage, a cold rasher of bacon; two warm rounds of toast complete the meal. I eat these whilst watching some baseball. I get dressed, gather my things and head to the ground. There is a van blocking the drive, it belongs to Transco and the driver is checking out a gas-leak at the house next door. He moves the van without me having to ask and I thank him.
I am halfway to the ground when I realise that I have left my mobile phone at home, it is too late to turn back. At the ground the opposition are doing stretches and our players are running through drills, I get a cup of tea with two sugars from the burger van parked beside the pitch and talk to two offensive-linemen. One is not playing due to a shoulder injury and the other is on-call from work so he may have to depart at any moment. The injured player stays to watch the game from the sidelines, myself and the lineman on-standby head to the stands. We are mugged for three-pounds on the way in, it is for charity and we are given game programmes and a raffle ticket in return - white nine. We settle ourselves on the top row of steps just to the left of the forty-five yard line.
The captains of each side walk out to the middle and the referee flips the coin. We chose to receive the kick and they chose to have the wind at their backs in the second and fourth quarters, hopefully this won't make a difference. The game begins with a long, grinding drive by our offense that results in a field goal. Their defense does a good job of shutting down our running game, all season we have moved the ball with ease - today our ground game will be tested. Their immediate response ends in a three-and-out after a penalty for intentional grounding.
The stand is full of supporters today, players from rival teams in our division line the grass verge that runs parallel to the pitch, opposite the club house. The murmuring and constant chat in the stands makes a change to the usually stagnant atmosphere. The cheers for big plays and the chants of 'defense' in an attempt to unnerve the visiting team ring out across the pitch. Camera flashes from the grass verge occasionally dazzle the paying spectators. I find my heart speeding up and myself getting involved in the game. I feel the elation of each yard gained and the devastation of each yard conceded, more so than any game that I have stood on the sideline for. Would I have felt this excitement if I was kitted up and on the sideline? As the fifth-string receiver I wouldn't have expected any play time unless the game turned into an absolute rout, maybe I would have got some special-team plays. I find it hard to follow the game from the sideline and the view from the stand makes following the game easier, I read somewhere on the internet that if you watch the defense you can see where the ball is going to go - with a competent quarterback it proves true most of the time.
Our second drive consists of some more stuffed runs and two fifteen yard strikes through the air taking us to their twenty yard line. A ten yard sack on third down leads to us attempting a field goal which is blocked. The loose ball goes out of bounds around the opposing teams thirty yard line. The visiting side switch from under-center snaps into a shotgun system, this confuses our defense - especially when they spread receivers out wide and run the ball. The absence of two of our starters in the secondary doesn't help the defense but we thought our squad had good depth. The visiting teams running backs are huge and slip past the first tackle all game long, this leads to us crowding the box and leaving the secondary exposed, whether the defense chooses to stop the pass or run, the offense eventually calls the right play and gets themselves a fresh set of downs. They march sixty yards down the pitch in seven plays and score the first touchdown of the match, they miss the extra point.
The third drive that our offense attempts again sees the running game stopped, two first down runs are stuffed and our aerial attack does all of the work. An open receiver drops a fly route and the next pass attempt is picked off. The defense steps up and forces a three-and-out, the visitors punt is returned forty-five yards and a play-action pass is completed from the three yard line for a touchdown, the extra point is missed. We take the lead for the first time in the day. The visiting team drive seventy yards for a touchdown in eight plays and retake the lead, they will not surrender the lead again. Our next drive has only two plays before the referee holds the ball above his head to signal the end of the half.
I pack my things into my bag and head down to the burger van. The queue is long but that is expected, several short showers of rain fall. I get a cheeseburger and head back up to the stands. After I have finished eating the second half begins, we are to kickoff.
The kickoff is caught at the oppositions five yard line and the returner manages to find a seam and navigates his way to our endzone, he celebrates before he notices the yellow flag on the floor at the home teams twenty-four yard line. A block in the back has been spotted and the visiting offense will get the ball ten yards back from the spot of the foul. One play later after a well executed play-action pass sees the six points that were struck from the scoreboard seconds before reinstated, they go for two points and fail. The score is eighteen-to-nine. The resulting kickoff goes out the back of our endzone for a touchback, a run play is again called on first down and once more it is stuffed. The two following pass plays are both incomplete and a punt follows, another block in the back penalty is called against the visiting team.
Despite the penalty they drive sixty yards down the field and score, a twenty yard run and a twenty yard pass to a receiver running a post pattern do the majority of the damage. The extra point is made and their lead is extended to sixteen. The kickoff is caught on our goal line and ran out to our twenty-three yard line, three extra yards compared to a touchback - each yard comes in handy. We abandon the fruitless first down running and the quarterback attempt to check down to a back flaring out into the flat, the back is enjoying running the route so much he doesn't look for the ball - it sails past his ear hole and is nearly intercepted. Second down sees another pass - this time an incompleted hook, the cornerback is all over the receiver before the ball reaches him and a flag is thrown for defensive pass interference - fifteen free yards. A botched screen pass to the veteran wide receiver results in a three yard loss. The next play is a fifty-five yard touchdown on a fly route, a perfect throw that dropped just over the cornerback's shoulder, the wishbone personnel are sent in and the two point attempt fails. Cheers erupt from the stands saying 'it isn't over yet' and other sayings, we are now trailing by ten points, just two scores.
On the opponents third down they throw a post route from a four wide receiver shotgun set, the last ditch tackle by our safety draws a face-mask penalty and moves the offense down to our fifteen yard line. A three-yard run and a stuffed screen play follow. The next play is a pass and the quarterback tries to throw to a dig route running two yards inside our endzone, the pass is picked off by one of our veteran safeties who falls to the ground. The crowd get fired up again, the momentum is shifting our way.
The ball is moved out to the twenty-yard line, a run is called on first down - we gain one yard. A slant is thrown to our stand-out receiver of the day, it is third-and-four. The quarterback rolls out to the right and throws a deep comeback route, the pass falls short and it incomplete. We are forced to punt from our own twenty-six, it is still the third quarter and not yet time for the final roll of the dice.
The punt ends up at their twenty-five yard line, the first play is run and a fumble is forced, they somehow manage to recover the ball. Second down sees a sweep play to the right, they gain five yards, yellow clumps litter the floor - a block in the back is called, their third infraction of the day. Second and fifteen, the quarterback rolls out, no receivers are open and he keeps the ball for a five yard gain, more yellow bundles litter the floor and it is a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct against the offense, a ten yard penalty. Third and twenty, a shotgun pass play turns into a draw and the running-back tears down the centre of the pitch for a forty-five yard gain. Momentum is slipping away from us again. The third quarter ends. They run to the left for five yards, then they pass twenty-five yards to the endzone, they make the two point conversion. They are up seventeen points and the defense look beaten as then walk off the pitch. Shouts erupt from our sideline that it isn't over yet, a defensive huddle is urgently called.
We abandon the run completely and begin to alternate between trips and spread formation. We march down the pitch to their eleven yard line, no receivers are open and the quarterback is flushed from the pocket, a defensive lineman catches his arm and the ball falls to the floor, they recover the loose ball. The defense step up and a three-and-out follows, the punt is left alone and is touched down at our twenty seven yard line. A two yard screen play is called and then a corner route goes incomplete. A running back goes into motion on third down and another fumble is caused as the quarterback is hit, this time we recover the ball - we opt to punt. The snap is wild and wide, the punter recovers the ball but is surrounded by defensive players - there is no room to punt. He tucks the ball away and attempts to run down the pitch, he makes it as far as our twenty yard line. The opposing offense slowly grind to the one yard line, they call a play action run that has even the referees looking at the running back as the quarterback saunters into the endzone untouched, the extra point is missed but the final nail is already in our coffin. Our season is all but over baring a miracle.
On the next possession we send in the second-string quarterback, the frequent knockdowns have got to the starter and he is pulled from the game. We run two plays and then the final whistle is blown. We are knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.
