When the Game Stands Tall Page #7

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one more time and I bench you.

We're not a celebrating team.

- Yes, sir.

- Go.

We knew they were quick.

Now we've seen how quick.

Settle them down. Let's show them

real speed. Hit Jones on a one. Go.

Go, red 27, red 27, set!

Hut!

Lawrence launches a bomb

to Derrick Jones...

...and he just can't hang on.

Yeah!

You know why he dropped that? He ain't

been dragging truck tires all week.

Yeah!

Beaser! Only second down.

Keep your head in the game.

The heat on the field is brutal,

but this Spartan team has come to play.

They are banging heads with 300-pound

linemen out there and holding their own.

What they lack in size...

...they make up in quickness off the ball,

determination and toughness.

Reverse!

- No! No!

- That's how you play football!

Poly gets its first score of the game,

tying it at 7.

On-field temperatures have soared

to 100 degrees.

On the pre-game show, De La Salle's

assistant coach Terry Eidson said...

...the heat could be a factor

in today's game.

He wasn't kidding.

Down.

Over me! U 52!

Set, hut!

Salinas fires a 29-yard pass

to Tayshon Lanear...

...for his first touchdown of the game.

- Yeah! Yeah!

- De La Salle, back in the lead, 13 to 7.

With eight minutes left in the half...

...De La Salle's two-way players

are struggling to get back up.

And because Poly has a hundred-man

roster, nobody plays both ways.

This could be a huge factor

in today's game.

Five-forty down! Fifty-fifty!

- You know why they call me Buster?

- You're stupid enough to let them?

Set, hut!

Nice hit.

Joe Beaser sheds a block

by big Buster Matthews...

...and makes a huge stop

on fourth down.

Split! Split!

Doubles!

Hut!

Stop him! Come on!

Tayshon Lanear reels in

his second touchdown of the game...

...putting the Spartans up 21 to 7.

Lanear has been playing both ways

the first half...

...and is exhausted down

on the De La Salle bench.

Offense, get in there!

Big third down here for Poly

as the clock is under a minute to go.

Did you see that? Did you see that?

Get off of him, man!

Come on, guys! Let's go, let's go!

Fourth down

and after that big play by Chris Ryan...

...Poly is going for a field goal.

From 34 yards out,

the ball is up and good.

Poly cuts the De La Salle Lead

to 21-10.

Eighteen seconds on the clock.

Poly is spread wide.

- Looks like they're kicking away.

- Onside! Ball, ball!

No, it's an onside kick.

The ball is on the turf. There's a pileup.

Officials are diving in, and...

- We got it! We got it! We got it!

- Our ball.

- Poly has the ball.

- You have got to be kidding me.

A perfectly executed onside kick

with 12 seconds left in the half.

When he lines up,

they're gonna throw to him.

Well, I can't go out there

and play for them. Pass! Pass!

Set, hut!

Lawrence finds his big tight end

as the clock expires...

...in one of the best first halves

you will see.

Long Beach Poly has pulled

within four points of De La Salle, 21-17.

You need water?

Move. Open that window, man.

Water!

Where's that ice bucket?

Here, give me that.

Give it to him. All right.

- Take it. Put it on the neck.

- Yeah, yeah. I got it.

All right. Lay him down.

On his back here.

Watch his head, watch his head.

How are you doing?

All right, take it easy.

Terry. Our guys are gassed.

Poly's coming on strong. There's no way

we can start Beaser or Chris...

...or any of our two-way players

in the second half.

Empty the coolers,

check the concession stands.

Grab all the ice they have.

You've got two minutes.

- Right.

- I need your help.

There is no a.c. in here.

Assess the kids' physical condition.

Determine if they can play.

You're gonna handle substitutions.

- Okay, coach.

- Rotate in the second-stringers.

I don't want any kid on that field

that's not fit to play.

I don't care if it costs us the game.

The Spartans are literally dragging

themselves back...

...on what has become

a 100-yard blast furnace...

...as the heat continues

to be a major factor in this game.

Hey, Poly.

Anybody so much as waves

at your moms, you're on suspension.

There is nothing to celebrate, yet.

Finish these guys. They're fading.

- Long Beach!

- Poly!

- Long Beach!

- Poly!

- Long Beach! Long Beach!

- Poly! Poly!

Sanchez, Antoine, Lance. Come on.

Coach Bob Ladouceur

is buying some rest for his starters...

...by sending in his second-stringers.

Down, set, hut!

- Come on, you guys!

- Here we go, here we go, here we go.

Hut, hut!

Poly is pounding

on De La Salle's second string.

Can somebody please make a tackle?

- Get in.

- Coming in for De La Salle...

- ...number 25, Arturo Garcia.

- Right here, right here.

- You got it, buddy. Come on.

- Here we go, Spartans.

Set, hut!

Poly executes a perfect screen pass

for an eight-yard gain.

- Hey, hey! What was that?

- Oh, man.

Buster Matthews has crushed

one of the smallest players...

...on the De La Salle team.

Arturo Garcia is listed

at only 147 pounds.

That's gonna cost the Jackrabbits

15 yards, making it third and long.

Oh, man!

Arturo Garcia gets revenge...

...making a huge tackle to keep Poly

from making a critical first down.

Get up, Arturo.

Spartans' second string is playing

tough against the bigger Poly team...

...and made them scrape

for every yard.

The question is, how much longer

can Terry Eidson leave these guys in...

- ...before Poly's offense explodes?

- Great!

That was amazing. Amazing.

Poly lines up for a field goal.

High snap.

The kick is up, and...

- ...no good.

- Yeah! Let's go!

See that? That's on you.

If you don't make that stop,

they don't miss that field goal.

Poly misses.

The score remains 21-17.

Yo, coach, coach. Yo, take a look at us,

man. We ready to go.

- Beaser?

- I'm ready.

- Tayshon?

- I'm ready.

- Ready?

- Let's do it.

Bob. They're ready.

- You sure?

- Absolutely.

- All right, D, 40 cover two and go.

- Let's go, man. Let's go.

It looks like the starters are running back

onto the field.

This is no longer about who the bigger,

faster, stronger players are.

It's about who plays with more heart.

- Relax. We're good.

- That's right.

- Fifty!

- Draw right.

Set, hut!

Go, go, go!

No! No!

The Jackrabbits have come back...

...and now lead 24-21

over an exhausted De La Salle.

Chris is getting blocked by 280-pound

guards while playing linebacker...

...then being tackled by 300-pounders

when he's running the ball.

- That's how you wrap them up! Good job!

- Get off of him!

- How are they still on their feet?

- Those linebackers are flying out of there.

Run the draw. Go.

Set, hut!

Come on, Chris! Come on, Chris!

Yeah! Go!

Chris Ryan's spectacular run

puts the Spartans back on top, 28-24.

What do you think?

You can't play with the Beast.

You can't play with the Beast.

With two minutes left in what is a classic

high-school football game...

Hut!

Shed these blocks!

These guys are half your size.

Start playing like the number-one team

in this country before you aren't!

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