When the Game Stands Tall Page #9

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a miraculous comeback...

...for an unprecedented 13th shot

at the sectional championship.

On the line for running back Chris Ryan

is a personal quest...

...as he takes the field only three

touchdowns away from breaking a record.

Let us begin.

Our father, who art in heaven...

...hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses...

...as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

Lead us not to temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Amen.

- One, two, three.

- Spartans!

This season is ending

with De La Salle in a familiar place:

Competing for their 13th

North Coast section championship.

Danny Ladouceur is slammed

to the turf...

...but somehow holds on

for a De La Salle first down.

- Yeah, Danny boy!

- Huddle up. Get it to Chris. Let's go.

De La Salle is a favorite

to win this game.

And most eyes are on Chris Ryan's

quest for a touchdown scoring record.

Yeah!

Yeah, that's it! That's it! Way to go.

One down, two to go for the record.

Two more touchdowns for the record.

Chris Ryan's historic run

at the state touchdown record...

...continues with another touchdown

as De La Salle takes a 7-0 lead.

Pick him up!

No!

Why didn't you tackle him?

It is a contact sport.

You can hit someone.

It's encouraged even.

Yes!

With just a little over five minutes left...

...in the second quarter in this hard-fought

championship, the score is tied, 7-7.

Beaser, you need

to keep him contained!

Hut, blue one, hut!

Reverse! Reverse!

- Contain the runner!

- Contain the runner!

Amador Valley dips into its bag of tricks,

but Joe Beaser isn't fooled.

The senior defensive end

played that perfectly.

De La Salle is up 14-7

here in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans have the ball

on the Dons' 35-yard line.

Chris Ryan is one touchdown away

from tying the state record.

Danny.

Coach.

Watch the defensive back.

He leans inside a lot.

When he does, beat him to the corner.

Give him a hard fake on your first move.

Finish strong.

Corner.

Thirty-four, 34. Give it to 34.

Chris, Chris, Chris!

Down. Set, hut!

- Yeah!

- Chris Ryan won't be denied.

He scores again to give De La Salle

a two-touchdown advantage.

He is now just one touchdown away

from breaking the state record.

One more for the record.

Set, hut!

Salinas.

This is your final drive as a Spartan.

Coach?

It's yours. You call the plays.

Chris, Chris, Chris!

Strong right, 16 midline on one. Ready?

Chris, Chris, Chris!

Down. Set, hut!

Go, come on!

Come on, block for him!

Give him some help, will you?

Come on!

One more for the record.

Give it to the Beast. Give it to Chris.

Down.

Set, hut!

Booyah,baby!

Hey, good catch, dog.

Come on, come on. There's still time.

Still time. Let's get it to Chris.

Chris, Chris, Chris!

Break that record, son. Let's go.

Here we go, baby,

41 blast into the record books.

Here we go.

It's the last play of the game, dog.

Make me proud.

Time out.

- What are they doing?

- I don't know. It's their drive.

- What are you doing?

- Coach Lad's doing this for me.

- He won't say-

- Dude, what are you talking about?

I just- I don't want my last play

as a Spartan to be about me.

Why not?

You trained to get here, you deserve it.

Look, it's an easy shot.

He never took the easy shot.

Coming back to coach us,

he could have died.

And what have we done for him?

Won a few games? A championship?

No, he's right.

While we've been staring at the dirt,

coach has been saying look up.

It's about time we did.

It's time for us to stand tall.

Victory formation.

No, no, no. You gotta do it.

All right.

Boys, no matter where we go

or what we achieve...

...nothing's gonna come close

to what we have right here.

You're all my brothers.

Spartans for life.

Spartans for life.

Shotgun formation, direct snap,

on me, on one. Ready?

De La Salle is lining up

in shotgun formation...

...but Chris Ryan is quarterback

instead of Salinas.

This is a formation we haven't seen

from De La Salle.

Look for Ryan to run this in for his

record-setting 89th career touchdown.

Maybe this wasn't the best time

to give Salinas free will.

Down. Set, hut!

- There's the snap, and Ryan...

- What the hell was that?

...takes a knee.

Wow, rather than running in

for his 89th career touchdown...

...Chris Ryan instead opts

to take a knee.

What are you doing, coach?

Let him run it. Forty-one blast, come on.

There's still time. Run it! Run it!

- Mickey, Bob's not calling the plays.

- You don't understand football.

It's not about football.

Your husband is costing my son

this record.

My husband's turning your son

into a man.

- You're the only person who doesn't see.

- Down, set, hut!

No, no, no. Come on.

- Ryan takes another knee.

- Time out. Stop that clock, Ladouceur.

Stop that clock and run that play.

Run the play!

Let him get the record! Come on!

What could've been a record-shattering

night has now turned into a tribute...

...to the man who took them here,

Coach Bob Ladouceur.

- Why didn't that boy get his record?

- Because it's not about the record.

- Nine, eight, seven, six...

- it's about the team.

...five, four...

...three, two, one.

Yeah!

For you.

Come here.

DLS, DLS, DLS!

Remember one other thing:

Nobody on this staff expects you

to play perfect tonight.

That's impossible.

But what we do expect...

...and you should expect

from yourself and each other...

...is a perfect effort.

I'll say this about Bob Ladouceur...

...that he's a better coach

than our big-time college coaches...

...and he's a better coach

than our big-time pro coaches.

Everybody stands up as an individual

and says, "My name is DJ Williams.

I commit to 20 carries, 150 yards,

seven tackles and no dropped passes."

Once you say that, you hand the card

to somebody, and you shake hands...

...and they say,

"I hold you to that commitment."

To the Kelly family,

Landrin and Bevelyn.

My heart breaks for your loss,

and I pray for your recovery.

God bless you both...

...and please,

take some solace in the fact...

...that you did a fantastic job.

I told you before,

this is the last thing I'm gonna say.

Growing up is painful.

It's not easy.

But that's what our program is about,

in case you haven't figured it out.

It ain't about the football.

It ain't about scoring touchdowns.

It ain't about the win streak.

It's about moving you in a direction...

...that will assist you

and help you grow up.

So when you can take your place...

...out in the world, and out in society,

and out in our community...

...you can be depended on.

Lad said it. He goes:

"You know,

if, you know, Terry wasn't on my staff...

...I wouldn't be doing this right now."

There's a tremendous bond

of trust and friendship that's there.

They share a commitment

to their players.

No matter what's going on,

the players come first...

...and that means the team.

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