Mustangs Vs. Lions 10/25/2011

[Westbrook Academy]

PREGAME


The team had won homecoming despite being down their best kicker, and despite whatever that was that took place on the sidelines, but Coach Armstrong didn’t want them getting too cocky. He wanted to be confident that when his team took the field they'd be ready, and as he watched them climb off the bus, he wished he was. Radney wasn’t especially known for their athletics, but they could have improved some from last year. More than one team had lost a game due to overconfidence. His wasn’t going to be one of them. Besides, most of the kids were still reeling from the whole attack still, getting used to new ‘powers’ or getting used to not having any at all. Most were looking forward to being on the field, even if they didn’t say as much.

"All right, listen up!" the Coach barked as the team readied itself in the lockers. A few of the players were being a little rambunctious, shoving each other against the lockers and such, but he didn't want to squash anyone's energy level before the game. "You played well last week, played hard, and I don’t want you slacking off this week because it’s not Delmont we’re up against.

"The Lion’s are more like Pussy Cats." Mike Jackson said while shoulder checking Pierce Drummond.

“Big pussies is more like it.” Derrick Cork added in. “They ain’t won a game all season.” Immediately, most of the team broke into a show of bravado that made Coach Armstrong blow his whistle to get them to listen up.

"Knock it off!" He hollered. "We're a new team this year. They're a new team this year! Don't get overconfident, because then you'll get sloppy. I don't want to see anyone slacking off out there." He knew for a fact the Lion’s quarterback and a few key players were the same as played in the intramural games last year, but he also knew the Lions Coach. “If they come on strong, we'll come on stronger!” You go out there and you show them we're serious. Who are we?"

"MUSTANGS!" the team enthusiastically replied.

"What?"

"MUSTANGS!" they called louder.

"Who?"

"MUSTANGS!!! BEAT THE LIONS!"

"GOOD! Get out there, and let's show them some football!"

[Flicker]

The cheer squad stood on the field, and Peyton took a quick glance around as they helped rally the crowd for when the Mustang’s took the field. Mia - she looked relieved. She’d been ushered onto the power suppressed field early, help protect her from the hundreds of thoughts that would be generating around the stadium. Jeanette looked great, and it’s not like martial arts is one of those things she’d forget once she lost her powers to JD. It was tough to tell if she was more confident, because she usually held her head high and shouted it out with the best of them no matter what. This time - she looked the part. On the flip side of the coin, Wyatt had gotten much better at not pouncing people. On the field, he was still all fur and fangs. Sondra shouted the echo cheer up to the crowd and held a hand to her ear as the crowd shouted back. Performer through and through. She was shielded when the attack happened, Peyton told her it was because Mr. Max knew talent when he saw it. Lauren seemed more focused this week. She was really giving Peyton a run for her money at cheer practice, getting the new routine down about as quick as Peyton showed it to her. They had to do something new, the squad lost Ar. Peyton hoped he’d show. Hoped he’d be there on the bench to show support or maybe in the stands even to watch the game, but if he was, she couldn’t see him. She’d have scowled if they weren’t on the field, and on the field - you had to smile like absolutely nothing bothered you. Practice what you preach. Still, like she told him that day in Steel - he was squad. She could put up with the sneers and snarky comments, because he was squad. She didn’t just want him there because his electronic bits made him a better athlete. He was squad. ‘Course he didn’t see it that way now. He was too busy noticing what he couldn’t do, but she wasn’t in the business of forcing people to do anything they didn’t want. Cajoling, persuading, maybe. But it was cheering. You do it because you want to. And right now? That’s what they did.

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN- Your Westbrook MUSTANGS!!!”

[Faige Harrison]

Faige was in head of the band again and had taken charge of loading up the bus with the help of a couple of the football players, namely Espionsa and Diya. She was in an impossibly good mood again tonight once again and had a boom box (where she got it was anyone's guess) playing a play list of rock music as they loaded up. Brodi said he'd catch up to them at the stadium. It was all good.

As the band members trickled in she took a head count, everyone was there in spite of being stranger looking than usual. Jitters was wearing Eddie's uniform but it still didn't fit quite right. Eddie, on the other hand, stumbled along behind him spilling a box of triangles and apologizing profusely. To whom was anyone's guess.

The ride there was uneventful, a rousing few songs sung off key by the kids in the back of the bus. Faige turned around, draping her arms over the seat back. "Hey guys listen up!" she said but her usually soft voice fell into the din. She frowned and took her glove off, sticking her fingers in her mouth and whistling. That got them. "Hey bandstand! We're all feeling a little weird tonight but we've still got it right? Thirller's totally there, let's work it like we worked it at home coming!"

Her little speech was met with cheering, Faige felt all proud of herself.

The bus unloaded outside the stadium, Eddie outfitted with a regular sized tuba (once he'd found his hat) and Frankie insisting that he still wanted his multidrum in spite of only having two arms now. Brodi pulled into the parking lot beside the bus and hopped out of his car, giving a wave to the group and a fistpound to his co-leader.

Faige made sure everyone was lined up properly for their march out to the bandstand and they filed in quietly but in a pretty orderly fashion. Eddie kept stepping on the back of Cori Walkers shoes, and so there were more whispered apologies that could barely be heard over the mustang supporters who were beginning to populate the bleachers.

[Guillermo Espinosa]

Despite everything that happened, the team seemed confident. Overconfident? Maybe. But still they were confident, and he'd take that over broken any day.

He looked around the room, some of the football players who swapped with each other discussed doing some more training after the game, Chase was in a much better mood since Lark's powers had been suppressed, and of course, Espy couldn't help but laugh along once Jackson and Cork got the team going.

Espy could only hope the team heeded the Coach's words about being cocky. He hoped that if they got off to a good start, he didn't get cocky either--he was always a little susceptible to that. They had Diya back, and that was good, Ward had missed a few make able kicks, kicks Espy new Diya would have made. Besides, they needed Ward to hold down the line.

Espy chanted along with his team, following the prompts from his coach, and followed Hank and Chase out of the locker room onto the field. As Chase pointed to the crowd, Espy beat his chest and jumped in the air as he made his way to the coin toss.

[Westbrook Academy]

FIRST QUARTER

The bandstand band helped rally the crowd using We Will Rock You to open with. With all of the power swapping and training people had to focus on, there wasn’t a lot of time to practice new songs, and suddenly it didn't seem as important. They did work hard for halftime though, and it promised to be great.

The Mustangs won the toss and opted to receive first. Coach Armstrong switched things up a little this week, putting Matt on the returner slot and freeing up JD a little. Dumarr had been hitting practice extra hard this week, maybe due to the change in his physical appearance and strength, but still - he worked his butt off and the Coach was all for rewarding hard work.

Quest caught the ball at the 20 and managed to get all the way back to the midfield stripe. Henry Hawkins faked a handoff to Chase Masters, and in just the second play of the game managed to connect with Dumarr. Dumarr had seen an opening, a hole in the Lions zone coverage big enough to drive a semi through. But he was no truck. He was lanky, he was fast, and he took full advantage of the situation. The near perfect spiral which landed squarely in the uncovered receivers hands.

"Too easy!" JD thought out loud as he placed the ball down in the end zone twelve seconds later. The crowd was smaller than last week, but the die-hard fans made some noise, happy to be distracted by anything at that point. The newly downsized Eddie Brunts managed to hold onto his big tuba without much incident. He improvised the theme to Jaws as Diya Behari triumphantly returned to the field, and sans fire, scored the extra point. 7-0 for the Mustangs.

"Good job, Good job!" the coach called. "Good eyes JD! Good eyes, Hawkins! Defense, let’s keep it going!"

“We like it, we love it!
We want some more of it!
GO MUSTANGS!”

The Lions were known more for their passing game then their running, and sure enough that's what they tried. Unfortunately for them, the Guillermo Espinosa and the secondary were on fire, not literally, though ironically he now could be. Defense quickly ran down the Lions receivers and boxed them in. The Radney quarterback had no choice but to opt to hand off, and the Mustang’s defensive line was more than ready to stop the run.

Hawkins was quickly back on the field. The Lions were wising up, fielding extra defensive backs for greater pass defense, but that left an opening for Chase Masters. Chase seemed more in his element. The change over hit him hard, and he was having a hard time dealing with it. Back on the field, he could keep things in check, but he used that to his advantage. He plowed through the Lions defense. He channeled everything he had and completely focused on one thing - the goal line. Two plays later, he crossed it, dragging the Lions cornerback across the goal line and putting the second score for the Mustangs on the board.

“Go! Behari! Make the other team sorry!” Lauren called out, and the rest of the squad joined in.
“Check out the score, we want three more!
We’re not needy, needy, we’re just greedy greedy!”

Diya Behari waited for the snap, holding her left hand in the air and starting to run as DeWalt placed the ball on the ground. She’d blame a clump on the ground for the fact that she had to watch with disappointment as the extra point went wide, making the score at the end of first 13-0.

SCORE: MUSTANGS 13 LIONS 0

[Guillermo Espinosa]

Espy cheered when JD scored, he knew it was only a matter of time before he was involved more in the offense, no one had been working as hard as him in practice this week. Chase scored just a little bit after, and Espy figured this wouldn't be the last time. More importantly, the D had allowed no points.

He walked over and complimented Shanna and Cork on their coverages, urging them to keep it up and stay aggressive.

Espy yelled on the sidelines to the rest of the defense, specifically aiming his words at Cork and Ward, who were already discussing where to do for post-game celebration.

"Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT get complacent! They are still a team and they can still score! Lets make sure they don't!"

Everything seemed to be clicking. Espy tried as hard as he can to not let his thoughts drift forward to Collingwood. To be the best, you've got to beat the best, and they may just have to play them the next game. He smacked his hand against the side of his helmet, putting his mind back in the now.

"Head in the game."

He flicked a few glances over to the band and then to the crowd, waving his arms in the air, motioning for the crowd to keep up the noise.

[Faige Harrison]

Faige was playing on point tonight, she kept tossing glances back to the rest of her band to make sure people were with it. Cori and Tori were slightly out of synch with one another, which was unusual but not terrible. Eddie was holding up okay considering he'd been Jitter-fied and was playing a tuba. Jitters was fine, sort of pugging that he still had to play the triangle but otherwise fine.

"Another one bites the dust" was played as they scored, then Faige lowered her instrument to cheer.

[Black Solace]

Sondra jumped and cheered wildly when JD crossed the finish line. The physical changes he'd undergone hadn't slowed him down at all, and the Lion's defence didn't seem to be able to either.

[Diya Behari]

Diya's stomach dropped as she watched the ball sail wide. Was it the uneven ground? Or was she losing her edge? Practice hadn't been the same since the stupid swap. Maybe she'd been practicing wrong and now that was stuck in her head?

And then she heard her name coming from the sidelines. She looked over and caught Lauren's eye. She couldn't help but grin at Lauren, and the rest of the squad, as they joined in. Lauren had promised her a cheer - and had even figured out a rhyme with her name!

It was definitely just a stupid clump of dirt.

[Lark Lowell]

Lark cheered her head off at the scoring, quickly filling up the water bottle and after a moment remembering to leave it by Sondra so that she could greet her boyfriend and Lark herself could take secondary cheering duty. "Here. I mean, it's best if you greet the conquering hero, right?"