Mustangs Vs. The Trailblazers 10/5/11

[Roach Copeland]

Brook met Roach in front of the stadium wearing a Westbrook sweater over her robotic frame. Roach, on the other hand, arrived wearing his patrol uniform. Dark coat that flapped behind him, aviator goggles, and strapped boots were easily thing that pulled the attention his way. Brook looked him over, plastic eyeballs appraising him, before her drone mimicked the gesture of a sigh. However, ever the trooper, she stepped forward and went about trying to adjust his uniform so it looked somewhat presentable.

"You were the one that wanted to come, Roach," she began only to have Roach grunt and brush passed her.

He entered through the stadium, paused long enough for Brook to catch up, and then mumbled, "Bunch of hooting monkeys. Can't believe Diya is into this bullshit."

"And I can't believe you are here to do this. You wanted to come so no frowning." Brook pointed at him as he turned to face her. That frowned remained for a second or two before he slowly raised the corner of his mouth into a.... okay, it was still a frown but it seemed less prominent. "Better."

She took Roach's arm and guided him up the steps and out into the bleachers. An explosion of noises greeted them along with jeering from the people around them. Looking around, the first thing Brook noticed was the lack of Westbrook color. And then the lack of familiar faces. And then the lack of encouraging words for Westbrook.

"Roach, we're in the wrong place," her drone hissed.

Roach snorted and moved down the stairs. "Could have told you that."

A teenager who was moving up the isles stopped as Roach passed him, Brook quickly scurrying behind. The teenager let out a hoot, pointing the two out. "We got some heroes who are lost here! Wrong side, Mask Avengers!" A giggling brunette immediately hopped up and wrapped her warms around the jester, clearly enjoying the jab.

Roach paused for a second, turning his head to speak only for Brook to take his hand, squeezing it. "Roach. No."

"Listen to Robo-Date!"

Roach cleared his throat, offering a smile towards Brook before patting her drone's hand. "I'm fine. If I were to get upset at every asshole who was secretly hiding the fact that he was plowing Linda's moms while hiding his outbreak of herpies from them both... It would never leave enough time for us."

Brook's drone opened her mouth to speak, paused, and then looked back towards the jeering couple. The girl stared at Roach wide eyed before turning sharply towards the male, slapping him. She screeched about 'knowing those weren't bug bites' before the man quickly began retreating away! She watched the two disappear into the complex before looking back at Roach. He gave her a shy wave before holding out the hand her way.

"Come on. We'll miss the peanuts and cracker jacks."

"That's baseball, nerd," she responded as her drone rested its palm into his.

"Right. Sorry... where is the three point line?"

She laughed. "Basketball."

"Janga?"

"Just find a seat and sit down, nerd!"

[Flicker]

((Posting Half-Time Early, since it goes hand in hand with the second quarter))

HALF TIME

The cheer squad grooved to the center of the field to the band's rendition of Mustang Sally, which the band had become more than adept with, a few of the cheerleaders waving to the team as they filed into the lockers.

They took their new line-up in stride, Wyatt was back this week, Mia was still out, but Jeanette was new. Peyton made sure to separate Wyatt and Lauren despite, or maybe because they were back together. Again. She sometimes felt she needed a score card, but that’s why the Jets back home had that rule about dating cheerboys. Both she and Sondra nodded a smile towards Jeanette, who appeared calm even though it was her first time in uniform in front of a crowd. Ar managed to not look bored wearing a cross between a bemused smile and an I-know-what-you-did-last-summer smirk, it was tough to tell with him sometimes. Still, Peyton knew he and Sondra would nail their part of the routine. The basket toss was scrubbed for this game, especially since Lauren seemed more than a little distracted, but hopefully they’d be able to add it back before Homecoming.

Pumped Up Kicks started playing through the stadium’s PA system. The words were barely understandable, but that was a good thing, considering it wasn’t necessarily a great song, but damn if it didn’t have a catchy beat. There were a few small slip ups being a new routine and all, but for the most part, the Cheer squad put on a decent show.

Back in the lockers... was another story.

"All right, listen up," Coach Armstrong called once his team hit the locker room. From the look on his face, they could tell he was in an ‘I talk, you listen’ frame of mind. They listened.

"They're playing good, but not great. We CAN play better, and we're going to have to if we want this win. They have a great offensive line, which means our defense needs to tighten up, Espinosa can’t do it on his own. I want to see some pressure on their quarterback. Don’t let him set the pace. Our offensive line- Masters, Quest, Dumarr, that was some nice footwork out there, I want to see more of it. Behari? I don’t know where your head is at but it’s not in this game at all, so you do what you have to to get it there, or you let someone who actually wants to play have a chance.

I want to see you buckle down and get serious. ALL of you. Otherwise you can kiss this game good bye. We watched it slip through our fingers last week, and I don't know about you all, but I don't want to see that happen again.

So what are you going to do? Let these Trailblazers steam-roll you? Or are you going to go back out there, buck up and get serious, and show me that you know how to play football. If you don’t? Don't bother showing up for practice tomorrow because obviously you'll just be wasting my time. Hawkins, Espinosa? See if you can pull them together."

[Diya Behari]

Diya frowned under coach's admonition. Who was he to say her head wasn't in the game? He didn't know what was going through her head!

[Galactic Halo]

Chase frowned, guessing a little as to what could possibly be bugging Diya. There weren't that many things that could drag a person down during a game. Still, if it was what he thought it was, then it was none of his business to get in the middle of. However, they were playing a game, and they were a damn team.

In the scant few minutes they had between halves, Chase clamped a hand down on Diya's shoulderpads, leaning in to whisper to her. "I know it sucks to be off your game Diya, but I know you can still pull it out for us. Let's show them how a real Mustang does this round. I'll set you up good, you nail it home." Chase gave her a lopsided grin and a swift and brotherly slap on the back of her pads. "Make 'em remember who Diya Behari is."

[Diya Behari]

Diya shrugged out from under Chase's hands. "Don't touch me. I don't need any more goddamn pep talks," she added with a glare. Why couldn't people just leave her alone?

[Flicker]

THIRD QUARTER

Both teams came out of the lockers twice as determined as they went in. One player in particular, the Mustang’s defensive captain Guillermo Espinosa, was especially fired up.

“So the Coach wants pressure, does he? C’mon guys, let’s show them what Mustang Football is all about! I want to see STEAM!”

On the second play of the half, Bobby “Junebug” June did just that, blowing through the offensive line like a freight train and sacking the Trailblazers quarterback for a six yard loss. The quarterback seemed slow to get up after the hit, and on the next play, he stumbled taking the snap and was forced to throw the ball away to avoid another sack, this time by Pierce Drummond. On third down he handed the ball to his halfback, but the junior failed to find an opening, barely making it past the line of scrimmage before being tackled hard by a charging Guillermo Espinosa.

"Good coverage! Good coverage!" the coach called from the sidelines. Cork gave Espy an approving thump on the shoulder pads as they left the field.

The Mustangs fared no better on their first possession. Consecutive runs by Jackson and Masters netted only five yards, and an attempt to surprise the defense with a sideline pass to Matt Quest resulted in an incompletion. Behari was once again brought in for tthe punt, which was short, and the Trailblazers took the ball in good field position.

"It's okay, it don't mean jack, we had it once, we'll get it back!" The cheer squad chanted, but Diya had had enough.

Disappointment with her performance and more jeers from the crowd made Behari seethe as she threw her helmet returning to the sidelines, looking around for something else to hit. JD Dumarr quickly ushered the kicker aside to offer a few words of encouragement, but the diminutive placekicker couldn’t be placated. After shouting a few choice obscenities directed at no one in particular and knocking another helmet off the bench, Coach Armstrong had had enough.

“You were warned, Behari!” He barked, pointing his finger in her direction. “Hit the bench, hit the showers or hit the bus - you’re out for the rest of this game, and unless I see some improvement in that piss poor attitude you brought with you today, you just might find yourself sitting out homecoming next week!”

To try and take eyes off the tense situation which left a lot of the team and cheer squad agape, Brodi Andrews and Faige Harrison broke into a dueling fife match of “We Will Rock You,” that could be heard pretty well considering most eyes were on the situation at hand.

Also during the sideline commotion, James Bryant sent out their reserve quarterback, still only a sophomore but already known around the league for his strong throwing arm. With the team behind him, he was ready to put Westbrook’s defensive line to the test. The Trailblazers’ offensive line held firm, allowing their new quarterback plenty of time to find targets for the bullets he was firing. His first three plays resulted in two first downs, driving the ball deep into Mustang territory and nearing field goal range.

With the crowd whipped into a near-frenzy, the Trailblazers fielded five receivers for the next play. Having no more defensive backs available, the Mustangs countered with their standard formation, Coach Armstrong signaling his secondary to switch to zone coverage. He also made a barely noticeable gesture to Derrick Cork, who proceeded to line up a few yards farther outside than usual.

As the ball was snapped, Cork sprang into action, sweeping around the shortened offensive line to bear down on the Trailblazer QB. The quarterback kept his cool and managed to fire off his intended pass before taking the hit. The ball flew through the air in a perfect arc, straight into the arms of Mustang’s Free Safety Guillermo Espinosa. Without missing a beat, the Miami born transfer student ran straight up the sidelines of the opposing team, barely staying in bounds twice before crossing to the center of the field where he found his next opening. He crossed the midstripe to the 30 where he was finally tripped up, spinning and high stepping away before being taken down for the first turnover of the game.

With the offensive line unable to move the ball at all, Hawkins called once again for their back up kicker, Cody Ward who took the field.

The new kicker, got an encouraging nod from quarterback Henry Hawkins. Taking a deep breath, he wound up for the kick and sent it sailing straight through the uprights, tying up the score.

"You're not in the clear yet!" Coach Armstrong warned as he clapped his hands in approval. "Defense! Keep it up!" Tired as they were, the Mustang’s defense heeded the call, giving the now morally deflated Monarch offense no openings to work with. When Espy knocked down a pass on a fourth down gamble, the Mustangs regained possession on the Blazer’s 45.

With Trailblazer defense closing in quick, Hawkins kept the ball on the ground, faking a handoff to Mike Jackson then passing a lateral to Chase Masters who drove for the first down, then carried on for an additional 12 yards. Hawkins gained a few yards himself running the ball forward on the next play, until finally wide receiver Matt Quest broke free, making a spectacular catch for a 24 yard touchdown. The Trailblazer crowd didn't appreciate the score, but the Mustangs boosters cheered loud enough for Quest to hear as he shuffled off to the sidelines. Hawkins called for the secondary team, and again, Cody Ward was called to the field.

"Let's go Ward! Make like a Rockette! Show us some leg!” Cork yelled from the sidelines. Hawkins told Ward to overshoot the goal which he did, the ball sailing through this time for the extra point, giving the Mustangs a breakaway lead of 23-16.

James Bryant called for a time out, their coach running onto the field to rally his team. The Blazers wanted the game every bit as bad as the Mustangs, and they weren't about to just roll over and give up themselves. Capitalizing on a good kick return, the Trailblazers took over at their own 47 and converted four straight first downs, eventually scoring on a quarterback keeper, risking going for two points rather than the near sure fire goal. The chancy move paid off as the Trailblazer halfback made his way over the pack into the endzone as the clock ended the third quarter.

SCORE: MUSTANGS 23 TRAILBLAZERS: 24

[Diya Behari]

Diya made a move to stalk off the field, but at the last minute flopped down on the bench. She grabbed her bottle of water and guzzled half of it down, buying herself a moment to literally cool down and allow Coach to walk away to deal with the rest of his non-crazy players. She muttered a few more choice curses.

“Get your head in the game,” she muttered, mocking Coach’s voice. Her head was in the game fine - what the hell was his problem? So she threw her stupid helmet, who cared? Sitting out Homecoming? Yeah, well, that would be a problem if she cared about Homecoming. Stupid game, followed by a stupid dance, where she had to wear a stupid dress picked out by...

She glared straight ahead for a moment, not seeing the activity in front of her, just staring. And then, despite herself, she glanced over at the stupid cheerleaders.

She shrugged her shoulders, trying to physically force off her emotions about the cheer squad.

Hit the showers? Fine. I’ll hit the goddamn showers and be out of this mess. Screw them all. Diya grabbed her helmet from where she’d left it on the ground and stalked back to the locker room to wait out the rest of the game.

[Roach Copeland]

Roach reached out and swiped a handful of popcorn from his neighbor as they turned to mumbling something to another person. He tossed a few kernels into his mouth before leaning to the side, saying towards Brook, "So, Diya isn't allowed to throw shit and make a fuss?" He snorted before adding, "Why does she like this game then?"

Brook's drone shook its head before she replied. "No. Looks like she's going to be out for the rest of the game? Or maybe she's going to just take a five minute break. Penalty Box? They do that, right?"

Roach wrinkled his nose, looking to Brook. "Really? Asking me?" He shrugged and then tossed a glance down at the field. "Oh, wait... nope. Looks like Diya's leaving. Hey, can we take a page out of her book-"

"Roach, sit."

"Great. Let's all sit and watch everyone but Diya hoot like monkeys." Roach snapped his attention towards the cheerleaders on the opposite side of the field. "Oh wait. I get to see the Sweet Valleys shake what their plastic surgeons gave them."

"Roach..."

"I'm being nice. I haven't talked about Lauren's thigh's once."

[Faige Harrison]

Faige was concerned about Dee, but now wasn't the time. She was in the middle of a fife-duel and had to keep the crowd motivated. She could totally tell Brodi was pretty concerned too, but ever the showman he wasn't letting that deter him from his duty to the band.

"We Will Rock You" accompanied the start of the quarter, and by the time the game was back in stride the fife players had taken their seats with the rest of the band again. Faige leaned over to Cori Walker and mumbeled for her to stop staring at Dee as she left the bench for the locker room. All that accomplished though was whispering between Cori and Tori, good job Faige.

[Jason Dumarr]

JD made his way over to Matt and drove his shoulder pad against his teammate, grinning widely.

"You sure sure this suppression field is working? 'Cause from where I'm sitting you were un-goddamn-touchable!"

His excitement died down a bit after Ward made the kick. Though he wanted to show support for his teammate, he couldn't help but be concerned for Diya. He scanned around for the girl, and chewed a curse or two. Returning to his teammates, he joined the huddle and did what he could to put his all back in the game.