Down 25: Off to the Playoffs: The Two Week Break
Jan brought Sena a list which showed the playoff brackets for the upcoming State Playoffs. "Well, Wakeen told me to give this to you so you could be prepared," she said.
"Thanks Jan, tell Wakeen thanks for it," Sena responded. He looked over the page, seeing their first game was against the Manatees, the team they played earlier in the season. After that, they would play the victor in the Druids (state ranked 4) and Dovers (state ranked #7). After that game, anything is up in the air. On each side of the brackets were 8 teams, making it a total of 16 teams that made the playoffs from the conference. A total of four wins places you in the state finals playoffs, where the 8 conference winners face off. After that tournament, the state winner goes on to a regional, where 8 state winners face off in a bracket tournament (a total of 48 teams compete). After regionals comes the America finals, where the 6 regions play off against each other. The two best states play each other in a bowl, with the winner playing against the winner of the 4 team bracket tournament. That final game is played right after the Super Bowl, in the same venue.
"Sena," Jan started, "I figured out it takes a total of twelve wins, or thirteen wins, to be the national winners. Kind of big huh?"
"Yeah, that means we play a total of 22 games …" Sena noticed that was quite a bit, almost half the year. "But if it is what is needed to win, we will do so." He turned to Jan, "So, that would leave us to play the final match in February in the stadium around the corner?"
"Yes, the Super Bowl this year is the same place where the Miami Dolphins play, and that is where the national high school game will be played, the Monday after the big game," Jan said. "According to Football weekly, the team that won last year was the Toads, stationed in Washington State. This year, they are expected to make it to the Nationals final 6. I hope we can make it that far."
Over the course of the next two weeks, coach Finkle had the team reexamine the Manatee's plays, as they changed up their playbook halfway through e season. Wakeen made notice, "But, their Manatee line wasn't enough to beat out Eagle formation. Why should we worry too much about them?"
Coach Finkle wound up, "Rush has gotten much better. Their line has gotten much better. And worst of all, their new offense utilizes a tight formation of the linemen, getting the most out of their fat line." He went over their offense, where the linemen crunched together with inch splits in between them. The running back, played by Rush, would run up one of the middle gaps, gaining ground. "They used this formation to beat the Hurricanes 42-3. The Hurricanes have improved as well since we played them, but the play demolished them." For defense, the Manatee ran a new six linemen formation, as long as having one blitzing linebacker every play, effectively using the same style as the Pounce 5, having two extra men. "Our deception plays should be able to shake some of the linemen, but the linebacker will be able to figure most of it out, Rush can read plays well enough. We have to hope for the best that our defense can hold the Manatee rush from Rush while our offense makes slow progress."
In the meantime for the two weeks, practice was held every day from 3 to 6:30. Weight training was intensified for the two weeks, in order to build up strength. Sena gained bench, going from 195 to 245 during the season. The coaches wanted everyone to gain 20 pounds in each lift. Wakeen and the other cornerbacks all had to gain 10 pounds instead, while trying to improve their squats by 30 pounds. The linebackers were set at 20 for each, while the linemen were set at 30 for each. The goals were tough, but the team had to do all possible in order to compete.
'Wow,' Sena thought as he lifted 265, 'the weight just flies right up'. Sena looked around and saw Shin benching 325 just as instructed, while Carson and the other linemen were benching 385 and above. The team was all their, reaching their goals, except Wakeen, who had only reached his bench goal.
"My squats are hard stuff, I can barely gain 10 pounds, yet alone 30," he said to Sena.
"You can do it Wakeen," Sena said confidently. "I'll even go up with you, gaining 10 more pounds." With Sena's confidence, Wakeen was able to overcome the barrier, hitting the 30 extra pounds needed during the break. School on the other hand came to a halt as Winter Break was setting in, meaning extra long practices.
"Now that it is December," coach began, "the whole month is no school, but that means the whole month is going to be two-day practices (one 3 hour practice in the morning, another 3 hour in the afternoon). The first week, this week, we will be playing Manatee at our own stadium. Once we win that, we will play either the Druids or the Dovers. Both are much better teams than before, the Dovers having strict run support, while the Druids don't differ as much. But we play first, in 3 days time, so we will practice our heads off."
Back at his exchange home, Sena saw Mr. Reynolds had left him a pamphlet that listed the Kanto Tournament line-up. 'I forgot, the Christmas Bowl is only in 4 weeks.' The 8 teams listed were the Kyoshin Poseidon, Seibu Wild Gunman, Deimon Devil Bats (Orville being the new shining star), The Nagas, Dinosaurs, Taiyo Sphinx, Heavenly Kings, and the Misaki Wolves. 'Instant win for the Tokyo teams, that is for sure'. Sena then looked at the copy of Football Weekly, the magazine that went over the American football scene, noticing the Conference 4A top looks were at the Aquinas Dragon Warriors and the Springs Colts.
"While the Dragon Warriors are a very one dimensional team, they perform that route perfectly," Sena read. "Passing to the max, their quarterback, Chase Zizzo #6, can throw the ball up to 60 yards, having done so in the game against the district rivals Hollywood Bolts, winning 35 to 7."
"The Colts have only had one hiccup this year, being against another top prospect in the 4A conference, the Plant Pumas. In every other game, they stampeded over them. If the Pumas can beat Aquinas, they would see themselves against a tough Springs team. As far as All Florida goes, it is all about the Trojans of conference 8A …" Sena tried to read the rest, but the magazine had gotten wet from sitting on the table with a cup of water on top. Sena then turned to his play-off bracket Jan gave him earlier, seeing Aquinas was in a different bracket, as are the Colts. For them to play, the Pumas would have to beat the Dragon Warriors then the Colts. Aquinas would beat the Brandon Hurricanes, then whoever wins the next game, and finally face the Pumas, if it goes that way.
During the last day of practice, coach Finkle wanted to install a new offense, "This offense should be able to get the best of the playoff teams. It is a triple Ballista. First we will use a double ballista, then the triple." Coach Finkle had the team run through the Triple Ballista, as well as the regular Pounce 5 defense and the others, all to get ready for the game the next day.
"Sena, we must use all our force to break through the small gaps," Shin told Sena. "Same goes for you Doug. Use power and speed to the advantage, when blitzing." To end practice, coach Finkle had the team run a standard mile around the track, something he hadn't done since the end of the season.
"This will help us win tomorrow. With the game here, our home field advantage will help us overcome the Manatees." Shortly after returning from the mile 10 minutes later, "Let's bring it to them. Yah!" he yelled, the team in unison back.
A strange thought hit Sena, something he had just remembered. 'Wait, Rush is on Manatee. He is gonna be gunning for me and Shin, since we got the best of him earlier this year …'