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"If their offensive strategy remains constant, we'll switch to Defense Protocol Beta..."
St. Mary's Head Coach Cotton had, of course, deduced that Medford was relying entirely on a variable passing attack—short routes setting up the long ball.
During the possession change, he used the brief window to issue new directives designed specifically to counter this tactic.
As the players took the field, Coach Cotton glanced across the sideline at Coach George, who was sitting there with infuriating calmness in the Medford dugout. Cotton fell into deep thought.
Medford clearly has a statistical anomaly on their roster, yet they refuse to deploy him.
He couldn't crack the code. What exactly was the opposing coach's endgame?
When Medford's offense took the field again, Cotton confirmed they hadn't changed their formation. He immediately shouted to his defense, "Execute Defense Protocol Beta! Watch your spacing! Lock onto your targets!"
Hearing the command, the St. Mary's defensive unit immediately spread out.
Defense Protocol Beta was a tight man-to-man coverage scheme, often referred to as a "Birdcage" defense. It was designed to suffocate passing lanes by sticking to receivers like glue.
As the players spread out, the only defender left in Mike's immediate vicinity was "Big Mike"—Michael Oher.
"Your coach has a surprisingly rapid processing speed. My teammates are likely about to experience a statistically significant increase in difficulty..." Mike, realizing the tactical disadvantage Medford was now facing, remained unbothered.
He was relaxed enough to engage in light banter with the giant standing opposite him.
Of course, this composure stemmed largely from his supreme confidence in his own capabilities.
Possessing physical and mental specs that were frankly unfair, Mike knew that regardless of the variables, he could calculate a path to victory for Medford.
"You ain't gettin' past me," Big Mike grunted.
Perhaps influenced by Mike's chatter, the usually silent giant actually responded.
At that moment, Mike received a lateral from his teammate.
Acting merely as a relay node in this specific play, Mike executed a quick pump fake to freeze the giant before immediately pitching the ball to a teammate further downfield.
"Relax. I have no intention of breaching your containment zone on this iteration," Mike quipped with a smile as he watched Big Mike press up on him again.
However, Big Mike didn't respond to the teasing this time. His focus only intensified.
Off-ball physical play...
Usually, this level of physical contact happens when fighting for a catch or a loose ball. Since Mike didn't have the ball, he saw no logical reason to engage in a meaningless wrestling match with a human bulldozer.
So, facing the giant's aggressive press, Mike simply took a half-step back and resumed his leisurely "stroll" around the midfield.
Variable Passing Attack vs. Man-to-Man Coverage.
In this clash of conventional strategies, St. Mary's—the veteran powerhouse—held the upper hand.
The data quickly backed this up.
By the end of the first quarter, St. Mary's, having adapted their defense first, had taken a slight lead on the scoreboard.
---
"Coach, do we need to alter our parameters?" Captain Aaron asked during the quarter break, sensing the team was slipping into a disadvantage.
In his opinion, it was time to unleash the nuclear option: Mike.
"Hold your horses. I'll tell you when it's time to switch it up," Coach George vetoed Aaron's suggestion.
No pain, no gain.
St. Mary's was a rare, high-quality opponent. This was the perfect controlled environment to forge the Medford team's resilience.
"Mike, stay ready. We might need your output soon..."
Coach George was managing the team's morale carefully. While grinding the team to improve them, he made sure to stroke the ego of his star player.
After all, being capable of dominance but forced to hold back is a frustrating sensation.
"I am operating within optimal parameters. No issues here," Mike replied without a hint of annoyance.
In fact, from his perspective, the situation wasn't dire.
When you have sufficient capability, panic is illogical.
Seeing Mike's calm demeanor, the rest of the Medford team relaxed. They remembered they still had an ace up their sleeve.
That is the secondary function of a star player: even before they dominate the field, their mere presence acts as a psychological stabilizer for the team.
"Alright, second quarter. We stick to the passing game..."
The two-minute break ended. As the players prepared to take the field, Coach George reaffirmed the tactical plan.
As the second quarter progressed, even though Medford's offense was getting more comfortable with the passing scheme, the score gap inevitably widened.
Accompanied by the growing grumbles from the Medford crowd, the first half ended with Medford trailing by ten points.
The overall trend line looked grim for the home team.
It's time to change the equation.
Before Captain Aaron could even open his mouth as they came off the field, Coach George spoke up. "You boys did good. Next half, we switch to the Dual-Core strategy. Aaron, Mike—you ready to execute?"
The training objective had been achieved. A ten-point deficit? To Coach George, that was well within the margin of error.
Overall, he was satisfied with the data collected so far.
---
"Big Mike! I knew you could do it! That other Mike guy has nothing on you!" On the St. Mary's sideline, little SJ (Sean Jr.) was sharing his excitement with Michael Oher.
"I haven't beat him yet..." Big Mike wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he understood the game. In the first half, the other Mike hadn't tried to break through due to tactical constraints.
If there's no conflict, you can't claim victory.
"Don't be modest, Big Mike! Either way, your stats are way better than his," SJ encouraged him.
From a spectator's perspective, SJ was right. While Mike had been virtually invisible, Big Mike had been instrumental in clearing paths for the St. Mary's quarterback to score.
This made SJ extremely happy.
Seeing the little guy's joy, Big Mike didn't argue further. He just let out a goofy, happy chuckle.
Meanwhile, out of the corner of his eye, SJ noticed his older sister, Collins, staring at Medford's Mike with a dreamy, lovestruck expression.
SJ's mood instantly soured. Feeling like he had aged ten years in a single second, he shook his head in resignation.
---
"What on earth is that coach thinking..."
On the other side, Coach Cotton spent halftime trying to decipher Coach George's mind.
Ultimately, he couldn't predict the variable. He decided he would just have to react in real-time.
Finally, the third quarter began.
When Cotton saw Aaron and Mike line up in the backfield together, prepared for a dual-threat run, he realized something was wrong.
"Stop them! Switch to Defense Protocol Alpha!"
The memory of Medford's Dual-Core strategy from last year was still fresh in Cotton's mind.
But it was too late. Medford's formation was already set. Cotton's warning lagged behind the reality on the field.
"It's all you, Mike!"
Facing the sudden defensive blitz, Captain Aaron decisively pitched the option ball to Mike.
The Dual-Core strategy, also known as the "Pack of Wolves" tactic, was designed to overload the defense and find the weak point.
As Mike caught the pitch, the only obstacle remaining was Big Mike, who had been shadowing him all game.
The giant lowered his center of gravity while sprinting, preparing to execute a waist-high tackle to crush his opponent.
CRACK!
A bone-jarring sound echoed across the field. But Big Mike's tackle failed.
The nearly 6'6" giant looked like he had been hit by a freight train. His massive body was launched backward through the air.
Compared to Big Mike, Mike looked relatively "normal" in size.
This visual discrepancy made the physics of the collision even more shocking. It was a visual violation of expectation—David smashing Goliath.
"Heck yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"
While the crowd was still processing the shock, Sam leaped up from the Medford bench, screaming.
Having been physically dominated by the giant for the entire first half, seeing his tormentor receive the same treatment was cathartic.
It was a soul-cleansing kind of satisfaction.
It was the same feeling Loki must have had watching the Hulk ragdoll Thor.
"MIKE! MIKE!"
"GO! GO! GO!"
After a brief, stunned silence, the audience confirmed they weren't hallucinating and erupted into a deafening roar.
On the sidelines, Lena led the cheerleading squad, their pom-poms waving in perfect synchronization as they cheered for Mike.
Riding the wave of noise, Mike strolled into the St. Mary's end zone without further resistance.
Medford: +6 Points.
As his teammates rushed to celebrate, it was clear: With just one offensive play, Mike had completely rebooted the team's confidence.