Modern Family: New Life-Chapter 74: State Championship I

January 17, 2009 – Palisades High School Football Field

The CIF Fifth Division State Tournament had already begun a week ago. Out of the 10 section champions who had secured their ticket to the championship, the 4 lowest-ranked teams faced off in the Play-In round last Friday.

From those 4 teams, only two advanced, leaving 8 teams in the quarterfinal stage.

Andrew's team, the Los Angeles Section champion, was one of the 6 highest-ranked teams, meaning they had automatically advanced to this round.

Now, they were about to take the field for their first match of the state championship. They would be facing Mission Bay High School, the San Diego Section champion.

The draw favored Andrew's school, allowing them to play at home; however, if they advanced, they would have to play the semifinals as the visiting team.

Under the intense stadium lights, Andrew and the rest of the team stepped onto the field to warm up. The air was thick with anticipation.

The opposing team also emerged and moved to the other half of the field. The players from Mission Bay High School, dressed in black and gold uniforms, began their own warm-up drills. They moved with precision and confidence, reflecting the experience of a team that had already won section championships and knew what it was like to compete in a state tournament.

Steve, Archie, Reggie, Kevin, and the rest of the team had the same tense expressions as they stretched and began their initial warm-up exercises. Some glanced at the stands, while others stole quick looks at the Mission Bay High players, who moved with discipline and self-assurance.

"They've played state tournaments before... we're just rookies," Archie added, swallowing hard as he glanced at the stands filled with spectators cheering them on. Everyone was counting on them, and that only made him more nervous.

"Don't be nervous... We just have to do what we always do," Jason said, his voice carrying a bit more confidence.

Even so, his body language betrayed him. As a senior, he had to keep his composure, but the truth was that this was also his first time in a state tournament. Even making it to the regional championship had been uncharted territory for him.

When he saw that no one seemed convinced by his words, Jason turned to Andrew, who had yet to say anything.

"Isn't that right, captain?" he asked, searching for the certainty that everyone else lacked.

They all turned to look at Andrew... and found him waving enthusiastically toward the stands, a big smile on his face. No nerves, no tension. Just a relaxed expression as he raised a hand and gestured toward his family and girlfriend.

When he finally looked back at his teammates, his expression remained completely calm.

"Why so dramatic?" Andrew asked lightly. "It's just another game. Do what you always do."

"How is it possible that you never get nervous? Not in regular season games, not in the regional playoffs, not even now," Kevin asked, incredulous.

"Because I know what I can do... and I know what you guys can do," Andrew replied, his gaze sweeping over each of his teammates.

"Just keep doing what you always do. I'll lead the way," he added with confidence.

His words accomplished what Jason's hadn't. The fear and uncertainty began to fade.

Andrew started his warm-up. He made light passes of 5 to 10 yards, ensuring his throwing mechanics were smooth.

As the warm-up progressed, he increased the distance, throwing with surgical precision to his receivers—Steve, Jason, and Alan.

At first, nerves got the better of his teammates. Even though Andrew placed the ball exactly where it needed to be, Steve dropped a 30-yard pass, Jason reacted late to another 25-yarder, and Alan failed to adjust his hands properly for a 40-yard throw.

Andrew showed no frustration. He knew it wasn't a matter of skill—it was just nerves.

"Take a breath... Just think of it as another practice day," Andrew said calmly and continued throwing with the same precision.

Little by little, his teammates got used to it, leaving their nerves behind and catching the passes.

With the warm-up finished, Andrew was about to join the coach and the rest of the team when a shadow appeared in his peripheral vision. It was Mission Bay's quarterback.

Tall, with long limbs and a confident smile, the guy approached with a relaxed stride. He carried his helmet in one hand and looked at Andrew with a slight smirk.

"Your receivers missed quite a few at the start," he commented casually, though his intent to provoke was clear. "Looks like they're a bit nervous. I don't blame them, this is a big stage for rookies."

Andrew didn't even look at him right away, but the guy kept talking.

"Although, of course..." he continued with a grin, "you don't seem nervous. Maybe because you focus more on social media than the actual game."

Andrew raised an eyebrow with mild interest and looked at him for the first time.

"Your name?" Andrew asked.

"Ryan," the guy replied, continuing his attempt to get under Andrew's skin.

"I saw your YouTube channel. You've got a talent for videos—the edits, the game previews, even that time you destroyed those guys 80-0. Viral, huh? Hundreds of thousands of views... But tell me, is that what you're after? Being a showman? I'd recommend you drop that nonsense and focus on football."

Andrew tilted his head slightly, as if he were genuinely considering Ryan's words.

"Hmm... good advice. But now that you mention it, I need to think of a title for my next video," he said, resting a hand on his chin.

Ryan frowned, confused.

Andrew snapped his fingers, as if he had just come up with a brilliant idea.

"How about this?" he said with a smile. "'First State Game: I Threw a 75-Yard Touchdown Pass and Destroyed Mission Bay.'"

Ryan blinked. For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

"A 75-yard pass?" he repeated incredulously. "Please. Even the best high school quarterbacks can't easily throw such long throws."

"There's always a first time. Wouldn't it be great? Immortalized on video," Andrew said with a casual shrug.

Ryan clenched his jaw and clicked his tongue in frustration. He hadn't managed to shake Andrew's composure even a little. Without another word, he turned and walked away with firm steps.

Kevin, who had been listening, let out a low chuckle and stepped up beside Andrew.

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"Incredible. Not only do you never get nervous, but you also manage to piss off your rivals without even trying."

Andrew chuckled with a hint of amusement.

"Are you really going to throw a 75-yard pass?" Kevin asked.

He looked at Andrew with curiosity and a touch of disbelief. He clearly remembered the time Andrew had thrown a 71-and-a-half-yard pass in a middle school game.

It was absolute madness. The crowd went wild, the coaches were left speechless, and some even compared him to NCAA quarterbacks. In fact, that was why he had been interviewed by a local sports outlet.

But Kevin also remembered what happened afterward.

As impressive as that pass had been, Andrew never repeated it. To many, it was a stroke of luck, a perfect combination of factors—the wind, his stance, the exact momentum... something unrepeatable.

Even the local analysts who had started talking about Andrew concluded that, while he had an incredible arm, he wasn't someone who could consistently throw more than 70 yards.

And now, Andrew was saying he'd throw a 75-yard pass. Not only that—he was stating it as if it were a fact.

"Who knows," Andrew said, glancing at Kevin with a slight smile.

'This bastard is gonna do it...' Kevin thought, feeling a shiver of anticipation and excitement as he followed Andrew.

With the warm-up over, both teams' cheerleading squads put on their performances.

As vibrant music echoed through the stadium, the Palisades squad, led by Regina, showed small mistakes and slightly less fluid movements. It was strange to see from the always-confident Regina, who usually executed everything flawlessly.

Still, she quickly regained her composure, leading the group with her usual skill.

'Why am I nervous?' Regina wondered, before pulling herself together and finishing with an impressive routine.

For the first time, the rival cheer squad matched the spectacle that Regina and her team had put on. At times, they even outshined them—something that neither Regina nor her teammates liked one bit.

With the cheerleading show over, the game kicked off with an electrifying energy in the air. Mission Bay High School started on offense.

Liam would lead the defense to stop their attack. As for Andrew, he wouldn't be playing on defense.

The kickoff was executed by the opposing team, sending the ball toward Palisades' field. Liam ran alongside the player who caught the ball and made a clean block, allowing him to keep running.

However, two Mission Bay players blocked his path, and he was taken down 20 yards from Palisades' end zone.

"Well done!" the Mission Bay coach exclaimed, seeing that they had a favorable position to start their attack—just 20 yards away from a touchdown.

Mission Bay's offense started with great precision. Ryan, the opposing quarterback who had tried to provoke Andrew earlier, threw a precise pass on the first play, gaining five yards.

Now, they had three attempts (downs) to advance another five yards and maintain possession of the ball.

On 2nd down, Ryan threw another pass, this time advancing three yards, leaving the team at 3rd down with only two yards needed to reach the first set of 10 yards.

However, on 3rd down, Ryan threw a deep 12-yard pass to one of his receivers, reaching the end zone.

"Touchdown! Incredible connection between Ryan and number #89!" the commentator exclaimed excitedly. Most of the spectators booed, while the small percentage supporting Mission Bay High School made themselves heard with applause and whistles.

After that play, Mission Bay decided to kick the ball to secure the extra point.

Palisades 0, Mission Bay 7

As Mission Bay's offensive team left the field, Ryan flashed an arrogant smile at Andrew, as if he knew he had landed the first blow of the game.

Andrew chose to ignore him and put on his helmet, ready to take the field.

In the stands, Pippa, visibly frustrated, watched her school's defense leave the field. "They look like statues! Show them some pressure!" she blurted out, though it was already too late.

Howard, who was recording, couldn't help but laugh when he heard her. He focused the camera on her and commented, "And here we have Andrew Pritchett-Tucker's girlfriend, showing her true colors. Watch out, Andrew fangirls!"

"Get that out of my face," Pippa said, reaching out to push the camera away from her.

"Hey, watch the lens! It's expensive!" Howard complained.

"I'm telling Andrew not to post that part," Pippa muttered, clearly annoyed.

"I should post it. You know, to show those fangirls that Andrew has a girlfriend," Howard said, winking at Pippa.

Pippa looked at him thoughtfully. Maybe it was the best way to keep those crazy fangirls from getting ideas, but she quickly dismissed the thought. She trusted Andrew and knew that no obsessed fan could take her place.

Cam watched the start of the game with a frown. The rest of the family felt the same, not used to seeing one of Andrew's games start with him trailing.

His attention shifted to Lily, who was in her stroller, eyes wide open, playing with a cute stuffed animal.

Leaning slightly forward, he tried to make eye contact with his daughter. "Come on, sweetheart, it's time to sleep, okay?" Cam murmured, trying to get Lily to let go of the plush toy and close her eyes.

Mitchell, who had been watching the field, turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"In most games, Lily falls asleep at the beginning. If she doesn't, it's bad luck. I can't let her stay awake—it's a curse!" Cam responded, completely serious.

"What? Is this some kind of superstition?" Mitch asked.

"Of course not! It's like... a tradition. Yes, a tradition!" Cam said, convinced of his own logic.

Mitch decided to drop the conversation, knowing he wouldn't be able to tone down Cam's dramatics.

On the field, Palisades' offensive team, led by Andrew, lined up in their half, preparing for the kickoff.

Mission Bay's kicker got into position, adjusted his helmet, and with a powerful movement, sent the ball flying toward Palisades' field. It was a strong but carefully calculated kick, aiming for the far end of the field, preventing Andrew from catching it directly.

The intention was clear: not to give Andrew—known for his incredible ability to catch the ball and evade defenders—a chance to make a play that could end in a touchdown.

Reggie caught the ball and, shielded by his teammates, started running. Mission Bay's defense was well-positioned, leaving little room for movement. The defenders aligned perfectly, surrounding him and bringing him down 35 yards from Mission Bay's end zone.

'Thirty-five yards... not bad,' Andrew thought.

"Set hut!" Andrew shouted, and the ball was snapped perfectly into his hands. Immediately, his offensive line formed a protective wall, blocking the opposing players rushing toward him. The defensive pressure wasn't small—Kevin was using all his strength to hold his ground.

With the ball in his hands, Andrew waited, scanning the field. His receivers began to move, running their routes across the field. But soon, a Mission Bay player started slipping through the defensive line, managing to break through and dangerously close in on Andrew.

'Tsch,' Andrew clicked his tongue internally. His plan was to advance 35 yards with a pass, but for that, he needed a few seconds for his receivers to get near the end zone. However, now he had someone charging straight at him.

The defender lunged at him. Just when everyone expected Andrew to be taken down, he spun swiftly at high speed, dodging the defender with a precise feint.

Thrown off by the movement, the defender missed his tackle attempt and fell face-first onto the turf. Andrew seized that brief second of advantage.

Knowing he could no longer delay the pass, he locked his eyes on Steve. He lifted the ball and threw it with precision and speed.

The pass rocketed through the air, traveling 32 yards. Steve didn't waste the opportunity—he extended his hands and caught the ball without hesitation. Then, with a quick spin, he sprinted the last three yards, crossing into the end zone.

The stadium erupted in cheers, and the commentator, his voice full of excitement, exclaimed:

"And there you have it! Just when we thought Andrew was going down, he dodged the defender at the last second and fired off a 30-plus yard pass! Receiver #88, Steve, made no mistake and caught it with class! A touchdown on the first down! That's how it's done!"

Palisades got ready for the two-point conversion. The team lined up near the opponent's end zone.

When the ball reached Andrew's hands, he opted for a quarterback run. With his offensive line shielding him, he started pushing forward.

The opposing defense, still recovering from the previous play, scrambled to reorganize, but Andrew took advantage of the space his team had created. He ran swiftly, dodging a couple of defenders attempting to tackle him, but his speed allowed him to keep the momentum and reach the end zone.

The stadium exploded in cheers.

"With an impressive solo run and perfect protection from his offensive line, Andrew scores the touchdown and secures the two points for his team!" the commentator shouted.

"See, Cam? Andrew doesn't need superstitions," Mitchell said with a smile, clapping nonstop.

Cam didn't even hear him over the noise he was making, shouting and celebrating.

Palisades 8 - Mission Bay 7

The game continued.

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