Thursday, October 30, 2010
[YouTube]
📺 LEAGUE FINALE vs SERVITE (DEFENDING SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPION) – Trinity League Week 5
👤 Andrew Pritchett-Tucker
📌 3,321,415 subscribers
👁️ 4,683,933 views | ⏳ Published 12 days ago
💬 81,764 comments
[Comment Section]
@parkmoose83:
One of my favorite videos on the channel. The quality, the music, the editing. 10/10.
@LM-h2k:
The undisputed king of high school football. There's no better QB at this level right now. No other player even close.
@Andrewfanpege1:
Defending Section Champion? Too easy 🔥
@arvieVeb:
Amazing video, man!
@pablo00FB:
35 TDs in 7 games at the highest level... are we witnessing the best high school season ever?
@MonicaGR:
Another win, and he waved at me! By the way… where are the haters now?
@Edu44:
Anyone remember the senior who was the starter before Andrew? Poor guy went from QB1 to the bench in his last year.
@Akim2343:
Orange Lutheran? ✅
Santa Margarita? ✅
JSerra? ✅
Bosco? ✅
Servite? ✅
Trinity League DOMINATED.
@stepbroV:
Next team, step up to the execution line…
@WC2FAR:
Finished the toughest league in the country with ZERO interceptions. The 2009 champion defense couldn't do a thing. Monster.
@RushJiro:
Crespi Carmelite seeing they got Mater Dei next 💀
@socalGridiron:
I'm not a Mater Dei fan, but total respect. Andrew's playing like a college QB in high school.
@RiderJon23:
I'm blown away by how he throws deep in two seconds flat. That's already college level, maybe even NFL. Am I exaggerating?
@Matt1989:
I don't usually follow high school football, but this kid showed up on my feed and… wow. Now I get the hype.
@GeorgeCP:
Saying this from Texas: respect. We've got beasts here, but this is another level.
@dtbg7:
Is no one going to mention how, after the game, Andrew went to congratulate the defensive end who sacked him three times? That says a lot about his character. He won, but still showed respect. Gestures like that set him apart from everyone else.
…
"Incredible… the comments are endless…" murmured Howard, scrolling the mouse wheel as he read the never-ending feed.
Howard was in Andrew's room. It was five-thirty in the afternoon.
Only one day remained before the start of the playoff adventure: the debut on Halloween, against Crespi Carmelite.
But this game had a strange atmosphere, by far the least tense since Andrew first put on the Mater Dei uniform. No one was debating whether they could lose. Students, families, reporters, forums, Twitter, YouTube, everyone assumed Mater Dei would crush Crespi.
There was no spark. No real doubt about the outcome.
Andrew could feel it. Against Orange Lutheran, early in the season, there had been intrigue: could he sustain the level he showed in the preseason games and against Dana Hills in the toughest league in the country? Against Santa Margarita, the question was by how much they would win. Against JSerra, the weakest opponent, interest dipped, but fans still wanted to see if his streak would continue.
The clash with Bosco had been different. With Andrew's promise of a blowout, the narrative caught fire. Would he back up his words, or would Bosco's warriors make him pay in blood and revenge? The hype exploded.
And against Servite, even with Andrew reaching 30 touchdowns in six games, the tension was palpable. Mater Dei was in top form, sure, but they were facing the reigning Southern Section champions. Most leaned toward Mater Dei due to home-field advantage and Andrew's blazing momentum, but no one ruled out Servite. Their defense was legendary. Many predicted a tight game decided in the final minutes.
In the end, Andrew shined again with five touchdowns, silencing all doubt and leading Mater Dei to a comfortable victory.
Now, against Crespi, the feeling was entirely different. The universal forecast said it would be a mere formality for Mater Dei.
Throughout the week on campus, the talk wasn't about whether they would win, but about what came next:
—"Who will they face in the quarterfinals?"
—"How many more touchdowns will Andrew throw?"
—"Will the defense finally step up?"
—"Will Bruce give playing time to Max, the senior backup with a USC offer, to rest Andrew and avoid unnecessary wear?"
That atmosphere of total confidence left a competitive void Andrew could feel clearly, even among his own teammates. And it wasn't a good sign. Those games everyone assumes are won are the most dangerous ones: complacency opens the door to mistakes and surprises.
He, however, stayed firm, focused, as always. He wanted to infect the rest of the team with that same mentality. No lowering their guard, no half-speed effort. Though, of course, if the score widened quickly and victory was secured, there'd be no reason to push harder than needed.
Luckily, Bruce and the coaching staff were veterans. They didn't radiate overconfidence or arrogance. They prepared the week with their usual intensity, if anything, with even greater rigor. There was no margin for error.
In the playoffs, you lose, you're out. And Mater Dei hadn't won in years, they couldn't take it lightly, even if the rival seemed weaker.
"Still reading comments?" Leonard asked, lying on the beanbag in front of the TV, joystick in hand, deep into his Mass Effect 2 campaign.
Andrew sat on his bed, leaning back against the wall. Beside him was Willa, shoulder to shoulder. They were reading together a comic she'd brought: Cry for Justice by James Robinson, the 2009 miniseries centered on Green Lantern and Green Arrow.
Andrew had never read it; he knew it was controversial for its grimdark tone: violence, tragedy, and moral ambiguity. Willa turned the pages at a perfect rhythm for both of them, almost as if they were reading in sync.
Since it was the day before Friday's game, practice had ended a bit earlier, so Andrew had gotten home sooner and was taking the chance to hang out with his friends.
"Yeah," Howard replied, turning around to face them. "It'd take hours if I wanted to read all the comments… But the funniest one I saw said: 'Will the Jesus Christ of football have mercy on the Crespi boys if they're good Samaritans?'" he said with an amused grin.
Leonard couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Andrew looked up from the comic, frowning. "They're still calling me the 'Jesus Christ of football'?"
"Yeah, it's a pretty famous one now," Howard confirmed, his tone suddenly serious, as if stating a historical fact.
"Why the hell did they give me a biblical nickname?" Andrew asked, resigned.
Willa laughed softly and calmly placed a bookmark before closing the comic. "Maybe because you play for a Catholic school."
"And perform miracles every week," Leonard added in an overly solemn tone.
Andrew huffed and said nothing. He knew that if he kept complaining, they'd only tease him more.
"Well, children, it's time for me to depart. A dinner awaits…" Howard announced, standing up with a dignified gesture.
He paused dramatically before adding, with a grin from ear to ear, "With my girlfriend."
Leonard sighed, as if hearing it for the tenth time that day. Willa rolled her eyes with an amused smile, and Andrew shook his head, caught between amusement and exasperation.
Howard had a girlfriend. Which, in theory, was good news, except he reminded everyone of it every two minutes, as if he needed the world to applaud his achievement. He'd become a braggart, just as everyone had predicted he would once he finally got a girlfriend.
"I can't believe it…" said Willa, incredulous. "You sleep with a girl and what, two weeks later you're already dating and having dinner with her parents? Slow down, Flash."
The "girlfriend" in question was Alison, the girl Howard had spent the night with after the victory over Servite.
The incredible part wasn't just that Howard had managed to sleep with her, but that he'd actually kept in touch, and officially, for the past three days, they were now a couple.
Andrew nodded in agreement with Willa. It all seemed way too fast. "Shouldn't you get to know each other a bit more before putting labels on it?"
He knew how the teenage world worked: you liked someone, there was chemistry, and the next day you were dating, only to break up a week later.
He'd seen it firsthand, even within his own family. His cousin Haley, for instance, had gone through a string of short-lived relationships during her first year of high school, so quick there was barely time to learn the guy's last name. Thankfully, she'd matured since then.
Personally, Andrew wasn't like that. He preferred to take his time, to really get to know someone before defining the relationship. To him, making things official too soon didn't just seem risky, it felt like a waste if it ended shortly after.
Take Madison, for example: after that night, it had been almost two weeks, and they were just starting to get to know each other better. Nothing serious, at least not on his part.
Andrew was taking things slow, especially after ending a long relationship. The last thing he wanted was to rush into another that could crash and burn.
Howard, on the other hand, had known Alison for maybe a month, and they were already a couple.
"That's true," Leonard chimed in, joining the friendly attack. "Besides, think about it, if you want the relationship to last, it's best if Alison's parents meet you as late as possible."
Andrew and Willa couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Hey, hey," Howard retorted, pointing at each of them in turn, "You can laugh all you want, but I've got a girlfriend. You don't."
"Congrats, Casanova. Though it's a shame, we'll stop seeing your face now, since you'll be spending all your free time with your girlfriend," said Willa, shaking her head.
They were losing a member for Dungeons & Dragons or any other campaign they had planned.
Leonard and Andrew nodded in agreement, as if it were an undeniable fact. They'd have to start looking for a new party member, at least until Howard and Alison broke up.
Did his best friends really have so little faith in Howard's relationship?
Maybe.
Or maybe they were just being realistic.
Hopefully, they were wrong, and Howard really had found the love of his life.
"Relax, I'll remember you guys. I'm not abandoning anyone, I remember where I came from," Howard said with mock seriousness.
"How considerate of you, thank you," Leonard replied sarcastically.
Howard cleared his throat and, lowering his tone a little, asked, "Hey, seriously though, do you think I'm rushing things with Alison?"
The question brought a brief silence.
Howard turned to Andrew. "You're the one who's had the longest relationship, almost two years. What do you think?"
Andrew crossed his arms, his expression growing thoughtful. "It's hard to say that just because something moves fast, it's doomed to fail. But how long have you known Alison?"
"A month. And we've been closer for almost two weeks since the party… three days officially dating," Howard replied.
Andrew nodded slowly. "With Pippa, I got to know her really well for about three months before making anything official. We had classes together, even worked on the Flappy Bird project, we got to know each other a lot. And only after that did I ask her to be my girlfriend. Although, honestly, we were already acting like a couple before that. But those months helped me feel sure it could work."
Howard listened attentively.
Andrew shrugged. "But that doesn't mean your relationship is wrong just because you moved faster. There's no rulebook for this stuff. Sometimes the connection happens in weeks, other times it takes months. It depends on both people… If you're comfortable moving at that pace, then fine."
He paused for a moment before adding, "Now… going to dinner with her parents three days into dating might be a bit rushed. If you don't want things to go sideways, be careful not to skip steps."
Howard frowned but nodded. Then he looked at Leonard. "What about you? You lasted almost half a year with Lauren, right? Any advice? Do you think I'm rushing it?"
Leonard adjusted himself on the beanbag. "Didn't quite hit six months, four and a half," he corrected. "Before we started dating, we knew each other for maybe a month or two, mostly because we were in the same friend group. Honestly, statistically speaking, a relationship at our age is unlikely to last. So my advice is: do whatever you want."
Howard exhaled in mock defeat. "Very helpful, thank you. I'm leaving. I have to get ready, shower, dress up, fix my hair…"
"Hey, Mr. Justin Bieber haircut," Willa jumped in. "Why don't you ask me for advice?"
Howard turned toward her, not at all offended by the jab at his hair. "You don't talk much about your past relationships… Did you ever have one that lasted, I don't know, at least a year?"
Willa stayed silent for a moment, frowning.
Howard raised his eyebrows as if he'd been expecting that pause. "That's what I thought. What guy could put up with your personality?"
Willa was about to fire back, but Howard lifted his hands. "Relax, I'm leaving before you kill me. Andrew, can you get the door?"
Andrew shook his head, amused, and stood up.
Leonard also put down the jostyck and rose to his feet. "I'm heading out too. I'll leave you two alone for your… private acting lessons."
Andrew left the room with the two of them to see them out.
Willa stayed seated on the bed, arms crossed, staring at the comic. After a few seconds, she sighed, shaking a few thoughts out of her head, and focused on what was coming next, their final acting lesson.
This Halloween would be different. The famous Dunphy Haunted House wouldn't open its doors. Andrew's game, scheduled for that same night, would end around ten, making it impossible for Claire to organize the spectacle with her usual dedication.
By the time they returned home, it would already be 10:30 or 11:00 p.m., and by then, no kid would still be out trick-or-treating.
Claire, however, didn't sit idly by. This year, she prepared something different: a themed Halloween party from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Everything was decorated with a spooky atmosphere and, as always, carried her signature obsessive attention to detail.
She had sent out the invitations weeks in advance.
Willa had already decided she would spend Halloween with Andrew, no matter what. She'd been teaching him acting for days without missing a single lesson, and she was convinced the night would be a lot of fun. She wanted to witness firsthand the famous prank war between Claire and Andrew.
He had told her he was certain Claire would prank him right in the middle of the party, at the most inconvenient possible moment, and that's when he would have to fake a heart attack.
Andrew returned to his room, and he and Willa picked up the comic again, this time in silence, in an atmosphere that made it easier to focus on reading. Afterward, they began their acting lesson.
The afternoon passed like that. As had become routine, Willa was invited to stay for dinner with Cam before heading home.
Andrew went to bed early, and the day of the playoff game finally arrived.
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