▷ GAME SET Kahuku: 65 Campbell: 00
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# September 4, 2016
#-1. Oahu, Hawaii
#-2. Honolulu, Kahuku CDP
#-3. Kahuku High School
I didn't go to Grandma's house this weekend because of my U.S. History studies.
Chika-chika—
I'm brushing my teeth outside the dorms with sleepy eyes. There's a water tap nearby that Tamati built for me.
The bruising on my ribs from Friday's game has cleared up. There's still a bit of a mark, but it doesn't hurt. Instead, the grass burns on my forearms sting. I need to go in and apply some ointment.
Buzz—
A message from Marcus. I replied briefly:
"Dorm."
Oh, brother. This clueless guy. Kini Luana is a girl whose number I got for Marcus at his request. She's a fellow freshman and shares an afternoon class with me. To be honest, she seemed more interested in me than Marcus, but I value friendship above all else.
I rejected the offer and tossed my phone onto the bed. I plan to ignore it for at least an hour.
But then...
Buzz—
"Ah—shit."
I should've put it on silent. As soon as I sat at my desk, I had to stand up again. This time it was a girl named Kylie. We exchanged contacts because of a group project, but she keeps hitting on me. I casually declined her suggestion to grab tea.
Like I said: no dating in high school for me. I'm not getting tied down by some random drama. I put my phone on silent and finally started studying.
U.S. History. The standard AP U.S. History (APUSH) curriculum is notorious for its 1,000-page textbooks filled with tiny print that you have to memorize. At first, the nightmares from my past high school life made everything look bleak, but luckily, most of it was the same. Memorizing the specific names was a bit tough, but the general framework is identical to my previous life.
Beep-beep—
Beep-beep—
Whoa. Is it that time already? At the alarm for lunchtime, I threw on a random t-shirt and headed out. There's a small restaurant nearby that serves decent food. I figured I'd grab a meal there.
"Moi!"
"Pastor."
As soon as I stepped off campus, I ran into a familiar face—the pastor of the church across from the bus stop.
"It's Sunday, you should've come to church." "Midterms, Pastor. History."
"Oh, dear. That's a tough one."
"No matter how much I memorize, it never ends."
"Haha. I know that feeling well."
While I was talking to the pastor, some local ladies approached us.
"Moi. Did you get even taller?"
"Maybe? Am I?"
"I'm sure of it. You should measure yourself later."
"I definitely will."
"By the way, where are you going?"
"To eat. I was thinking of getting takeout."
"Hell no. We can't have that."
One of the ladies said she had made LocoMoco this morning and told me to come to her house to eat. I tried to refuse, but before I knew it, I was sitting at her dining table. For the record, I'd just met her today.
"How is it? Does it suit your taste?"
"It's delicious."
"Eat as much as you want. I'm grilling some shrimp, too."
"You really didn't have to..."
"It's fine. You remind me of my son."
"Did your son go to the mainland?"
99% of teens living in Hawaii dream of leaving the island to settle on the mainland. Beautiful scenery and kind neighbors aren't enough to suppress teenage restlessness.
"CSU. He's a junior this year."
"Cal State?"
"Yes."
"Wow. That's awesome."
I tried to do the dishes as a thank-you for the meal, but the lady shoved a bunch of food into my arms and practically kicked me out of the house. I thanked her again.
"It's nothing—feel free to drop by whenever."
"I will. Thank you."
"Get home safe."
"You too. Have a great day."
My body and soul are full thanks to the good food and warm hospitality. I found myself humming. By the way... was it tomorrow? Our Kahuku football team starts preparing for the away game against Radford this Friday. We'll train the same, get scolded the same, and deal with the Monday blues.
But there's a reason I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Everyone else probably is, too.
Buzz—
Just as I thought. Thinking about tomorrow, a deep smile spread across my face.
____
# September 5, 2016
#-1. Oahu, Hawaii
#-2. Honolulu, Kahuku CDP
#-3. Kahuku High School
#-4. Football Field
When is the most enjoyable time in football? Winning, obviously. But excluding that? I'd say it's right now.
"No. 01 is in the building—!!"
Royce Pao appeared, fully geared from helmet to cleats, and we cheered while recording him on our phones. Today is the day the new team uniforms are unveiled. Our sponsor, UnderArmour, suddenly announced they were giving us new helmets and kits, which had everyone hyped.
The first is Kahuku's signature Red. The second is Away White. The third is Away Black. And the fourth...
"Damn—! That's ugly as hell."
"I'm not wearing that."
"What color even is that?"
"Is it cobalt?"
"Co-what?"
"Cobalt, you idiot. Cobalt Blue."
"Yeah, yeah, you're so smart."
I don't know what color it was exactly, but it was impressive that they managed to make a shade of blue look that bad. Still, overall, everyone seemed to like the new gear. I'd give it an 80 out of 100.
"Don't you want to run out in these right now?" "Worry about making the starting lineup first." "Fuck you. I still get in as a backup, don't I?" "And that's why you'll never improve."
I agree with that last part. Being satisfied with just "getting in" isn't enough for us. At the high school level, you have to be an undisputed starter to have a shot at the NCAA or NAIA. If you can't clear the backup life, even NJCAA D1 is a long shot.
"Moi!"
"Yes Sir—!"
"Follow me for a moment."
"What's up?"
"No clue. Anyway, I'll be back."
"You know the drill. If you did something wrong, just get on your knees immediately." "Shut it. My knees are expensive."
After giving Marcus the middle finger, I followed the coach. We headed to the Head Coach's office. There were quite a few people inside.
"Sit down."
"Oorah."
While I sat there feeling puzzled, the Head Coach, who had been watching me intently, began to speak.
"How exactly did you do it?"
"...Do what?"
"Against Campbell. The two touchdowns Sekope made."
"Was there a problem with them?"
"No, none at all. And that is the problem."
"?"
At the coach's signal, the lights went out. A video started playing on the screen. Low quality—this was filmed by the team staff. We had to analyze it, after all.
"Sekope has never moved like this before."
That was true. We don't use Tight Ends like that. For Coach Gavin Travis, a Tight End is a defensive-minded position meant to assist the Offensive Linemen. They either help block to open gaps for the Running Backs or act as decoys to prevent linebackers from charging the pocket.
But yesterday, I used Sekope offensively. Those two touchdowns were the result.
"How was it possible?"
"...."
Answering him wasn't hard. But first, I needed to check something. I wanted to understand the situation better.
"Did I harm the team's strategy?"
"No. It wasn't that."
"The team's offensive strategy was maintained, right?"
"Everyone moved exactly as practiced." "Except for Sekope."
"Yes."
That was enough. He hadn't called me in to scold me. So, I answered honestly.
"Because everyone knows."
"What?"
"When we use the Shotgun, the Tight End never receives a pass. The Cornerbacks and Safeties are glued to the Wide Receivers. So, I targeted the middle."
When the perimeter defense gets thick, the middle naturally thins out. There are 11 players on offense and defense respectively; if one area is crowded, a gap must open somewhere else. I simply sent Sekope there. And that's why we practiced it.
The Coach, who had been listening with a serious face, leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk.
"I've been a football coach for 15 years, but I've never seen a kid like you. You memorized the playbook in a week, and in two weeks, you were using it more freely than a senior QB." "...."
"But going further, you analyzed the team's tactical weaknesses yourself and found a way to compensate? This is insane, Moi. No 15-year-old in the world does that. Football is a difficult sport. No high schooler should be able to do what you're doing."
To be honest? I was holding back a lot. If it were up to me, I'd change the tactics from A to Z. But I knew I shouldn't, and since there's a skill gap with other teams, I'm just being patient. Training separately with my teammates was just about mixing in a few new things without disrupting the team's flow.
In reality, my head has 99 ways to make this team better. Maybe 100. But I couldn't say that.
"I guess I'm just that amazing."
"You are. To an unrealistic degree."
"Is that a compliment?"
The Coach began to stare at me. I didn't avoid his gaze at all. After a moment, he let out a dry laugh. The weird tension in the room vanished with it.
"Yes. You really are something."
"Haha. Thanks."
"So, regarding that..."
"?"
"The notes you left behind. And the 'Decoy' written in them."
"Yes Sir."
"I'd like to have a meeting about that tomorrow. Is that possible?"
"Tomorrow? When?"
"3rd period is Humanities, right?"
"Oorah."
We'd already finished submitting our essays for Humanities. The Coach said he'd clear it with the teacher. I'd be skipping class, but there would be no penalty. I'd heard they were just watching a movie after the midterms anyway. No reason to refuse.
"Sure. I'll come by after 2nd period."
"Good. See you tomorrow."
I stood up and shook his hand. I don't have a 4th-period class either. That means I have about a two-hour window. I can get a lot done in that time. When I returned to the locker room, Marcus approached me.
"How bad did you get chewed out?"
"You think I'm you?"
"Hehe. Wanna grind some PlayStation after this?"
"PlayStation?"
"Yeah. Sol-J has one."
"Sweet. Can I come?"
Sol-J nodded and said he'd introduce me to his mom and sister, and that I should stay for dinner. Oh hell yeah. Saved on food costs. Since we couldn't do extra training today due to field maintenance, we could head out right after the scheduled session.
"By the way."
"Yeah?"
"There's a rumor going around that you're gay."
"Pfft—!"
Wait, what kind of fresh bullshit is this? I looked up at Sol-J.
"I'm pretty sure that Stephanie bitch started it, but some kids actually believe it. I mean, you're super popular but you never date anyone."
"Damn—Bro. I just don't want to get tied down, okay?"
"True. Kahuku's dating pool is a bit shallow." "That's Hawaii for you."
"Heh heh. Don't worry. It'll die down soon." "Maybe I should start flirting around just to stop it."
That damn girl. No gratitude, only vengeance? It was such a petty revenge that I didn't even feel like getting angry, but it was definitely annoying. Still, I should ignore it. No point in getting tangled up with her.
"Let's go. It's almost time."
"Yeah."
I headed to the field with my friends for team practice. Another grueling session awaited us. But that's why it's worth enduring. The patience and discipline learned through pain—that's what leads us the right way. Damn right.
____
# September 6, 2016
#-1. Oahu, Hawaii
#-2. Honolulu, Kahuku CDP
#-3. Kahuku High School
#-4. QB Room
The Shotgun is a formation that serves as the foundation for various passing tactics in modern football. Like I just said, it's a formation. It's not a tactic in itself. You distinguish it by looking at the QB's position—if he's 5 yards or more behind the scrimmage line, it's a Shotgun.
"What are the benefits of the Shotgun?" "Easier to protect the pocket."
"Correct. And?"
"Gives the QB more freedom."
"Perfect."
Since the QB is set back, the Offensive Linemen have more room to maneuver. When executed perfectly, it creates an ideal oval-shaped pocket. This gives the QB enough time to scan the field and make decisions more calmly.
However, there are clear drawbacks. First, it's predictable. Shotgun usually means a pass, so the defense can prepare. Second, the snap distance. The Center's snapping ability must be top-tier. Luckily, this isn't an issue for us. Loto's snaps are NCAA-level. He delivers the ball perfectly to my liking every time.
Anyway, the final weakness...
"It's vulnerable to blitzes."
"But you..."
"Yes. I used that to our advantage."
In a Shotgun snap, the QB is usually left alone in the pocket because the RBs aren't there and the HFs and FBs are busy at the scrimmage line. If an opposing Linebacker or Safety finds a path and charges, there's a high risk of a Sack.
But that also means...
"The space for the Tight End to advance is wide open."
"...And you practiced that with Sekope?" "Specifically, just two movements."
Loose Socks: Pretending to join the scrimmage block, then spinning and bolting straight ahead. Switch Jam: Making initial contact, pushing off, then advancing about 5 yards to the middle to look at the QB.
No need for complex strategies. Those two were enough. Because...
"I'm the one using them anyway."
"Well, I'll be..."
"Very 'Quarterback-like' of me? Yeah, I know."
QBs need to be able to see their teammates as parts of a machine. I don't mean treating them poorly, absolutely not. But to find the gap within the complex gears of two strategies (offense/defense) and achieve the goal of advancing, you need a precise blueprint in your head. Imagination is a vital quality for a QB. I always emphasized that. And now...
"When I set the scrimmage, I look at the defenders' positions and their eyes. Some kids make it too obvious. It was like that against Campbell. One linebacker was staring only at me, so I called the 'Switch Jam'."
"Holy..."
"That's just..."
"A brilliant Audible."
"Thank you."
This meeting didn't just check tactics; it convinced the coaches that I am capable of calling Audibles. In the heavy atmosphere, I continued to state my opinions. The "Decoy" tactic that got me here today needed my explanation. I also shared my thoughts on Options—placing more than one RB/FB/HF. Two is a Double. Three is a Triple. Since no sane coach on Earth puts four or more RBs on the field, the TripleOption is the most extreme running tactic I know. Triple is hard, but we can definitely use the Double.
"Alright. Let's wrap it up here."
"Good work, everyone."
It takes at least two weeks to get a new tactic ready. This was only possible because it aligned with our existing flow. After hearing that the coaches would discuss it further, I headed out to find a place for lunch.
"Moi!"
"Heading to eat?"
"Yeah. Let's go together."
"Sure."
Kaonohi has brightened up significantly lately. I'm secretly pleased. I thought he'd make a good Safety because he's strong for his speed, and the training is paying off. Yesterday, the Defensive End coach even praised him. Seeing that made me feel incredibly proud.
As expected... the taste of developing your own is always special.
____
After Moi left, the Kahuku High football coaches shook their heads in disbelief.
"I knew he was special, but this is beyond that."
"I'd venture to say he's at a pro level."
"The brain, the vision, the judgment. Damn. He's a giant, isn't he?"
"Gavin. Moi is right."
"...."
Gavin Travis, like many high school coaches, gives up a lot for the sake of his players' skill levels. Using brilliant and complex tactics is a huge thrill for a coach and proof of their ability, but high schoolers are too young to follow them. You can teach other positions, but you can't just "teach" a Quarterback. Simply saying they're "born with it" isn't enough.
"Chosen? That might be the best word."
"Phew—I was planning to aim for the national title next year."
A monster freshman like Dwayne Moi Stone would be at the school for four years. Even if his freshman season was a transition period, they'd have the strength to challenge for the title for the following three years.
But... it looks like they could move that timeline up. Moi just made that dream feel possible.
"Let's get to work. We're going to be busy."
The more they knew, the more shocking Dwayne Moi Stone's talent became. Kahuku High School was now aiming for the top of the national stage.