Halftime was a blur. Jordan sat in the locker room, his mind racing. The Wildcats were down 14-0, and it felt like they were losing control of the game. Sweat dripped down his face, mixing with the frustration boiling inside him. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him—waiting for something, anything, to inspire confidence.
Coach McGill's words echoed in the silence: "You're better than this." He paced back and forth, looking each player in the eye, but his gaze lingered on Jordan. "You're not playing to your potential, Wildcats. You've got to want this more than them."
Jordan clenched his fists. The truth was, he did want it. More than anything. But wanting wasn't enough. He needed to step up and lead, to shake off the mistakes of the first half and bring the team back into the game. He had to believe in himself if anyone else was going to.
"Jordan." Coach's voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the moment. "You're the leader out there. Your team needs you. It's time to play like it."
Jordan nodded, standing up, trying to shove the doubt down. Chris caught his eye from across the room, giving him a quick nod of encouragement. Malik stood near his locker, already taping up his wrists, ready for war.
"We've got this," Jordan said, raising his voice so everyone could hear. His words weren't loud, but they were steady. "They don't own this game. We do. Let's take it back."
As the team headed back out onto the field, Jordan felt a shift in the air. Maybe it wasn't confidence, but it was something close. The lights glared down, the crowd roared, and Jordan's heartbeat matched the rhythm of the cheering fans. There was still time. There was always time.
The second half began with Coldwater kicking off to Riverside. Jordan stood on the sideline, watching intently as Malik and the defense took the field. From the moment the ball was snapped, Coldwater came alive. Malik charged through the line, hammering Riverside's running back on the first play. The collision echoed across the field, and the Wildcats' sideline erupted in cheers.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Malik shouted, his voice full of fire. The defense rallied behind him, and suddenly, the momentum started to shift. Riverside was no longer moving down the field with ease. The Wildcats began to make stops, forcing Riverside into uncomfortable situations.
On third down, Malik powered through again, sacking Carter with a ferocity that left the stadium buzzing. The hit seemed to shake Riverside's quarterback, and Jordan could see the doubt creeping into his opponent's eyes.
It was time.
Back on offense, Jordan took the field with renewed determination. The play call came in: a quick slant to Chris. Jordan snapped the ball, dropping back, his eyes immediately finding Chris as he made his cut. The pass was perfect, zipping between two defenders and hitting Chris in stride. He broke a tackle and took off down the sideline, igniting the crowd as he raced for a 40-yard gain.
Jordan felt the adrenaline surge through him. They weren't out of this yet.
The next few plays were sharp, methodical. Jordan handed off to the running back, hitting short, safe passes to move the chains. The Wildcats were marching down the field with purpose, the energy shifting with every yard gained. On third-and-goal, Jordan dropped back again, scanning the field. Chris broke free in the corner of the end zone, and Jordan launched the ball, hitting him perfectly.
Touchdown.
The stadium erupted as Coldwater closed the gap to 14-7. Jordan jogged back to the sideline, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Chris gave him a quick slap on the helmet as they passed.
"That's how we do it," Chris said, grinning.
Jordan nodded, but there was no time for celebration yet. They were still down, and Riverside wasn't going to give up easily.