CHAPTER 164: DANA HILLS TOURNAMENT FINAL

All the Mater Dei players were gathered in a circle, silent and attentive, just minutes before the Dana Hills final was set to begin.

Bruce stood at the center, arms crossed, with that stern expression of his that only ever softened slightly during big speeches. At his side, Rick and the assistant coaches wore the same resolute look.

Bruce, Rick, and the others no longer had any doubts: Andrew was the core of the offense. He had been since the very first day, when he took the starting spot from Wittek, but now, after six memorable games, the whole team knew it for certain.

More importantly: they trusted him.

Victor, Nick, Thomas, Sedric, and the others no longer saw him as "the new kid from Palisades with a YouTube channel," but as Mater Dei’s leading quarterback.

"Bosco’s defense is strong, fast, and very physical. This won’t be a walk in the park," Bruce said, his raspy tone cutting through the air.

He locked eyes with Andrew for a few seconds, as if speaking directly to him. "And their offense... well, we all remember what happened last year. They beat us by twelve points. In the league game. On our home field."

A murmur rippled through the circle, grim expressions, clenched jaws.

"It’s payback time. And there’s no better stage than this: the final, before the season even starts, and with everyone watching. We take the title from them. This time, it’s ours."

"YES!" the players roared in unison, clashing shoulder pads and fists.

Andrew didn’t shout. He just nodded with a determined look. He didn’t yet feel the same sense of belonging to Mater Dei as the others. His story with them had only just begun. He didn’t share their rivalry against Bosco, at least not yet. But that didn’t matter. It was a final, and Andrew was ultra-competitive. He wanted to win it no matter the cost.

Besides, this game meant more than a trophy to him. He wanted to make a mark in his first tournament with Mater Dei.

Mater Dei hadn’t won the tournament in two years, back when Matt Barkley played his last Dana Hills in his senior year. It wasn’t a long drought, but still, two years without lifting the trophy.

There were no longer three active fields. The main practice field at the Dana Hills complex had become the final’s venue. Players from eliminated teams, coaches, parents, scouts, and relatives now packed that stadium to 100% capacity, very different from the earlier rounds.

Over 2,000 people surrounded the field, filling every available seat in the stands and even the grass, where some families had set up umbrellas and folding chairs.

Among all those people were many Mater Dei students who had come to support their team, and it was the first time they saw Andrew play in person. Of course, they knew him from his YouTube channel and the buzz around his signing, but they were shocked when, on day one of the group stage, Max wasn’t the starter.

At first, they were skeptical about the decision, but that doubt vanished as quickly as it came, once they saw Andrew score 8 touchdowns. Six brilliant games later, they’d seen him tear apart defenses, way more exciting than Max’s past performances.

Now they were all fans, silently thanking whoever had suggested recruiting him.

Just like in the previous games, among the crowd were Mitch, Cam, Jay, Claire, and the rest of the family. Now more tightly packed, but more excited, and nervous, than ever.

"Why am I more nervous than I was at the state final with Palisades?" Phil muttered to himself, biting his nails in anxious suspense.

"Maybe because Bosco’s defenders look like they’re two meters tall and weigh over 260 pounds," Claire replied with crossed arms, not much calmer than her husband.

Jay stood like a stoic statue, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the field. Gloria shouted words of encouragement in a mix of English and Spanish.

Mitchell held Lily in his arms, serious but in control. He was used to this emotional rollercoaster after so many finals with Andrew.

But something felt different this time.

It was Mater Dei and it was against their classic rival. And even though it was a summer tournament, the tension felt like a regional championship.

Cam and the others felt it too. Plus, they knew that with 35 total touchdowns, Andrew was almost certainly the tournament’s MVP, no matter what happened next. But nobody wanted an almost. Everyone wanted to finish with a golden ending.

Not far from them, amid the sea of spectators, were Monica and Rachel, sitting with Haley, Howard, and Leonard.

Monica couldn’t stop twisting her fingers on her lap. Anxious, restless, eyes locked on the field.

Rachel, calmer on the outside, didn’t take her eyes off Andrew as he listened intently to his coaches.

"Whoa... this stadium is packed," said Rachel, snapping out of her brief trance and glancing around. Her voice carried a mix of surprise and a hint of nervousness.

"Of course it is," Monica replied without even looking at her. "Everyone’s here now. It’s the final. The most important game of the tournament."

"I hope he wins..." Rachel murmured, her voice dropping slightly, almost as if speaking to herself.

Monica slowly turned her head toward her, wearing a crooked smile and raising an eyebrow. "So, you are finally a fan of Andrew? Subscribe to his channel, we need to hit three million and become the most-subscribed channel in the world."

’She really is a hardcore fan...’ Leonard thought, gradually getting used to Monica’s intensity. She was experiencing this tournament as if it were the Super Bowl and her own father were the quarterback.

Rachel rolled her eyes and shook her head, though her lips curled into an amused smile. "Please... I’m not a crazy fangirl like you, and I never will be."

She paused, then added, without much effort to hide it, "I think he’s a good guy."

She had met Andrew in the cafeteria after the chaos at the mall, and again yesterday while they watched and talked about the games during his free time.

He wasn’t arrogant or full of himself. He had a sense of humor, and even though he clearly knew he was good at what he did, he didn’t need to prove it with words.

And yes, he was attractive. That much was obvious to her. Tall, strong jawline, and that confident quarterback posture, not the bodybuilder type with oversized muscles, but athletic, defined, strong... just right. More natural.

And Rachel, while she didn’t consider herself the type to instantly fall for a football player, knew about football and couldn’t help but compare.

She thought about her ex-boyfriend, Chip.

He was a quarterback too. Captain of his team at a low-division school that barely made the playoffs. Very different from the two perfect seasons Andrew had at Palisades.

Chip didn’t have half the talent, the vision, or the leadership Andrew had shown throughout this tournament.

Not to mention the stats.

’Thirty-five touchdowns in six games, just in this tournament,’ Rachel recalled in awe. Monica had told her he’d surpassed a hundred touchdowns during his time at Palisades.

As she thought about this, the referee blew the whistle.

The game had begun.

As soon as Andrew stepped onto the field, the defensive leader of St. John Bosco, a guy even taller than him with a solid, bulky build, shot him a challenging look.

With a crooked grin, he slowly walked by and approached him.

"So you’re the one who took Max’s spot?" the player said mockingly as he walked by without stopping. "I picked him off three times last year. How many am I gonna get from you?"

Andrew stared at him for a few seconds with a poker face, until a faint smile formed on his lips.

"Interceptions? If you catch one of my passes, I’ll give you credit in one of my videos, and maybe a scout will take a look at you."

"Who knows, maybe more than a hundred people will watch your highlights," he added with a teasing smirk.

The guy froze, not expecting that kind of response. A vein bulged on his forehead, but it was too late. Andrew had already turned back toward his team like nothing had happened.

The Mater Dei players who heard it stifled their laughter.

"Damn..." Sedric muttered under his breath, unable to help himself.

Nick gave Andrew a fist bump of approval.

"Now that’s how you talk," said Victor, flashing a wide, toothy smile.

The final was a battle between elite offenses.

Bosco was fast, physical, and brought the heat.

Andrew and his offense responded in kind. First drive: touchdown in three plays. A perfect pass to Victor in the left corner.

Bosco didn’t flinch. They answered with a long drive and scored.

And that’s how the game went: back and forth. Blow for blow.

Both defenses were struggling, which was saying something, considering they were among the best.

The reason? The quarterbacks.

Bosco’s QB was a five-star prospect who had entered the final with 27 total touchdowns.

But Andrew was matching, and even outperforming, him. He was finishing drives faster and throwing deeper passes. He kept up the pressure and didn’t let the opposing defense intercept a single throw.

Second touchdown: a crossing pass to Sedric between two defenders.

Another one, 25 yards, after a quick read and a surgical strike to Thomas.

That made three.

In the stands, Monica couldn’t stop clapping. Howard recorded with focused tension, doing his job flawlessly. Rachel cheered and clapped with every touchdown, sometimes shaking Leonard’s arm without even realizing it. She had forgotten what it felt like to root for a winning team and it felt really good.

Haley wasn’t far behind, she was also using Leonard, grabbing his other arm and shaking it with excitement.

’Damn, how are they so strong?’ Leonard thought, wanting to escape but unwilling to miss a second of the game.

Andrew’s touchdowns kept coming until they reached five. The score: 35–33 in favor of Mater Dei.

Both quarterbacks had thrown 5 touchdowns so far, neither had made a mistake. The only slip had come from Bosco’s QB, who failed two conversion attempts, that’s why they were down by two.

Andrew: zero errors.

Finally, in the decisive minutes of the game, Bosco was charging downfield, but Mater Dei’s defense held firm and earned their first major stop. Bosco failed to advance and lost the ball at the 10-yard line.

Bruce looked at Andrew, he didn’t say a word, just nodded.

Andrew knew what that look meant. It was time to finish the game.

He had two and a half minutes left. If he scored another touchdown, Bosco wouldn’t be able to catch up, even with a lightning-fast score of their own.

If he failed, or worse, threw a pick, they’d be in dangerous territory and could lose the final.

One more series. Andrew got ready. He couldn’t just run down the clock, not with Bosco breathing down their necks.

On second and long, with just forty seconds left on the clock, Andrew dropped back, looked left, tight coverage.

He turned right. Saw Victor cutting deep. The defense was right on him, but for half a second, a crack, a window opened.

He threw without hesitation, full power. A perfect spiral, explosive, precise.

30 yards in the air.

Victor caught it.

Touchdown.

The stadium erupted. The extra point was good. The Mater Dei scoreboard ticked up to 42.

Bosco’s offense came back on the field, but with only thirty seconds left, they couldn’t make it to the end zone, and even if they had, it wouldn’t have been enough. The most they could’ve reached was 40.

Final score:

Mater Dei 42 – 34 St. John Bosco.

Dana Hills 7v7 Summer Tournament Champions.

Andrew finished the final with 6 touchdowns and 389 yards. No interceptions. Not a single mistake.

41 touchdowns in 7 games.

The Mater Dei players piled onto each other with cheers, shoulder bumps, and sweat-drenched hugs full of euphoria. Some dropped to their knees, drained from the heat and the tension of a game that, though only 25 minutes long, had felt like a full championship.

The St. John Bosco players looked defeated: furrowed brows, slumped shoulders.

Their quarterback ripped off his helmet and threw it to the ground in frustration. He’d scored 5 touchdowns in a final, and still lost.

In the stands, the parents and families burst into applause.

Jay clapped hard, wearing a slight smile. Gloria screamed in Spanish, overwhelmed. Claire hugged Phil, who returned the hug.

Luke was shouting and jumping in place.

Manny and Alex clapped with a calmer enthusiasm.

Cam and Mitch hugged with Lily between them.

Monica was clapping like crazy. Haley and Rachel too.

Leonard and Howard celebrated as well, though Howard less so, still focused on filming Andrew.

The stadium was packed, and all eyes were on Andrew, high-fiving his teammates with a sweaty, smiling face.

As they celebrated, a makeshift platform was set up near midfield. It had the tournament logo and a table draped with blue cloth, holding gold medals, the MVP trophy, and the championship trophy.

Local cameras were recording, flashes going off everywhere.

First, the Bosco boys went up to receive symbolic medals for second place.

Then it was Mater Dei’s turn. Andrew received his medal, along with the MVP trophy, surprising no one. It was made of glass, engraved with the tournament’s logo, sleek and elegant.

Then the defensive captain and Andrew lifted the championship trophy together, surrounded by their teammates.

More applause, more photos, more ovations.

Derrick, the scout from UCLA, clapped with a subtle smile.

In his lifetime, he’d witnessed many elite summer tournaments like Dana Hills.

But he couldn’t recall a single quarterback finishing with 41 TDs, and in the way Andrew had done it.

The previous record for most touchdowns he could recall seeing for a quarterback in a tournament was 34, about six years ago. A five-star recruit, of course.

He knew Andrew’s value had just skyrocketed.

Luckily, he had already spoken with him, and an unofficial visit to UCLA was coming soon. Still, he regretted not making a move earlier.

He’d been following Andrew for some time, had already submitted his report, and the UCLA coaching staff had signed off on it.

As for his friend and rival, Marcus from USC, he knew that after this, the bastard would rush to write up a report so USC could make an offer and jump into the fight, desperate not to fall behind.

After celebrating with the team, taking photos with his family, and everything else, Andrew was now in the parking lot.

"Well, you’ve earned it. Go enjoy a day at the beach, relax," said Cam with a big smile.

"But be back before eight and stay in touch, okay?" added Mitchell in a more serious tone.

"Yeah, yeah... got it," Andrew replied with a casual nod, his eyes drifting up to the clear sky. It was a beautiful day to hit the beach after being crowned champion. In fact, it had been a while since he last went to the beach.

It wasn’t even two-thirty yet. For a group of teenagers on summer vacation, the day was just getting started.

Claire was rattling off a rapid-fire list of rules to Haley: behavior guidelines, hydration tips, sunscreen use, and the minimum allowable distance from boys.

She had reluctantly agreed to let Haley go to San Diego, driving just an hour away from here. Partly because she trusted her daughter. Partly because Andrew would be there.

Andrew stretched his shoulders and loosened his neck. He muttered to himself, "I think I need a shower..."

He had played four games that day. Even though he’d changed clothes and put on deodorant, it wasn’t the same as water and soap.

A voice behind him interrupted, "You can shower at the beach," said Rachel, half-joking, half-serious, with a mischievous look.

Andrew turned slightly, surprised she had heard him, but quickly composed himself and gave a faint smile. "That’s a good idea."

Cameron and Mitchell, who were nearby, immediately turned to look at her. They knew she was one of the girls going to the beach and had become friends with Haley. They didn’t say a word, but raised their eyebrows in unison like a silent, synchronized act of protective parenting.

Noticing their looks, Andrew cleared his throat and introduced them.

"This is Rachel, I think you’ve met her already... Haley’s new friend. And Monica, well, she’s my... fan. She came to last year’s subscriber meetup."

"Hi again," Rachel greeted naturally.

Monica gave a nervous smile and a shy wave. "Hello, Mr. Tucker and Mr. Pritchett," she said formally, like she was at a job interview.

Cameron looked at her for a second, then snapped his fingers. "Oh right! You’re the one with the protein snacks!"

Monica nodded, a bit surprised and flattered he remembered. "That’s me. Andrew mentioned you tried to recreate them but couldn’t get the taste quite right, so I recorded a step-by-step video, with exact measurements, timing, everything, so you can nail it."

"A tutorial video?" Cam asked, crossing his arms as his right eyelid twitched ever so slightly. He was way too proud of his cooking to be taught by anyone, but Monica’s kind gesture disarmed him.

"Yeah... Andrew can send it to you if you want," Monica nodded.

"Thanks..." Cam replied, noticeably trying to keep his tone relaxed.

Rachel, amused, raised an eyebrow at Monica. "Whoa, you should become his personal chef," she joked.

Monica chuckled softly, not taking it the wrong way.

Finally, after a few minutes, Andrew left for San Diego in his Camaro with Leonard and Howard.

Haley left in her Mini Cooper with Monica and Rachel.

Rachel silently appreciated the fact that she was going back to San Diego by car and not public transportation. The difference in time saved was about an hour, and every minute counted.

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