Chapter Text
For many small towns, high school sports are a sacred tradition. Whether it’s baseball, soccer, basketball, or football; any small town is there and roaring with their support. The little town of Hage is no exception. There isn't much to do in Hage so the high school teams tend to become a focus during the school year. Small businesses even close early when their teams are set to play. The town has never been known for their sports teams, in fact in many previous years they were sort of a laughing stock when it came to sports. Not many knew about how bad their teams had been, just their rival schools who had been routinely beating them. Hage sat out the outskirts of the country and was well removed from the main cities of Clover, Spade, Diamond, and Heart. But thanks to the elevated play of their football team, things were changing. The team had begun playing at an elite level and had been annihilating teams left and right. The final scores started to catch attention in some of the larger cities which encouraged people to make the trip to see such performances in person. The town started seeing an increase in tourism on Fridays when the football team was set to play that evening. It was a welcomed change of pace for a town that rarely made a profit off of anything.
The aforementioned driving forces for this success came from 2 young football studs who had recently grown into their cleats. Both Asta and Yuno began their football journeys at the same time, just before their freshman year of high school. They started as backups but once they understood the game they rose through the depth chart quickly. They spent countless hours training their bodies and minds to adapt to the game. They studied their playbooks and watched as much film as they possibly could so they could catch up to whether their peers already were. They played every football game they could get their hands on (mainly any game that their guardians could afford) and they wore each one down until either the game itself or the system broke. It was a headache briefly but ultimately worth it. They worked hard to achieve their status in the football world, oftentimes forgoing any kind of social events that many other kids their age would rather attend. It wasn’t always fun but it was the price they paid for chasing their dreams.
Yuno took to the Quarterback position immediately. Naturally he found himself to be a good leader and on more than one occasion had proven to be unflappable in the face of pressure (both physical and mental). Since Yuno was a child he had maintained a very stoic demeanor. His emotions rarely ever came through when you spoke to him and he was always very dry, it was not a trait the ladies loved about him. But it made him a person of interest at school for all 4 years. Students would compete to see who could make the boy show any emotion and they failed every time. He quickly learned the team's playbook as a freshman. He studied it for hours and hours, sometimes spending more time with the playbook than with his school work. Yuno would line up in practice and call out the scout team's defense almost immediately. From Cover 2 to an all out blitz, he knew it before the ball was ever snapped. His hours of studying had allowed him to key in on the smallest detail of a defense pre snap and make them pay for showing their hand too early. This skill caught the attention of the varsity coaches and they quickly elevated him to their squad. He didn’t start right away but by his sophomore year he was the varsity starting QB over several seniors. It infuriated them but Yuno never cared about how they felt. All he cared about was winning and being better than he was the day before.
Academically he was no different. Yuno was a straight A student all 4 years of his high school career. He was sure to be the Valedictorian of his class and sure to go off to do incredible things later in life if anyone was projecting based on his accomplishments to that point. His goal was to attend Clover University, the region's esteemed college. Their academics and athletics were some of the best in the country so naturally he wanted to be alongside the best of the best. It would set him up for any career he wanted, which included the chance to play football professionally. He had worked so hard to get to a point where he hoped the school would offer him a full ride to attend, whether it was for football or academics he didn’t care. He just wanted to be great at everything he did and prove it to everyone. He wanted to be better than you at everything and he would let you know it. One person who shared this dream with him was his ‘brother’ Asta.
Asta and Yuno were not much alike outside of their determination. Yuno was gifted with immense talent while Asta was not. Academically he struggled and frequently required tutoring just to stay at a C average. Asta wasn’t stupid, he was a very intelligent young man. His intelligence just didn’t apply well to academics. Yuno would even help him at times but not without a few jabs here and there about surpassing him and leaving him behind. That motivated Asta like nothing else could. Their whole childhood they constantly pushed each other to be better, everything was a competition from elementary school onward. So much so that Asta also joined the football team their freshman year after Yuno had announced he would be starting with the sport. Both of them had played other sports before but when Yuno figured out what football truly was he set his heart, mind, and soul on it. In turn Asta did too. What Asta lacked in academics though he made up for with his attitude. It wasn't always easy, for a long time Asta was not taken seriously where they grew up. But he never let that get to him. The boy absolutely radiated positivity. Failed a test? He’ll do better next time. Late for class? He’ll be 10 minutes early next time. A peer failed a test? Asta was right there to cheer them on to do better next time. He never allowed the small things to get him down. It helped that he was very well known in the community too, always willing to lend a hand to anyone who needed it. Mowing lawns, helping people move, or even helping neighbors decorate their homes for special gatherings or holidays; he did it all and never asked for a cent in return. His community did grow to love him. He held his own doubts about his future, he’s only human after all. But he did his best to overcome any negative thoughts or remarks he encountered.
When it came to football, Asta took longer to adapt than Yuno did. He loved the game but having to actually play it on a real field was much different than playing a video game. The offense's playbook confused him at times. All the different calls and formations were confusing at times and sometimes caused him to make mistakes. Coaches had tried him as a Running Back but he could never learn the play calls and protections, then they tried him out at Receiver but he struggled with his footwork and routes. Asta loved the physicality of the sport but he found it difficult to make that work on offense, especially at positions that got hit all the time. He preferred to be the one to deliver the hit. He was a very physically fit kid and he had the work ethic to be there with everyone else but his ability to remember plays and shorter stature hurt him when game time came around. The staff had wanted him to be a bruiser on offense, giving them that advantage over their opponents. One day, during his freshman year, a coach approached him with a new idea.
“Look kid, you’re just not equipped to be on the offense.” Asta’s face sunk at the thought. He worked so hard to keep up, was it really for nothing? He spent hours making himself better, trying to chase the dream he and Yuno set out for at the start of their careers. Even if he was about to get cut he wouldn't let that stop him. But before his brain could take him down that path his coach continued, “that being said, we want to try you out on defense. You may be smaller but you’re built tough and you’re fast. So we want to try you out at linebacker, you up for that?” His coach asked. Asta didn’t hesitate and accepted the offer immediately.
Now years later Asta was aspiring for the same thing as Yuno; a bid to get into Clover University. He and his brother had made a pact when they were little. One that motivated them both to push past their limits and excel in ways they may not have otherwise. See, both Asta and Yuno are orphans, raised by a Priest and a Nun who ran an orphanage in Hage. They had been dropped off on the same day by two unknown parties many years ago. The Head of the Church, Father Orsi, immediately knew the boys weren’t related but he raised them as if they were. They did everything together and now they were both pushing for the same things. They had made their pact early on in their childhoods to push each other to the best at whatever they did. That they would support each other but they wouldn’t just sit idly by while the other worked hard. Asta and Yuno lived by their pact, it motivated them to be better than the day before. THis mentality had earned them recognition and acclaim from their loved ones. But they weren’t without their challenges. Being raised in a group home didn’t exactly allow for much disposable income and when they had expressed interest in college they were told it may not happen…. Correction, Yuno with his grades and his performance on the field would likely yield him a scholarship from just about anywhere. Asta however was expected to stay in Hage with the family and keep the lights on in the Church. Not because he didn’t deserve it, but sometimes that’s just not how the cookie crumbles.
But as always, that didn’t slow him down one bit. Over 4 years he maintained a C average in all his classes with an occasional B here and there. But he truly honed in on football, putting all his eggs into the basket. After starting his journey on defense he adapted quickly. Run around, find the ball, and run through a motherfucker's face. He excelled in that and was a true leader on defense. Not always because of his ability to read an offense but because he was always there to lift his teammates up after a bad game or after they made a good play. He was a relentless ball of positive energy on the field which helped him climb the depth chart quickly. He gained respect from his coaches, and teammates and became someone the team could rely on to bring their spirits up no matter the situation. They loved the boy for his presence in the community but now they loved him because he was fun to watch on the football field. By his Junior year he was the variety’s starting middle linebacker. Yuno of course was slightly ahead of him in starting on varsity. But that only made Asta work harder to catch up to him.
Which brings us to today. The boys senior year was going very well on the field. Their team, the Hage War Hawks, boasted a record of 9-1 going into the high school playoffs and as one of the top seeds in the district. Yuno was having an outstanding year in his final stint. During the regular season he had a stat line of 4,407 yards passing, 44 touchdowns in the air, 5 on the ground, and a completion percentage of nearly 75%. A statline that caught the attention of many colleges who needed to start thinking about their QB position. Asta was also having an excellent year, catching attention from schools who needed to bolster their defense. He recorded 165 tackles, 30 for a loss, 10 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions. The interceptions were tipped balls but they were on his stat sheet, it didn’t matter how he got them. The boys were leading their team through the playoffs. Blowing past the three opponents in their way of a state championship by scores of 44-0, 48-7, and 50-14. Making it look easy. They were at the forefront of these decisive victories, in fact they traded off giving their teammates speeches during the games to help them continue their push to be enshrined in their school’s history. Yuno typically gave short, factually driven speeches that helped the team understand their path to win the game. Asta’s speeches were driven by emotion, doing their best and showing the region they would not go quietly into that good night. Individually the speeches may have lacked the ability to motivate the team correctly. But together? They worked perfectly.
Today brought the final test of their senior seasons. The State Championship. Their team squared off against a school from further out in their region. The Elksburg Elves had also reached the final game of the season off the backs of their impressive seniors. Their QB, Patri, had boasted some impressive numbers as well, but none of them rivaled Yuno’s. While their middle linebacker, Vetto, had a stat line akin to Asta’s except that he had recorded a few extra interceptions that all came down to him baiting the opposing QBs to throw his direction. Truly two incredible opponents. Tonight they would face off for the ultimate glory of high school football.
The game had started fast, with Yuno tossing a touchdown perfectly into the back of the endzone to give his squad a 7-0 lead. The Elves quickly responded with a score of their own, tying the game 7-7. After that, for 2 whole quarters the game was a stalemate. They traded blows back and forth but the score remained the same. After each team's first drive their coaching staffs had adjusted to their play styles. These teams rarely squared off so many of their adjustments had to be made on the fly despite having watched hours of game film and studying their opponents. Yuno would lead an impressive drive but it would stall out after Vetto figured him out and would make the drive ending play. The unflappable QB was beginning to get frustrated with the offense's inability to score. The defense kept them in the game, ensuring that the lack of scoring went both ways. Asta was flying around the field and making plays. From 1st and 10 to 3rd and short, Asta was locked in. Not allowing the Elves offense a moment of peace, he even recorded 2 sacks on Patri on critical 3rd downs. He was picking up on their play style and he had begun reading their offense. He had worked hard to develop this ability, it wasn’t perfect but today he was firing on all cylinders.
Almost 4 full quarters had passed, the game was winding down to the final few minutes. It all came down to this, the final drive of the game. The score was 7-7 with roughly 2 minutes left and the ball on their own 30 yard line, 70 yards to glory. Their coach had called a timeout at the 2 minute mark, leaving them with 2 left. The coach gathered the offense on the sideline to discuss their strategy.
“Alright, we have 2 timeouts, and 2 minutes. We have plenty of time so let’s stay focused here, you boys worked hard for this so let’s capitalize on it. They’ve been stingy all day but we prepared for this more than they have. All that time in the film room is going to pay off right here!” He paused, “Are you feeling good, Yuno?” He asked his starting QB.
Yuno breathed out his nose, “I’m fine. Let’s just win this.” He said with a straight face. He turned to the crowd, seeing his adoptive family cheering him on from the front row filled him with a sense of pride, they had made the trip out to see the game despite their financial struggles. Then his eyes fell to the sideline where Asta was frantically waving at him, a gesture that wasn’t uncommon but during a game was rare. If Asta was trying to get Yuno’s attention like that it had to be for a reason. He quickly jogged over to Asta, “What is it? Now isn’t the time for distractions.” His flat tone ensured the conversation would be fast.
“No it’s not that! I noticed something,” Asta began, “their middle linebacker.” Yuno nodded, following along. “He’s reading your eyes, he has been all night. That’s his tell. I know you know that but earlier you got a first down because your eyes came off your receiver. As you went through your reads he bailed, assuming you would throw it down the field because he was watching your eyes only. That gave you the opening to squeeze the ball to your checkdown option that he didn’t notice!”
Yuno felt it click, “you make a good point. He’s just watching my eyes, not the players around him.” If I process my reads correctly, especially the downfield ones, he’ll leave himself open to missing his coverage assignments. Asta nodded enthusiastically. “Good note Asta, well done.” He said again flatly. Asta knew how much it meant for Yuno to give someone credit like that. Yuno did listen to him sometimes and the same was true the other way around too. But now, more than ever, they trusted each other. Yuno walked back to the huddle as the referee signaled it was time to return to the action. Giving his offense the vote of confidence as they marched back onto the field, from the corner of his eye Yuno could see Vetto staring daggers at him. But he didn’t care, armed with a new perspective Yuno would eviscerate this defense and win, leaving no doubt about who the champions were. The offense lined up, Yuno scanned the defense quickly, he saw man to man coverage and knew that they would likely stick to this for this final drive. Man to man was tricky to exploit against the Elves because they were so good at it. A staple of their defense that year had been their man-to-man coverage and their ability to blitz on just about any down during the game. The War Hawks had prepared for this.
Play 1: A quick slant route which was caught over the middle for a gain of fifteen yards. The receiver managed to beat his opponent to the inside and Yuno fit the ball perfectly over the head of the linebacker for the first down.
Yuno hurried his offense to the line, running their hurry up offense and yelling a play call out for the offense to set up. 1 minute and 40 seconds left. Another quick scan told him man to man coverage again. If we run our hurry up offense they won’t over complicate their defense. Man to man has been their best option so that’s what they’ll stay with on this drive.
Play 2: Ball out quickly again as he dumped it down to his running back for a gain of 8. Ball now on the plus side of the field with 1 minute and 30 seconds remaining. 2nd down with 2 yards to go.
Again they hurried to the line, not giving the defense any time to adjust. Yuno scanned. Their free safety had slid back to his downfield assignment and the strong safety had slid down closer to the line of scrimmage. A new look this time would normally tell him that they had changed to a zone coverage, with this look it likely could have been Cover 3. But he could see the safety eyeing his man so he knew they were attempting to disguise it. It was likely a Cover 1 scheme, no robber role for the safety closest to the line this time.
Play 3: Quick snap as Yuno threw the ball towards the sideline where the receiver ran a quick hitch route. The ball was caught and the receiver stepped out of bounds. The clock stopped at 1 minute and 20 seconds with a fresh set of downs from the opponents 42 yard line.
Yuno looked over to his coach who was giving him hand signals and gesturing to the coaches wristband on his left arm. Yuno checked it to confirm the play call before giving his coach the thumbs up. They had about 50 plays on the wristband, but with their tempo right now they were only pulling from about 15 of those plays. He also caught sight of Asta who was moving down the field with them. His face appeared stoic but he could see the faintest glimpse of doubt. Not because he didn’t trust Yuno, but because this was a tense situation. But knowing that Asta and his family were watching was all he needed to solidify his resolve. He gathered the offense for a huddle, “time to end this.” He said before reading the play call. This new play was one they had practiced a few times but never ran in a game. The concept was that the receivers would bunch up on the right with one split out far left. A running back would be beside him as they operated from the shotgun. It was a verticals play, only the tight end would run a curl route in the center of the field to draw in the linebackers. A play like this would be designed to get the defenders in the middle of the field to come up to defend the curl route, leaving space behind them for the vertical route. If they dropped to defend the vertical route, the curl would have a good chance of being open for good yardage.
Play 4: Ball snapped as Yuno scanned the field, his eyes finding the tight end who sat down right in the middle of the field at the 10 yard mark. His eyes stayed for a moment until he saw Vetto read him. His eyes quickly darted to his receiver who was running a vertical route where Vetto had been. He didn’t hesitate and he ripped the ball down the seam, connecting with his receiver for a gain of 20 yards. Putting them at the Elves 22 yard line. Their coach quickly signaled for a timeout. Clock stopped at exactly 1 minute. Asta was right. Vetto saw my eyes come down to the tight end and he bailed on his assignment.
Vetto was now seething and Yuno could see it. He took advantage of his eyes and they had given up a huge play because of it. But it meant that he was likely going to blitz him on these next few plays so Yuno would have to account for that when he called his protections. It was something they had noticed in their film study during the week. Vetto was a gifted athlete but he often allowed his adrenaline to take over at the wrong moments. When that happened, he would blitz freely over the next few plays trying to make up for his missed assignment. Looking to the sideline his coach signaled again for a play call. This time it was a spread shotgun look. The two perimeter receivers running hitches while the slot on either side would run 10 yard corner routes. His running back would stay in for protection.
Play 5: Yuno quickly calls out the mike linebacker (Vetto) and shifts his protection to account for the blitz he knows is coming. Ball is snapped and sure enough Vetto runs right down the open A-Gap before his running back cut blocks him. Yuno scrambles to his right before tossing the ball at the sideline and over everyone's heads, stopping the clock but gaining no yardage. He turned to see his running back, on the ground in pain. Vetto had basically speared him and knocked the wind out of him. Vetto shot him a look before returning to the defensive huddle. “You’re next!” He shouted, a devilish grin across his face.
The training staff quickly got him off the field, the crowd cheering for the young man as he trotted off. But they still needed an extra person. Yuno turned to the sideline and held up one hand, holding up 1 finger. He had reviewed this with the team earlier in the week, but the signal meant there’s only one person coming into this game right now. The only person he trusted to be in there with him in a moment like this. Asta. He trotted out onto the field, entering the huddle.
“Let’s end this right here!” Asta yelled. Yuno smiled at his enthusiasm. They broke the huddle as Asta lined up next to Yuno in the shotgun. His main role in this package was to stop blitzes from reaching Yuno. Asta may not be able to run routes but the kid is a stone wall when it comes to pass protection. This was yet another play they hadn’t run before, so the defense was slightly confused when he broke the huddle and took the running back spot. Confusion was good for them. Yuno glanced at the game clock which read 40 seconds. Had the last 2 plays really taken up a total of forty seconds? He thought to himself. The crowd noise was starting to set in as he felt a few nerves start to poke through his stoic demeanor. That was until he felt Asta pat him on his back. He calmed himself immediately, he knew Asta would protect him against the blitz so there was no need to worry. This is what they had worked so hard for, now was no time to get jittery.
Play 6: A four verticals shot at the end zone. Yuno called for the ball and scanned the field. From his peripheral he saw Asta pick up Vetto’s blitz again, a predictable move. But this time Vetto was, in fact, stonewalled. Asta had put him flat on his back.Yuno then ripped the ball down the seam again, connecting with this receiver who was tackled on the 3 yard line. Their final timeout was called.
The crowd was losing it now with 25 seconds left (the coach had let the clock run a bit) in the game, still tied at 7-7. Yuno and Asta knew exactly what play came next. The whole offense knew it. They had practiced the play all year, in hopes of never really needing it. It was part of their 2 minute drill package and it was considered one of the last plays they would call. It was a high risk, high reward play call.
Play 7: This time their tight end would stay in to block while Asta snuck out on an option route. They could run it and hammer the ball in, but it was too risky to run the ball with no timeouts left. They called this play the ‘Asta Special.’ Ball snapped, Vetto blitzed again of course but this time he was picked up by the left guard. Yuno rolled left, keeping his eyes downfield before landing on Asta, who quickly broke his short route towards him. With a flick of his wrist the ball flew towards Asta. For a moment the whole world went in slow motion. Yuno watched as the ball connected with Asta, his hands bracing it close to him and tucking it in. The world seemed to stop when he heard it.
“TOUCHDOWN!!! The War Hawks take the lead! Yuno connects with Asta on the 3 yard touchdown pass! War Hawks up 13-7 before the extra point!!”
Asta was the first one to him, practically tackling him. “YUNO!!!” He shouted, “WHAT A DRIVE!!! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!” Yuno of course remained stoic, simply pumping his fist towards the home sideline as the crowd continued to go insane. He shot a glance toward the opposing sideline. If anyone had an aura in that moment, it was Yuno. He made sure they knew it too. Their kicker made the extra point, giving them a 7 point lead. Asta was practically bouncing around the sideline, eager to get one more shot on defense.
The Elves offense took the field, no timeouts left for them. The War Hawks defensive play call was a prevent defense. All defensive backs would give the receivers a cushion while the defensive line would rush the passer. Theirs was a little different because their prevent defense allowed for Asta to rush the passer too. This was the ‘run through a motherfuckers face’ element Asta had excelled at since he took on the linebacker role. The ball was snapped from their own 25 yard line. The world slowed yet again as Asta burst through the line, charging right at Patri. He tried to evade him, shifting his body away from the on coming rusher. But it was no use, it was too late. Asta connected with Patri, dragging him to the ground as the clock expired. The offense looked defeated.
They had won.
Their sideline went insane, players rushing the field as Asta leapt up from the ground, cheering and screaming as their victory set in. He wanted to run to his sideline to celebrate, but not before offering a hand up to Patri who was still flat on his back. Asta gave him a smile and a pat on the helmet before running to his sideline. A controlled chaos emerged all around them as the clock officially hit 0 and the score was cemented. The cheering and screaming died down after the teams shook hands, Vetto swearing to Asta that next time they faced each other the result would be very different. Asta congratulated him on a good season and quickly found Yuno and his family waiting for him on the field. Father Orsi, Sister Lily, and a few of the other kids from the group home had gathered around Yuno, congratulating him on the win.
“I’m so proud of you boys!” cried Father Orsi as he brought them into a tight embrace, “Asta and Yuno, heroes of our little town!” He cried.
One of the younger boys, Nash, just huffed, “yeah it was kinda cool. I guess.”
Finally free of the embrace Asta turned immediately to Sister Lily, who gave him a knowing look. The boy dropped to one knee, “Sister! Will you marry me?!” He exclaimed.
Sister Lily blushed, “Asta as I have told you many many times. I am a woman of the cloth.” He waited for a moment, hope in his eyes. “The answer is no.” His face fell, the hope leaving it. She put her hand on his head, “you’re like my little brother Asta. I am so proud of you and Yuno. You both worked so hard for this. Enjoy this moment.”
Asta got to his feet, “thank you Sister.” He said proudly, “I accept that you won’t marry me, but I hope I can keep making you proud!”
“I’m positive you will.” She replied, looking at Yuno who had a smirk on his face. “You both will.” A small blush crossed Yuno’s face. He quickly stuffed it back down before quietly thanking her.
Their attention was pulled away from the celebration when a shorter man in a blue suit approached the group. He had blue hair and carried himself with such confidence as he approached them. Yuno and Asta didn’t recognize him but they had a feeling he was important.
“Congratulations boys! What a win for you!” He exclaimed.
“Thank you sir!” The boys replied in unison.
The man stuck out his hand, “My name is Marx. I'm with Clover University. I'm here with my head football coach and we were wondering if you boys had a moment to chat?”