American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

"Are you alright?" Mike helped Sam, who was covered in sweat, to his feet and asked with concern.

"It's nothing," Sam replied, wiping his sweat.

It's clear that Sam is far inferior to Mike in terms of physical attributes. Several high-intensity offensive plays quickly depleted his stamina.

The players who had been playing fast-paced offense for two quarters were in a similar situation to Sam, with their stamina visibly declining.

Mike realized this, and he knew that in the upcoming games, he would probably have to rely on himself.

After that, Melford High School's offense once again became Mike's solo runs.

Until the end of the third quarter, Mike once again kept the score close thanks to his strong individual skills.

63:62

Melford are currently trailing by one point.

However, aside from the points, the overall situation of the Melford team was not very good. As their physical strength waned, the fighting spirit of the Melford players also began to dissipate.

In addition, Mike also expended too much energy in the second half of the third quarter in order to keep the score close.

After all, Mike's physique wasn't invincible, and no matter how strong an individual's ability is on the football field, they can't withstand the continuous double-teaming of eleven opponents.

During the break in the third quarter, Mike was so exhausted that he sat down and didn't want to talk. The other team members weren't in much better shape.

To be honest, Melford's team has never played a match as intense as today's.

"You all did a great job. No matter how the game went today, I'm proud of you all..." Coach George had seen the players' performance and didn't want to put too much pressure on them, so he spoke up to comfort them.

In reality, reaching this point was already the limit for the Melford rugby team.

It has to be said that Austin, as a long-established powerhouse, is several levels above Melford in terms of both the physical qualities of its players and the tacit understanding between them.

The fact that the situation on the court is still even at this moment is entirely due to Mike's strong individual ability.

The two-minute break passed quickly, and seeing that the players hadn't recovered yet, Coach George decisively used the last timeout opportunity to let the players rest a little longer.

Another two minutes passed, and Mike wiped the sweat from his forehead, leading his teammates to prepare to go on the court.

“Mike…” Coach George called out.

"What's wrong?" Mike turned around, still holding his helmet.

"It's nothing." Coach George had originally intended to advise Mike to hold back a bit. After all, people are more prone to injury when they're tired.

But seeing the determination in Mike's eyes, Coach George swallowed his words. Finally, he clenched his fist and said, "Go for it!"

"I will." Mike smiled, put on his helmet, and walked onto the field.

The two teams once again set up their formations in midfield.

beep—

Austin, who have always emphasized teamwork from the start, have maintained excellent physical condition.

With the help of his teammates, the opposing quarterback easily scored two more touchdowns.

71:62

Austin pulled away early in the fourth quarter.

In Melford's next offensive rotation, Austin continued to double-team Mike.

Mike tried to break through twice, but failed to shake off his opponent. He then set his sights on George in the opposing backcourt.

At this moment, George only had one opposing safety by his side. Compared to Mike's tight defense, his offensive opportunity was excellent.

So Mike found an opening and managed to deliver a difficult long pass.

Noticing the football flying towards him, young George adjusted his position to catch it.

However, because he didn't give the opponent enough attention for safety, he was knocked away the moment he received the ball.

This is something that should not happen during a competition.

beep—

Melford missed a chance to score, and the rugby ball, after landing, retreated back to midfield.

It could be said that George's carelessness wasted a beautiful offensive opportunity.

Next, Austin, the quarterback who understood Mike's offensive intentions, also connected with George, the offensive point.

End of Chapter 97 (Continued)

As the game progressed, Mike used too many individual drives to try and keep the score close.

According to incomplete statistics, he knocked down his opponents no less than ten times during the second and third quarters.

The audience is very happy to see this highly aggressive style of play. However, this high-intensity style of play is currently testing Mike's physical strength.

For Mike, carrying an entire team alone is still too much of a burden at this stage.

Mike, whose stamina was about to be exhausted, also deeply understood what Coach George had said: football is a team sport.

On the midfield line, Mike, holding the football, tried to make two more strong runs, but finding that he could not break through the multiple opponents, he turned his attention to Sam on the flank.

Sam desperately wanted to step up and help his team. However, two opposing linemen were closely marking him from both sides, making it impossible for him to find an opening to receive the ball.

Realizing there were no offensive opportunities on the flanks, Mike then turned his attention to the entire court.

Then, he spotted George, who was making good runs, again in the opponent's back row.

Without a second thought, with the time limit for stopping the game approaching, Mike once again delivered a high-arc short pass, sending the football into George's arms.

Upon receiving the ball, George reacted quickly this time, grabbing the football and charging towards the opponent's backfield.

However, direct offense is not George's forte. After getting the ball, he hadn't run far before he was tackled by the opposing safety who was specifically marking him.

"NO, NO, NO..."

Melford's second-down attack was thwarted again, and coach George, noticing Mike's growing impatience, shouted from the sidelines, "Don't rush, slow down. We still have time..."

Indeed, under normal circumstances, Austin's lead in points entering the fourth quarter wouldn't be enough to secure the victory. As long as Melford maintains his rhythm, there will be plenty of opportunities for a comeback.

However, Mike, on the court, had a clearer understanding of the situation. Engaging in a protracted battle now would be tantamount to slow suicide for Melford.

So when Mike got the ball again, he had only one thought in his mind: Charge!

With Mike putting in another burst of energy, the game became intense once again.

However, as the saying goes, how can one person's strength compare to the energy of an entire team?

In the ensuing fast-paced offensive transitions, Mike gradually became powerless. Unsurprisingly, Austin's lead widened significantly.

beep—

As the final whistle blew, Mike stopped in his tracks. His face was covered in sweat, as if he had just washed it.

79:65

Melford suffered a heavy defeat, ending their summer league campaign this year.

Looking at the score on the scoreboard, Melford and his teammates also showed expressions of unwillingness.

They had such a strong teammate like Mike; if they had tried a little harder, the outcome of this game might have been different.

……

At this moment, the audience outside the stadium also gave a warm round of applause for the exciting match.

Although Melford is still far behind in terms of overall strength, Mike's tenacious fighting spirit has won the favor of many viewers.

"Man, you played great today. I look forward to playing against you again next year..." Austin's quarterback approached Mike after the game.

It's clear that Mike's formidable strength has won over his opponent in this match.

However, a loss is a loss.

Mike, who wasn't in the mood, gave the other party a few perfunctory words and then walked off the field with his teammates.

"Kids, you've done very well. Don't be discouraged. We'll have another chance next year..." Coach George, standing on the sidelines, encouraged each of the players who were leaving the field.

Afterwards, Coach George went to the center of the court to shake hands with the opposing head coach.

"It's a pleasure to have such a great match against your team. I look forward to facing you again next year," Austin's head coach said with a smile.

"I'm looking forward to it too~" Coach George said with a cold face, politely shaking hands with the other party.

Clearly, Coach George was somewhat unhappy with the opposing team's decision to send Captain Aaron off the field right at the start of the game.

With the head coaches of both teams shaking hands, this match between the top ten teams officially came to an end.

The Melford players, dejected from their earlier hopes after the loss, boarded the bus in silence, looking like defeated roosters.

Two hours later, the school bus fleet returned to Melford.

"Relax, everyone. We've done a great job this year. If you're still not satisfied with today's game, then train harder in the future. Once we're stronger, we'll go after Austin High School for revenge next year," Coach George encouraged his players in front of the bus.

"The coach is right. We still have a chance to beat Austin in next spring's invitational tournament." Captain Aaron stepped forward and asked loudly, "Does everyone have confidence?"

After a morning of matches, Melford's players have all grown a lot.

Upon hearing Captain Aaron's words, someone echoed, "Yes!"

Then, the shouts grew louder and louder, and the team members' eyes became more and more determined.

"Very good, that's the spirit we need..." Coach George smiled, encouraged the players a few more times, and then announced the disbandment of the team.

After all the team members had left, Mike and George walked together toward the locker room.

On the way, George suddenly spoke up: "Mike, do you think I have no talent for football?"

"Why do you say that?" Mike asked, somewhat surprised.

George's performance in today's game wasn't particularly outstanding, but it was decent enough.

"I..." George, who was about to confide in Mike, turned to look at him and sighed, "Never mind, I won't say anything."

What's there to say?

Because his father was a football coach, George started playing football at a very young age.

Furthermore, Coach George has always wanted to train his eldest son to become a qualified rugby player.

Encouraged by his father, young George had always believed he could become an excellent football player. But after today's game, he realized the importance of talent.

Compared to Mike, George felt like a useless person.

Mike thought for a moment and understood why young George was frustrated. However, football is indeed a sport that heavily relies on talent, and it often comes down to physical strength.

George Jr. certainly doesn't have much talent in this area.

For this reason, Mike didn't know how to comfort the other person.

Chapter 98 Rabbit

George's emotions came and went quickly. After washing up, he walked out of the football locker room and was back to his usual self.

"Hey, no girls are bothering you today..." George joked, looking at the empty campus.

In the past, when the team was on a winning streak, many girls would come to watch Mike, both during and after team practice.

However, after losing the game today, this situation actually stopped.

"Isn't this great? No girls bothering me, I can finally have some peace and quiet." Mike smiled nonchalantly.

Having enough private space like this makes Mike feel more comfortable.

Seeing that Mike's expression didn't seem fake, George said sourly, "Do you know that the way you are right now is... annoying?"

Mike looks like he's in Versailles right now.

In George's opinion, if someone is popular with girls, he should be happy, not bothered by them.

Just as George was about to seize this opportunity to say a few more sarcastic remarks to Mike, a black vintage sedan pulled up in front of them.

After the car window rolled down, Karen smiled and invited, "Hi, Mike. How about coming over to my place for a bit?"

Seeing Karen's provocative gaze, Mike understood what she meant.

However, he still asked one more question: "Where is Regina?"

"Oh, she's already home. It's just the two of us today..." Karen smiled and urged, "Hurry up and get in the car! Please~"