However, when the Saint Mary's football players entered the field, a gasp of amazement swept through the crowd.
Overall, the players of Saint Mary's were generally much stronger than those from Medford High.
Among them, their number seventy-four player, Michael Oher, had the most exaggerated physique.
He was nearly two meters tall and definitely weighed over two hundred and twenty pounds. This height and weight on the field were akin to a heavy armored vehicle.
It could be said that Michael Oher's excellent physical talent was rare even in professional football teams.
Not to mention appearing in a high school league; it was simply a dimensionality reduction strike.
In the Medford High preparation zone, George looked at the opponent's number seventy-four and exclaimed, "I heard that Saint Mary's recently recruited a highly talented (defensive) tackle, but I didn't expect him to be such a giant."
"However, as far as I know, this big guy on the opposing team has only been playing football for a short time, so we still have a chance." George built up everyone's confidence: "Believe me, not everyone grows as fast as our Mike..."
Upon thinking of Mike's growth speed and formidable combat power, the expressions on the players' faces softened.
"Yes, we have Mike, we are invincible!" At this moment, Georgie shouted at the most opportune moment.
The other players exchanged glances and a slight smile appeared on their faces. Their previous timidity had also largely disappeared.
In a football game, what is often competed is team cohesion and fighting spirit.
The former allows players to trust each other and execute brilliant plays. The latter can activate the players' desire to win, enabling them to perform beyond their usual level on the field.
Seeing that the players had regained their confidence, George smiled with satisfaction, and then arranged the tactics: "Since the opponent dares to send a rookie onto the field, we will win with tactics this time.
In this game, we will still focus on Aaron and Mike, adopting a penetration tactic..."
Penetration tactic, also known as infiltration tactic, is a multi-point offensive play that often keeps opponents guessing about one's attack routes.
It embodies flexibility.
George, who had explained the key points of the penetration tactic again, asked loudly, "Do you all understand what I mean?"
"Understood!" The players responded loudly.
As the game whistle blew, George encouraged, "Very good, boys, go!"
As the players entered the field, George quietly pulled Mike aside and whispered, "Mike, as one of the core offensive players of the team, you must learn to protect yourself well. Play smart..."
Although George had great faith in Mike's strength, he considered the strong physique of the opponent's number seventy-four.
He hoped that Mike would not get injured due to impulsiveness; only those who remained on the field could have a better performance.
"Don't worry, Coach." Mike said with a fighting spirit, "I will bring back the victory!"
As the game began, Medford High won the first offensive possession in the coin toss.
Beep—
The offensive whistle blew, and Aaron, after receiving the football from the center, charged forward. After attracting the opponent's quarterback's block, he voluntarily passed the ball to Mike.
As the team's running back, Mike had already analyzed the situation on the field.
In a very short time, he smartly chose to first avoid the opponent's heavily defended left half and ran out with the ball from the right side.
Dodging, faking, accelerating...
During Mike's skilled individual performance, cheers erupted from outside the field.
"That's it, kid!"
"Go, Mike!!!"
"Charge! Charge! Charge! Kill them"
...
The Texas rednecks showed their enthusiasm with their unique cheering methods.
Amidst the shouts, Mike sprinted to the opponent's end zone, looked back, and realized he had successfully shaken off all opponents.
So, he slowed down and casually walked across the end zone line, scoring a touchdown.
With a "boom!" the enthusiasm outside the field was completely ignited, and the spectators danced with joy, celebrating Mike's excellent play.
"I knew it, I knew he could do it..." Jack, a local reporter from the best viewing area, looked at the footage he had captured, his neck red with excitement.
Mike's solo touchdown performance this time was enough to make it into this week's top ten.
After the excitement, Jack shouted to the intern reporter beside him, "What are you waiting for? Quickly get the banner out."
Before long, a huge banner with Mike's portrait slowly unfolded in the stands.
Then, this banner moved in waves above the crowd, passed from person to person.
"That's it, another touchdown, let the opponent see our strength!" George clenched his fist and vigorously waved it in the air a few times, shouting loudly to the players on the field.
This was also a tactic, to break the opponent's belief with a satisfying score.
Medford High, having gained a second extra point opportunity, retreated to five yards outside the opponent's end zone.
Aaron received the coach's instructions. Holding the ball and half-crouching, he subtly glanced at Mike behind him.
Understanding, Mike nodded.
Beep—
With the whistle for the second offensive play, Aaron handed the ball back to Mike, while he himself rushed towards the opponent's quarterback.
After receiving the ball, Mike didn't play any tricks. He relied on his agile running to once again rush into the opponent's end zone from their right half.
Mike, having achieved a second touchdown, added two more points for Medford High.
Scoring eight points consecutively at the start gave the Medford Football Team a huge advantage, both psychologically and in terms of score.
"Don't rush, and don't be discouraged. Forget that damned score. You just need to play steadily, and victory will surely be yours!" On the sidelines, Saint Mary's head coach Cotton was loudly encouraging his players.
Before the game, the head coach had specifically studied the strength of the Medford High Football Team.
In his opinion, in terms of hard strength, Medford High was definitely no match for Saint Mary's.
As long as his players did not lose confidence and could perform to their full potential, the final victory would still belong to Saint Mary's.
With Coach Cotton's shouts, the restless hearts of the Saint Mary's players indeed calmed down.
After exchanging ball possession, both teams once again set up their formations in midfield.
St. Martin Academy adopted the most common 4-3-4 offensive formation.
This formation emphasizes balance, sacrificing some offensive possibilities to give the lineup a strong fault tolerance.
In short, this lineup is more suitable for strong teams to crush their opponents.