[John 10:2-4]
“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

“Listen up!”

Coach’s voice sliced through the chatter of the team sitting on the floor of the field house. Everybody quieted down quickly. The guys learned early not to ignore that voice.  It meant time on the track. No fun.

“We’ve got a tough game on Friday.”

The team nodded knowingly. North Star High was challenging every year. This year especially they would be tough to beat. Most of the team were returning seniors, and they had a punishing defense led by an all-conference line-backer. He was big, fast and strong.

“Mike Johnson, number 51, is back, and he’s being recruited by some top Division 1 schools. He’s been amped up all season and you’ve got to know there will be some recruiters in the stands on Friday. He’s coming ready to play.

“I’m inserting an audible into the offense.  Jim pay attention.”

Jim was the team’s all-league quarterback. He had a good arm and was quick on his feet, but his real strength was his ability to read the field. It was as if everything was moving in slow motion for him. Not much got passed him.

“You may have noticed in the game films that 51 will sometimes lean back getting ready to cover the flat if he’s thinking a pass is coming.”

Jim was listening closely. He had picked that up.

“Jim, if we’re in a passing situation and you see him getting ready to step back, I want you to call an audible.  Here’s what we’re going to do. At the snap, Joe you double team down on the nose guard. You’ve got to get him out of the way. Bob, you’re going to pull to the right side. Keep tight to the center’s rear. I want you moving and I want you to hit the defensivetackle hard. Schuyler, this all depends on you.”

Schuyler was the fullback. He wasn’t the fastest guy in the backfield but he was solid and he was strong. While Jim was the team captain, Schuyler was the emotional leader. He played with his heart, and his passion was contagious. When Schuyler was up, the whole team was energized.

“After Bob blows by, you drive into the hole and I want you to hit 51 right in the numbers. You’ve got to move him. You think you can handle that?”

Schuyler was focused. “If he’s leaning backwards, I know I can.”

“Jim, after you take the snap take a step back as if you’re going to throw, but then I want you to follow Schuyler into the gap. If Schuyler can hammer 51, you’ll be able to get through their line and have some daylight.”

Jim grinned broadly. He had a good arm, but he really loved to run.

“Schuyler, this all depends on you. You’ve got to lay that guy out.”

Schuyler began to move his head, and then his shoulders. He was winding up. “I got ‘em, I got ‘em.” The team began to stir. Jim popped a grin as he watched his friend. He loved that guy.

“All right. Let’s call it ‘King Kong.’ Jim if you see that monster leaning backwards, I want you to call it. ‘King Kong.’ You understand?”

“I got it, ‘King Kong.’”

“Say it after me, “King Kong!”

“King Kong!”  the team responded.

“Say it again.”

“King Kong!”

“Say it again!”

“King Kong!”

The coach smiled as he watched the team respond. This was the best part of coaching for him, dialing the team in when he had their attention and were facing a tough challenge. It was going to be a tough game. He knew the team would be ready.

On game day, an hour before they took the field, Coach had the team gather in the field house with the lights down low, laying on the ground, heads resting on their helmets. The task was to lay quietly visualizing the game, each play, their respective positions and responsibilities.

Schuyler especially liked this part of the preparation. It felt like prayer, sitting quietly waiting on the Lord. As he moved through the game in his mind’s eye, watching himself explode from the backfield, making a key block, catching a short pass, focusing on 51, he heard, “You’ll be okay.” The Voice interrupted his visualization. His attention shifted. “You’ll be okay,” what was that about? He returned to his game prep. He was ready, and he knew it.

Coach came into the room and flipped on the lights.

“This is it guys. Jim, gather your team.”

Jim jumped up and the team gathered around him.

“Here we go, here we go!” Jim called out.

“Here we go, here we go!” the Team echoed.

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

The team charged out of the field house with a roar.

As they were jogging toward the field, Jim found Schuyler and gave him a fist bump.

“Let’s do this.”

Schuyler gave Jim his big grin, “I got ‘em.”

The game went as advertised. It was a bruising defensive battle. By the middle of the fourth quarter the game was tied at 7-7. The team was on the opponent’s 40-yard line, third down. Jim called the play in the huddle, a pass play looking for a quick first down.  As the guys were lining up, Jim had his eyes on 51. The quarterback positioned himself behind the center and noticed the big linebacker slowly back pedaling looking for a pass.

“Man, he’s good.” Jim thought, and then he smiled.

“King Kong! King Kong!”

He felt Schuyler’s energy behind.

At the snap the team moved with precision, allowing the muscle memory forged through rehearsing the play dozens of times earlier that week to take over.

Joe crushed down on the nose guard. Bob crossed over and laid out the defensive tackle, Schuyler blew by him in a fury zeroing in on his target, the big 51 on the linebacker’s chest.

Schuyler felt the adrenaline pumping through his system as he crossed the scrimmage line. He hit his man with everything he had. He felt the big body moving backwards.

And then everything went black.