1Eyeshield 21: 'Slash'
Chapter 2: Coming For You (The Offspring)
(As Told By: Derrick Carter)
I've been playing football all my life from Pop Warner to where I am now in high school. Every coach I've played for says the same thing after every first practice: offense wins games, but defense wins championships. As hard as I play, I've played for primarily losing teams. It's not about the wins or the notoriety. It's about playing the game you love.
I didn't think my talents would land me in Japan of all places, but with the abroad studies program at my old school in Oakland I found myself here. I'm a 5'10, 190lbs weapon. I play middle linebacker, and I'm the defensive captain for the Nakayama Fighting Falcons. Yet one player changed the way I look at football players. Her name is Haruko Nakajima
Most call her 'Slash'. She is a 5'9, 175lbs Japanese-Argentinian rattlesnake. Don't let those pretty brown eyes or her smile fool you. 'Slash' has only one job on that field, 'seek and destroy'. It's like being in the army, it doesn't matter what or who you are as long as you can play and bring something to help the team. So 'Slash' brought in someone new
I knew this one as she is a transfer student from one of the other 'American' schools that are now coming around the Tokyo Area. There seem to be a lot of them nowadays. We needed someone to fill in a position for Devin Wells after he got injured, and now he was out for the season. Now we have 'Lionesses' in the secondary. The new one is Tina Choi
A Chinese-American from Kona in Hawai'i. They got that 'girlfriends' kind of relationship going on. Not that thing behind closed doors, but more like that thing where one of them won't say no to hanging out in Shinjuku. I had no problem with her on the field, and she made her name known one practice with a huge hit on the starting receiver Daron West.
"Who taught you how to hit? Wonder Woman?!" praised Landon Wright,
"Dude, I feel like Wonder Woman in these blue pants," Tina replied back,
"Girl, you just knocked Daron the FUCK OUT!" praised Victor Townsend.
"Way to hit, Choi, let's go!" cheered Haruko as they butted facemasks.
When you get someone new on the team, you need to boost up their confidence. I had a feeling we are going to be the surprise team this year. We got all the pieces we need on defense, and the offense has got some weapons too. Daron got a hand up, and was helped back to the huddle from our 'Hit-Girls'. Everyone on the team looks out for each other
These two are both the same size, but Tina has a thick braid in the back. With these two patrolling as free safety and strong safety, we will give offenses nightmares. That would be the case with our first game of the season. It was against Seibu. Haruko and Tina came out of the ladies room in uniform. Their pants were painted onto their hips and thighs.
Our school uses Schutt Varsity AiR XP Pro VTD II helmet. They wear Steve Atwater type of facemask with mirrored visors, "Let's do this," I smirked, and these two came out to 'seek and destroy' like lionesses. I've played a lot of football. I've never seen ball-hawks like them. On my defense, I hit hard so I expect them to hit hard. They don't disappoint
The Seibu Wild Gunmen will learn to fear the numbers '24' and '27'. Those two shut down their passing attack. Each of them got a pick-six while I racked up the sacks, and shut down the running game. There was one moment, one play, that cemented Tina Choi's permanent place on this defense. Haruko fell for the 'pump-fake', and a receiver got open.
Choi was not fooled, and right as the receiver caught the ball...BAM! Tina laid a shoulder into his helmet. The ball rolled on the turf for Haruko to recover while the receiver got lit up. He left the game with a concussion. 'Slash' got six points with Tina leading as a blocker. They ain't like me in they don't talk a lot of smack. Their actions do the smack-talk
"That's my 'Hit-Girls', that's the way! That's how you fuckin' hit!" I praised,
Haruko came in as we jogged off the field, "Hey, sorry about the coverage,"
"It's cool...just don't let the QB get you like that," I said patting her helmet,
The offense kept being the hammer to the nail on the Wild Gunmen. The offensive captain is quarterback Kayden Wesley, a 5'9 and 160lbs 'pretty boy' of a passer. The typical dark brown-haired, brown-eyed white boy, kind of like a high school-sized Shane Falco. Trying to tackle him is like trying to tackle a loose chicken. He's got a cannon for an arm.
I'd call him one of the Kantou League's 'nice guys', and he's one of the funniest trash talkers, "Hey, are you guys really blitzing? I could finish my algebra homework in the pass pocket," Kayden taunted to the Seibu defense, "c'mon boys, you gotta D-up or something," he added, Kayden's always good for a laugh, but he is serious about his football skills
His passes are a thing to watch. He can throw a hundred yards with a perfect spiral. I don't think I've seen him throw a pick. He has an attitude toward others where he has faith in them. He knows everyone tries their hardest on the field. I got feeling this season is going to be different than all the others. Watch out, Kantou League, we're coming for you.
