Sunday, February 7th, 2010
More than two months had passed since that thrilling semifinal against Moose Ridge High School on December 2nd, 2009, when Palisades accomplished what many had deed impossible: defeating the reigning Division 4 state champions for the second ti that year. It was a tough ga, but they prevailed.
Since then, with Liam’s return and Andrew having overco his existential crisis, Palisades turned into a locomotive. Having taken down their most feared opponent, every step forward felt steadier. They dominated the regional final and were crowned undefeated Division 4 CIF regional champions.
Perfect record: 14–0.
But the story didn’t end there.
By mid-December, the state championship began, pitting them against the top teams from each region of California. Although the level of play was high and the gas beca increasingly tight, Palisades remained unshaken.
They won all three matches in the state tournant. The final was nerve-wracking, decided in the last few minutes by a narrow 6-point margin. It was a movie-worthy ga, where every yard was fought with heart and soul.
And so, in just two years, the team had gone from being a forgotten program in the shadows of Division 5 to becoming two-ti state champions, now in a higher division. Four titles in two seasons: two regionals and two states.
Palisades High School, which until recently barely qualified for playoffs, had beco a powerhouse.
But no one shone brighter than him.
Andrew Pritchett-Tucker.
The precision machine who led the team with a level of maturity far beyond his years. He finished the season with 60 touchdowns: 47 through the air and 13 on the ground. Only two interceptions. His field vision, composure in clutch monts, and mobility, all the things he had already shown the previous year, were now on a different level.
He was nad MVP of both the regional final and the state championship.
He was highlighted by school sports outlets, local analysts, and even specialized sites like MaxPreps, CalHiSports, and SoCal Football Report.
His YouTube channel kept growing in views and subscribers, especially as each week’s gas grew more intense. The match against Moose Ridge—where he was tackled for the first ti, broke records. Of course, Andrew gave it a catchy title:
[I got tackled for the first ti! Is the regional dream over?]
Naturally, they didn’t steamroll teams like last year. No 50-point blowouts, no outrageous displays of dominance. Division 4 was tougher than D5. The margin shrunk. The wins were harder-fought. But that made them taste even sweeter.
On defense, Liam’s return for the regional final was crucial. His presence stabilized a line that had struggled without him, and his leadership helped contain opposing quarterbacks in the season’s most intense gas.
The final record was perfect: 17 gas, 17 wins. Undefeated.
But Andrew knew they wouldn’t be promoted to Division 3.
Not because they didn’t deserve it, but because CIF didn’t base its decisions solely on results.
They also evaluated structure, resources, roster depth, and sustained competitive level. Last year, they had been promoted almost out of obligation, they were winning by outrageous margins, even scoring 80 points in one ga. Not this ti. The wins were tighter. The talent was still there, but gas were decided by small details.
That’s why Andrew didn’t post a video asking for a promotion. He knew it wasn’t happening.
But the recognition didn’t stop on the field.
At the end of the season, the first official honors started coming in.
Andrew was nad to the All-CIF Southern Section First Team – Division 4, an annual selection of the top players from each division across Southern California.
He was recognized as Division 4’s best quarterback, earning the starting spot in that elite lineup. There was no physical trophy, but the honor was recorded in regional press and official CIF docunts.
Shortly after, he received an even more prestigious award:
Division 4 Regional Player of the Year.
This ti there was a physical award, a small local ceremony with coaches, organizers, and Southern Section CIF reps in attendance. And of course, his entire family was there to support him.
They handed him a plaque engraved with his na, school, and title.
Cam was already crying even before they called Andrew’s na.
By the ti Andrew walked onto the stage and received the plaque, his father was literally drying his tears with a handkerchief. He was crying as if his son had just been offered a full ride to Stanford.
Mitchell, far more composed, at least on the outside, had his cara hanging from his neck and didn’t stop taking photos the entire ti. When Andrew left the house. When he got the award. A group shot with the whole family. Then individual photos with each family mber.
And soon, the spotlight began shifting to the statewide level.
MaxPreps and CalHiSports, two of the most important high school football websites, announced their All-State Underclassman Team, a selection of the best 10th-grade players (sophomores) across all divisions. It didn’t matter if you were from Division 1 or a lower tier.
Andrew was included as one of the top sophomore quarterbacks in the entire state.
It was a quiet but powerful honor: his na appeared alongside young athletes who were already receiving college offers.
Andrew was browsing the internet, reflecting on everything that had happened in the past two months.
It had been insane.
From the championship celebrations, the hugs, the stadium-wide euphoria, the regional award ceremonies with his family, Cam crying like it was the Super Bowl, Mitch snapping photos like it was a wedding, to the teen parties in massive houses still strung with Christmas lights.
For a few days, Palisades felt like the center of the world. Or at least, it did from the inside.
But now, everything had quieted down.
Offseason.
More free ti than before, whether to slack off or to study. Yeah, he should study. Exams were approaching.
But not now.
He clicked on the link one of his teammates had dropped in the group chat, asking:
"Is this real!? Andrew, you’re insane, bro!"
It was his MaxPreps profile.
There was a photo of him in his number 12 jersey.
His full na, class, position, height, weight, school...
And a summary:
2008–09 Season: 72 touchdowns (52 passing / 20 rushing)
2009–10 Season: 60 touchdowns (47 passing / 13 rushing)
Total High School Record: 31–1
Regional & State Champion – Divisions 5 and 4
MVP – Regional & State Finals (D5 – 2008–09)
MVP – Regional & State Finals (D4 – 2009–10)
Below, a bold label:
Dual-threat QB to watch – CIF Southern Section – Sleeper Alert
Andrew raised an eyebrow.
He made a small face, like soone seeing their own summary and not quite sure whether it was written by an excited fan or an objective editor. Still, he couldn’t argue with the numbers.
They were real, and ridiculously good for a quarterback who had only played two years.
Two seasons. 132 touchdowns. Almost no losses. Titles in two different divisions.
It sounded like the kind of thing you’d say in an interview... but written out like that, so plainly, even he was a bit surprised.
At the bottom of the profile, there was a section labeled "Related News."
One article stood out, it had the Los Angeles Tis logo.
The headline read:
"From D5 to the Top: The Silent Phenonon of Palisades QB Andrew Pritchett-Tucker."
By Eric Sondheir – LA Tis, High School Sports Section
Andrew tilted his head, intrigued. He didn’t rember reading that article. He clicked.
The piece began by reviewing the team’s record, describing how in just two years, Palisades had gone from irrelevant to state champions. Then ca a section focused entirely on him. It spoke of his athleticism, his poise in clutch monts, and how his dual-threat style, uncommon in lower divisions, was utterly devastating. There were quotes from rival coaches. One of them said:
"That kid should be in D1. Not just for his talent, but for how he sees the field. He makes reads that aren’t normal for soone his age."
Farther down, the article ntioned that several college programs were already watching him closely, though no official scholarship offers had been made yet. It ended with a short but clear statent:
"If he keeps this up, it’s not a matter of if he’ll get offers, but how many he’ll have to choose from."
Andrew exhaled slowly, without any dramatic emotion. He already knew. It wasn’t arrogance, it was certainty.
Everything he had done since the age of five in this new life had been building toward this. It was only a matter of ti.
Before he could think further or keep browsing, the door to his room swung open abruptly.
"It’s ti," announced Cam, standing in the doorway with a solemn expression, as if a tragic opera were about to begin, "Everyone’s here. Mitchell printed out sheets. Phil brought a whiteboard."
Andrew didn’t even need to ask. He knew exactly what this was.
The Family Assembly.
The great council summoned to decide his future.
With the certainty that CIF wouldn’t promote Palisades, and his own desire to keep elevating his ga, Andrew had already made a decision: transfer to a high-level competitive high school.
And of course, in the world of the Pritchett-Tucker-Dunphy-Delgado clan, this couldn’t be handled with a simple conversation.
No, this was a full-blown event.
He sighed, shut off his computer, and stood up, like a politician preparing to present his strategy on the Senate floor.
-------------------------------------------------
You can read 15 Chapters in advance on my patreon.
Link: s/Nathe07
User Comments
0 comments from readers