No Father's Son

[redsox907]

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Good Enough Isn’t Enough

The knock at the hotel door came sharp and heavy, not so much a question of if they could come in, but a demand the door be answered.

I checked the clock beside my laptop: 10:22 PM. Too late for an impromptu visit from one of my players—curfew was at 9 sharp. I checked my phone quickly as I rose. The last notification was the "loved" emoji I'd added to the goodnight picture Jessica had sent: her and the kids cuddled up in our bed, a tradition she'd started last season for every night I was out of town.

The distorted outline of Coach Smith filled the peephole, holding what appeared to be a pair of tumbler glasses and a bottle of whiskey, a fact that was confirmed when I opened the door and Coach held them up, as if that was the only explanation I needed for his late-night visit.

I raised an eyebrow, but stepped to the side, giving Coach Smith enough room to slide through the doorway. He promptly went to the kitchen, uncorking the bottle of whiskey and pouring a pair of heavy drinks into the chilled glasses in his hand.

“I was up late, going over any final adjustments for the championship game tomorrow,” Coach said through slurred speech as he poured the drinks, having apparently already started drinking and simply moving the party to my room.

“And I see that you are too, no surprise there,” he added, gesturing towards my laptop and desk full of notes about the Broncos’ offense with one of the glasses of whiskey, condensation already forming as the room-temperature whiskey met the ice and chilled glass.

He extended the glass towards me, ice clinking delicately in the glass. We stood there like that for a moment, Coach Smith with the glass extended towards me, water starting to pool around his grip, and me with my eyebrows raised, questioning the exact nature of the visit.

After a moment, I finally broke the silence.

“I don’t drink, Coach,” a fact that I’d brought up to Coach Smith on more than one occasion, most notably nearly every plane ride back to Corvallis over the past two seasons.

“Surely you can make an exception for an 18-year old Double Cask Macallan?” He stood there with the glass extended towards me still, the second drink grasped firmly in his off-hand.

“I’m not throwing away 10 years for a $500 bottle of whiskey, Coach,” I retorted, not even trying to hide the edge in my voice.

He simply shrugged as if to say ‘more for me,’ before downing his own glass in two quick gulps, placing the now-empty glass next to the bottle of whiskey on the counter, and moving the drink intended for me into his main hand.

“I just figured, with the wife and kids not here you’d want to kick back a bit,” Coach said as he crossed the room to the modest love seat in the center of the room. “I meant to ask, why isn’t the family here? They were last year, no?”

“They’re in Corvallis, Jessica didn’t want to drag the kids to Eugene to catch a 2-1/2 hour flight to Vegas for a few days. Tara Lydia and AJ are still too young to partake in anything too exciting in Vegas,” I answered, trying to make the half-truth seem like the only answer.

Despite Coach Smith moving into the small entertainment area of the room, I’d stayed leaning against the breakfast bar, body slightly angled to keep Coach Smith’s attention without staring directly at him. For some reason, something about the late visit from Coach just felt entirely off and until I could place it, I didn’t want to let my guard down.

“But you didn’t come here to ask about Jessica and the family, you came to talk shop, right? Even though we went through nearly every scenario in the final walkthrough this afternoon?” I had a feeling I knew where the conversation was about to head, but with Coach Smith already clearly on the other side of sober, I didn’t want to give him anything to go on that he wasn’t already prepared to inquire about.

Without missing a beat, Coach Smith took a long pull of his second glass of whiskey, before cutting to the chase.

“When were you going to tell me you hired an agent?”

There it was, the true meaning of Coach Smith’s impromptu visit.

“You have an agent, most coordinators with aspirations of being a head coach have one. I didn’t think it was noteworthy enough to address. Is that a problem?”

Coach Smith finished the last of his drink in one swift motion, wiping the pooled condensation on his slacks before rising and moving towards the kitchen to prepare another.

“It’s a problem if you’re checked out of the biggest game of the season, ‘cause you’re already planning on being gone, win or lose.” He stopped one step before crossing the counter, turning to look me dead in the eyes.

“Why don’t you be a man and at least tell me to my face you’ve got interviews scheduled on Monday. You owe me at least that much, Armando.”

The confusion on my face must have been readable, with Coach Smith quickly adding “I saw your itinerary in your hand at the airport. You’re leaving Vegas on a different plane than the rest of the team. So, where you going Coach Mando?” The extra emphasis on “Coach Mando” didn’t anger me like he likely hoped, just further underscored my belief that this was the right time.

“Listen, Coach,” I began, before quickly adjusting my tone. I wasn’t going to beg for forgiveness like a kid who’d been caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and I wasn’t about to act like it.

“I didn’t see any need to address it before the biggest game of the season. Did you tell Oregon State you were taking an interview with Michigan State beforehand, or just left them holding the bag after?”

This time it was Coach Smith’s surprise and confusion that was clearly readable, snapping his attention from the drink he was about to pour. He steadied his hand and finished pouring the drink as I continued defending myself.

“I’m not running away from a program, like you did four years ago, I’m running towards something.”

“What, you think two good years and suddenly you’re the savior of a program,” he cut, leaving his drink forgotten on the counter and stepping towards me, finger raised accusingly.

“I gave you a shot, pulled you out of fucking Montana, and the minute you get a little success, suddenly you’re too good to coach for lowly Oregon State?”

“I’m not the one on their second stint here, Coach, yet preaching that ‘almost’ beating big brother is ‘good enough.’”

Now Coach Smith was close enough I could smell the liquor on his breath, heavier than just two drinks.

“Is that what this is about, your little ‘rah-rah’ speech about not wanting to be ‘good enough’ to the defense before Oregon? I heard that little speech, trying to turn MY team against me.

“You don’t understand what you’re talking about. It’s easy to stand up and make guarantees, preach being about championships and not ‘nearly wins’ when you’ve never been on the other side. On a team that is barely holding on because leadership can’t, or won’t, spend the money to keep the players and coaches. When the only expectation they give you is ‘be competitive.’ We aren’t here to win championships, we’re here to keep the athletic program above water. Hanging with Oregon does that. Guaranteeing wins over Boise State, then coming up short, doesn’t.

At this point, Coach Smith’s finger was jabbing squarely into my chest, with Coach Smith having to reach up and angle himself to do so, since I was a good five inches taller than the former quarterback. I looked down at Coach, meeting his eyes before moving his hand away.

“You’re just proving why I’m going to Reno on Monday, Coach. That’s why Jessica isn’t here. She and the kids are meeting me in Reno Monday morning. I’ll always appreciate the shot you gave me, but I'm tired of acting like competing is good enough I want to win, god damnit.”

Coach Smith shook his head in disgust, walking back to the other side of the counter and taking a long sip of the whiskey, now fully warm with the chilled glass back at room temperature. He sighed long and deliberately, taking in the flavor of the whiskey, before asking without turning around: “When did you find out?”

“They reached out to Harvey last week asking if I would be interested. I told them yes. Apparently, Coach Choate has an offer from a Big Ten program and has already informed Nevada he won’t be back. I was going to tell you after the game.”

Coach Smith gulped the last of the whiskey from the glass, set it down, and made his way to the door before stopping halfway to turn around.

“I won’t say anything to the team, but I expect you to address it before we get on the charter back to Corvallis Sunday morning. And just so we’re clear, Armando. I hope you get the job. I’m tired of being second-guessed by my own coach, who was coaching High School football in buttfuck Montana while I was at Michigan State.

“Tomorrow night will be the last time I root for your success. Being the one answering all the questions isn’t as easy as it looks, Armando. Once you find that out, we’ll see if you run from Nevada just like you ran from the Air Force Academy.”

Before the words were out of his mouth, I’d crossed the hotel room and was suddenly towering over the man I thought of as a mentor two years ago.

“You don’t know shit about me, or what happened at Air Force,” I snarled through clenched teeth.

“Ah ah ah,” teased Smith, clearly amused he’d finally gotten a rise out of me, “I don’t need to know everything, but that reaction? Tells me it was more than a ‘documentation discrepancy’ like they told us when we inquired before hiring you.”

With that, he turned on his heel and quickly moved to the door with a dismissive wave. “Keep the whiskey, show your family who you really are behind all the motivational speaking and faux-tough guy attitude. A drunk.”

The door rattled in its frame as Coach Smith closed it with authority behind him, leaving me fuming with rage and resentment in the aftermath.

The bottle sat on the counter where he had left it, still half full of whiskey. Uncorked, with an accompanying glass beside it.

An invitation. Or a challenge.

I knew what Coach Smith had intended it to be.

[djp73]

Well I guess we know he’s gone now

[Soapy]

With that, he turned on his heel and quickly moved to the door with a dismissive wave. “Keep the whiskey, show your family who you really are behind all the motivational speaking and faux-tough guy attitude. A drunk.”

did he lie?

[redsox907]

Well I guess we know he’s gone now

would be an interesting dynamic if he chose to come back

With that, he turned on his heel and quickly moved to the door with a dismissive wave. “Keep the whiskey, show your family who you really are behind all the motivational speaking and faux-tough guy attitude. A drunk.”

did he lie?

let Coach Smith and his little 5'11 ass catch Leon outside. We'll see who the faux-tough guy is then

[redsox907]

---

Beavers Go Back-to-Back Behind Dominant Defense In Win Over Boise State

---

Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: December 10th, 2027

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and in this case, George Tejeda was ice-cold all game as consistent pressure and disguised looks by the Oregon State defense bewildered the Broncos' freshman QB all game, leading to three interceptions in the eventual 28-7 Oregon State victory.

The Oregon State Beavers' defense sent a message on the Broncos' opening drive of the Pac-12 Championship Game; they were going to hit Tejeda at every opportunity. Facing 2nd-and-8 from their own 30, George Tejeda kept the ball on a read-option, turning the corner before running into all 6'3" and 240 pounds of Butkus-favorite Manu Hasty, who delivered a bone-crunching hit on the QB, forcing the fumble on just the second play of the contest. HB Jordan Washington would recover the fumble, mitigating the impact of the hit, but the message was sent.

The quick three-and-out following the brutal hit on Tejeda would be the least of the Broncos' problems. The next three drives ended in turnovers as Tejeda was picked off twice by Kodi DeCambra, who played the game of his career in coverage against Jordan Malau'ulu, before a punt by AJ Winsor pinned the Broncos at the 1-yard line, setting the stage for JoJo Johnson to bury Jordan Washington for the safety.

Still, despite the three straight turnovers, the Beavers held a slim 8-0 lead after AJ Maddox and the offense failed to convert either turnover into touchdowns. AJ Maddox and the Beavers finally broke through before the half, after another long field goal by McCreery made it an 11-point game, when the maligned QB found David Wells Jr on a 7-yard in for the first touchdown of the game, putting 18 points on the board as the Broncos' offense struggled to find their footing.

The second half brought no relief for the Broncos as the Beavs' defense continued to harass Tejeda and any receiver near the ball, earning a number of warnings from the referees for trash talking and physical play well after the whistle. By the 4th quarter, after AJ Maddox put on his running shoes for a 26-yard touchdown run, it was a 28-0 Beavers lead as the Boise State fans who had made the trip started streaming for the exits. But, just when all hope was lost, Jordan Washington found daylight.

The explosive running back got a small lane and made the most of it, shrugging off two would-be tackles before leaving FS Harlem Howard touching grass on his way to a 75-yard touchdown run that reenergized the Broncos sideline. A quick three-and-out by AJ Maddox and Co. suddenly had the Broncos thinking comeback.

Tejeda put together his best drive of the game, going 4/6 for 53 yards, including a 20-yard screen pass to Jordan Washington who also chipped in 15 yards on the ground, but just when it looked like the Broncos were going to make it a game, Sailasa Vadrawale III shut the door.

Tejeda went to Slade Runyan on a post, with favorite target Jordan Malau'ulu once again blanketed by DeCambra, and Vadrawale quickly made him pay for it, shading underneath Runyan with Kris Wokomah over the top and easily undercutting the throw for the red zone interception, effectively ending the comeback attempt.

After the clock struck zero, Coach Leon once again joined the CBS broadcast crew to laud his defense's grit, DeCambra's career day, and what's next for the dynamic defensive coordinator.


•••


Brad Nessler: "Coach Leon, two years, two championships, and two dominant defensive performances. Did you imagine having this kind of success after the struggles of the Beavers' program prior to Jonathan Smith coming back and bringing you along?"

Armando Leon: "We preached from day one about changing the culture and building a standard. This is what happens when you practice what you preach: you get results. I've been blessed to have some talented guys to work with, guys who bought into the standard we wanted to build early and refused to settle for anything less. Win or lose, you can't look at one game and say my defense was lacking. We come prepared every game and make sure we get ours."

Charles Davis: "Jordan Malau'ulu terrorized your defense with 185 yards and six touchdowns across two meetings—last year with Fresno State and earlier this season with Boise State—what was the game plan going into the game to keep him from affecting the outcome and ultimately shutting him out in the contest, holding him without a catch?"

Armando Leon: "That's all Kodi, Charles. In the last two matchups, we had Sailasa on him to try and match his speed, but Jordan was too physical at the point of the catch for Sailasa. Preparing for the game, Kodi came to me and asked for the matchup. "I got this, Coach. I want the challenge." I told him to be careful what he asked for, but we put the whole game plan against Jordan on him and you saw the results. Two of Tejeda's interceptions came on trying to force the ball to Jordan and Kodi just out muscled him for leverage. Without worrying about Jordan shredding us, we focused on rattling Tejeda. We got lucky on his read-option early in the game. Manu was able to deliver a message and if you ask me? He was playing scared from that point on."

Adam Zucker: "Coach, with Appalachian State and TCU winning their conferences earlier today, barring a seismic shift in the AP poll, your team was effectively eliminated from the playoff. Was the team aware of that before taking the field?"

Armando Leon: "We tried to have a 'media blackout' for the team to avoid finding out, but the scores of the games were broadcast in the stadium as we took the field, so we knew. I addressed it with my defense on the sideline after the kickoff, with the offense on the field. I told them that even with no playoffs, we still made our mark this season. But all we would be remembered for if we lost? Losing to Boise State twice. I challenged them to finish what they started, and they did just that."

Charles Davis: "Last one, Coach. Rumors are swirling that you're taking interviews after the season. Can you confirm, or deny, any head coaching interest?"

Armando Leon: 'Too early to play the hand, Charles. Keep an eye on the hot stove is all I'm going to say."


•••


Kodi DeCambra played the game of his career out there and before we get ahead of ourselves, let's remember that he is a former safety. Who made the call to move him to cornerback? None other than the architect himself, Armando Leon.

Listen, Beaver Nation. I'm not delusional. Despite only four years of coaching experience, Coach Leon has put together an impressive resume with a 51-8 record, an FCS Championship, two Pac-12 Championships, and a Holiday Bowl win behind the #1 rated defense in the country this year. It would take a massive payday to fend off the vultures and keep Coach Leon in Corvallis, as much as I hate to say it.

But rather than disdain that he is leaving, why don't we appreciate what he gave us in his short, but impactful, time in Corvallis?

For a program that was nearing a move to the FCS, Coach Leon and his defense—along with Coach Smith even with a suspect offense the past two years—brought us back to life. And for that, I know I'll always be grateful.

Tomorrow comes. But tonight? We celebrate.

The Dam held again and the Beavers proved to everyone. For now, the Pac runs through Corvallis.

•••

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Oregon State	6	12	3	7	28
Boise State	0	0	0	7	7

Q	Team	Time	Play	Oregon State	Boise State
1st	Oregon State	2:59	Logan McCreery, 26 Yd FG	3	0
1st	Oregon State	1:51	Logan McCreery, 46 Yd FG	6	0
2nd	Oregon State	9:16	Safety	8	0
2nd	Oregon State	4:02	Logan McCreery, 50 Yd FG	11	0
2nd	Oregon State	1:02	Davis Wells Jr, 7 Yd Pass From AJ Maddox	18	0
3rd	Oregon State	3:44	Logan McCreery, 52 Yd FG	21	0
4th	Oregon State	8:38	AJ Maddox, 26 Yd Run	28	0
4th	Boise State	8:24	Jordan Washington, 75 Yd run	28	7

Oregon State                                                     Boise State

Passing               | Stats                                    Passing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
AJ Maddox             | 19/35, 280 Yds, TD                       George Tejeda      | 12/24, 123 Yds, 3 INT

Rushing               | Stats                                    Rushing            | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Salahadin Allah       | 20 Att, 66 Yds                           Jordan Washington  | 18 Att, 119 Yds, TD
AJ Maddox             | 11 Att, 24 Yds, TD                       George Tejeda      | 7 Att, 1 Yd

Receiving             | Stats                                    Receiving          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
Cooper Jensen         | 6 Rec, 92 Yds                            Slade Runyan       | 4 Rec, 68 Yds
Zachary Card          | 5 Rec, 79 Yds                            Jordan Washington  | 3 Rec, 38 Yds
David Wells Jr        | 4 Rec, 63 Yds, TD                        Gavin Packer       | 2 Rec, 16 Yds

Defensive             | Stats                                    Defensive          | Stats
----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------
CB Kodi DeCambra      | 5 Tkl, TFL, Sack, 2 INT                  DT Byron Conklin   | 8 Tkl, 4 TFL, Sack
CB Sailasa Vadrawale  | 2 Tkl, INT                               DE Jaxon Howard    | 4 Tkl, 3 TFL, 0.5 Sack
MLB Manu Hasty        | 5 Tkl, TFL, FF                           MLB Dylan Lee      | 2 Tkl, TFL, 0.5 Sack

Conference Championship Results
C-USA: 32 #23 Kennesaw State (11-2) vs Western Kentucky (9-4) 24
Mountain West: 24 San Jose State (9-4) vs Wyoming (9-4) 17
MAC: 45 Miami (OH) (9-4) vs Akron (10-3) 14
Big 12: 34 #11 TCU (11-2) vs #21 Kansas State (9-4) 31
Sun Belt: 34 Louisiana-Lafayette (8-5) vs #12 Appalachian State (12-1) 38
SEC: 28 #7 LSU (10-3) vs #3 Alabama (12-1) 56
American: 17 North Texas (8-5) vs #19 Tulane (11-2) 38
ACC: 27 #12 Cal (10-3) vs #2 Duke (12-1) 30
Big Ten: 33 #10 Ohio State (10-3) vs #1 Michigan (12-1) 38

Additional Media

► Show Spoiler

[Soapy]

Jordan Washington, 75 Yd run

not ready for primetime

[ShireNiner]

Coach Leon getting hit with facts here. Ran from the Air Force, drunk almost lost it all, don’t forget betting everything and almost turning his wife for tricks. And the coach stood by him. Now he’s gone.

Good luck in whatever school you fail at next before crawling back to the Beavers.

[redsox907]

Jordan Washington, 75 Yd run

not ready for primetime

you of all people know that 75-yard run in a blowout is fucking scripted into the code. It's inevitable.

Coach Leon getting hit with facts here. Ran from the Air Force, drunk almost lost it all, don’t forget betting everything and almost turning his wife for tricks. And the coach stood by him. Now he’s gone.

Good luck in whatever school you fail at next before crawling back to the Beavers.

lets check the notes:

He did not run from Air Force, he was honorably discharged after his father's lie led to falsified paperwork

Didn't almost lose it all because he was a drunk, became a drunk because he did lose it all

He didn't bet everything - it was layered into the chapter that the alumni were going to back him up. Mrs. Leon ain't gonna be turning tricks, sorry.

Coach stood by him because it was convenient, he made him look good. The minute he got some of his own shine? Coach Smith showed his true colors.

You just salty I showed Oregon who really runs the state before hitting the peace

[redsox907]

one time

[redsox907]

for the one time