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The Fumble1,007 words

The Fumble

“Hey Mahongony,” said Hawk, “why don’t you come over here and hear the game better.”

The dark blue earth pony was sitting in a chair a few feet from the group of doctors huddled around the radio. “No, I’m fine Hawk. I can hear the game just perfectly from here.”

Not long after Hawk had asked, a low ‘woooo’ sound could be heard. Before they could think anything of it, there was a loud explosion outside that rocked the ground. The group of doctors fell to the floor as a couple more ‘woooo’s and subsequent explosions happened.

“What is the name of Tartarus is going on?” yelled Flake.

“Somepony is shelling us, if you couldn’t tell,” replied Hawk.

“We’re a hospital for crying out loud, why are they shelling us, the artillery range is on the other side of base,” said BJ, a yellow unicorn with an olive mane said.

“Don’t worry sugarcube,” Cranky said shakely to Swift, “I’m not scared of this.” He proceed to get up when another shell hit the ground exploding, “Hold me,” he whimpered curled up into a ball in Swift’s legs.

“Hey guys, it stopped!” The group cautiously got up, ready to fall back down. As they did so, one last shell exploded. Flake, already standing, tripped as he dove for cover, hitting his head on the desk.

“Awwe great, Flake’s down,” said Hawk.

“Sirs,” said the colt nervously, pointing outside the Colonel’s office.

The group, minus Flake as he was unconscious on the floor, went over to see what the colt was looking at: an unexploded shell had landed fifty feet in front of the office and in the middle of the hospital courtyard.

“Great,” said Hawk. “Ok, get on the phone and call-” “-regimental, sir, already on it,” the colt said with the phone in hoof.

“Swift help BJ take Flake to the hospital, and take care of the patients…”

“Wait!” Hawk was interrupted.

“What is it Cranky?”

“Who put you in charge? I’m a Major, I’m next in the chain of command,” said Cranky.

“Well than Cranky, I put you in charge of taking Flake to the hospital it BJ,” Hawk replied.

“Excuse me sir,” interrupted the colt.

“Get out of here runt, the officers are trying to talk,” sneered Cranky.

“Oh let the boy speak, Cranky, what is it?” asked Hawk.

“I got bad news: that last shell hit our communications antenna, I can barely reach regimental, and we cannot get the game.”

We welcome you back to Fillydelphia; first Army/Black Knights possession of the ball game. They take over at their own 20 in the midst of a snowstorm. And the quarterback is a sophomore, A.J. Shore, who came on as a relief in the last game Army played; ran for four touchdowns despite the loss.

Army hikes, toss to the right side. And Bagget gets pushed out of bounds. Let’s take a look at the starting line ups for Army’s offense:

LT 78 Lime SR
LG 78 Hoofmaker JR
C 52 Power JR
RG 75 Righter SR
RT 60 Gill SO
FB 26 Mixin JR
RB 31 Bagget JR
RB 19 Gonevalley JR
WR 86 Moss FR
WR 21 Lawpence JR

Army 2nd and 3 at their 27. Hike, Shore gives Gonvalley the ball as he tries to run through the middle. Navy’s got him, and group is pushing him back, and he’s down.

Third down and one, on the 29. Mixin is in the lineup; that’s good for Army.

Yes, it’s a surprise that Navy did not expect him.

Army hikes left. Shore, goes for it and is down. First down and ten. Tackle made by 52 Sargenvy.

Well the base plays by the Army hoofball team is this quarterback iso. One of the things Mixin does well is block. So even if he can’t carry the ball with that hurt ankle, he still can be valuable as a blocker.

Army hikes, Shore goes back, the ball slips out of his hoof, players scramble to the ball. That is a fumble. Two more tries at the ball and it moves further away. Mixin goes back and saves possession, sliding in under a Navy player.

Yes it did. I thought maybe it was tipped, you called it a slip. You were right, it slips right away. Army, obviously, is very fortunate to get this hoofball back, because usually the defense has a big advantage. Their facing that fumbled ball, but Army has to come back and find it.

Pitch right to 19, Gonvalley.

Considering all the turnovers Army’s had couple of games, they need to be very, very careful here.

On third and nineteen. Shore runs into his own pony and gets downed by 46, Rockson.

I think so far both teams have avoided disaster early in the passing game. Foil had a quick out intercepted, threw it high, and obviously the fumble right there. Both sides, I think the weather is a bigger factor here. Or voices don’t tell how bad it is out here. In person, the wind is whipping and the ball must be slick.

Line is the deepony to return the punt; he hopes. And the ball falls out of bounds ant there is not return on this one. Ball is marked on the 32 yard line of Navy.

A thirty nine yard punt, nothing on the return. 7:51 remaining in the first quarter, and we’ll be right back.

“How could they do that?” Hawk yelled with a phone in hoof, waiting for regimental to get back to them.

“I know right, regimental can be tough with newbies on the lines,” said the colt.

“No, I mean Army. How could they fumble the ball like that?” Hawk said referring to the game. After the radio antenna was hit, they scavenged the camp for any possible radio signal for the game. Lest to say, they hook up the wires to the top of the direction pole in the middle of camp, and were barely getting a signal.

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