Above the Huygens sidelines, Mira and Caydance were filling clear plastic cups with champagne from a bottle (disguised with a pasted-on gourmet ginger ale label). It was a warm September day, and they were wearing flowered dresses in a variety of Huygens colors. Mira waved to her flute students on the stands across the field. They did not wave back. "I always look forward to River's traditional initial pass -- like the opening bars of a flute concerto," she said to Caydance.

"Watch this," Caydance responded. With man to man coverage, Pac Ocean was positioned for an expected pass. It appeared that River was throwing a pass to the exact spot where DeJuan was moving, but -- as if the initial salvo to "Fight for California" segued unexpectedly to an unaccompanied violin solo -- on the opposite side Jerry emerged running with the ball.

The Pac Ocean Secondary headed belatedly en masse towards Jerry. He tossed the ball to B2. B2 took the ball across midfield. Angry drummer Cornerbacks reversed direction, threw themselves at B2. It was a messy group tackle, but B2 was down.

With crushing Jerry on their minds, the Pac Ocean D-line took a fearsome stance. Big Dog snapped the ball to River.