Football Double Threat (2 page)
Rocky pulled it close, put his head down, and barreled the final yards over the line.
Fweet!
The officials raised their arms straight up in the air. Touchdown!
Rocky spiked the ball into the turf and gave a whoop. His teammates whooped, too. The Pythons were first on the scoreboard!
T
he Pythons didn’t celebrate their first touchdown for long. They had to get ready for the extra-point attempt.
Rocky saw Jared stand up in case the coach wanted to try for a one-point kick. But Coach Royson decided to go with a running play for a possible two points instead. Jared sat back down and kicked at the dirt with his cleats.
The Pythons got the two points. Rocky passed Jared as the kicker headed onto the field for the kickoff. Rocky thought about wishing him good luck, but since Jared didn’t even glance at him, he changed his mind.
Jared sent the ball through the air into the hands of the Shooting Stars and then it was time for the defense to take to the field.
“It’s freeze time!” Bobby called as he headed onto the field. “We’re going to stop ’em cold!”
Bobby played safety for the Pythons. He and the rest of the defense did their jobs well and kept the Stars from scoring that possession.
But the Stars defense was just as strong. In fact, the Stars and the Pythons traded the ball back and forth throughout the rest of the quarter without either team scoring. Then, early in the second quarter, the Stars tied it all up with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. The score stayed knotted until just before halftime, when the Pythons pushed into the end zone for six more points. Their two-point attempt failed, however, and the two teams left the field with the scoreboard reading Pythons 14, Shooting Stars 8.
During the break, Coach Royson praised his players for their hard work — and then sternly reminded them not to let up for one minute. If they did, he warned them, the Stars had a very good chance to walk away with the victory.
The Pythons took that warning to heart. It was the Stars’ turn to receive, but they could do nothing with their possession because the Pythons defense shut them down.
It was a different story when the Pythons got their hands on the ball. They marched steadily down the gridiron into easy scoring range. Isaac caught a short pass from Jeff at the Stars three and leaped over the line into the end zone. Another touchdown, for a total of twenty points!
With a comfortable twelve-point lead, Coach Royson called for Jared to kick the extra-point attempt.
The Pythons kicking team was made up of both offensive and defensive linemen. Their job was to stop the Shooting Stars from rushing Jared. Liam Crimintz, the second string quarterback, was on the field too, acting as ball holder for Jared. Bobby and Rocky, usually on the field at opposite times, now had a rare moment to stand together and watch the play from the sideline.
“Think Jared can send it through the uprights?” Bobby asked Rocky.
Rocky shrugged. “He’s done it before.”
Bobby glanced around and then, in a low voice, asked, “Think he’ll be psyched if he does? Or will he just go sit down and not say anything, like always?”
Rocky lowered his voice too. “Yeah, what
is
it with him? You think he even
likes
football?”
“I don’t know,” Bobby replied. “But I guess it doesn’t matter, so long as he does what he’s here to do.”
“Yeah, maybe.” But Rocky couldn’t help thinking that if he was that miserable playing a sport, he’d quit or try something else instead.
They turned their attention back to the field. Liam snared Joe’s long snap and placed the ball on end just as Jared came forward to kick it. One solid boot later, the Pythons had another point on their side of the board. Jared stayed on the field for the kickoff and then made his way to the bench.
“Nice kicks, Jared,” Coach Royson called.
“Thanks,” Jared mumbled as he sat down.
“Yes, well done, son!” Coach Ward echoed warmly.
Jared stiffened and shot Coach Ward a cold look. Rocky saw the coach blink and turn away.
Okay, that was weird!
Rocky thought. But then the defensive squad jostled past him onto the field and he forgot all about the kicker.
The Shooting Stars failed to reach first down and were forced to punt. The Pythons got the ball back on their own thirty-two. It was midway through the third quarter and the Pythons had a solid thirteen-point lead. That prompted Coach Royson to make a few changes to the lineup. Jeff was replaced by Liam, while a short, chubby boy named Vincent went in for Rocky.
Rocky grabbed a cup of water and sat on the bench to rest and watch the action on the field. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to see there because Liam was off his game. The first time he threw the ball it soared over Isaac’s head to bounce incomplete several feet beyond him. The next time, he bobbled a handoff. He had a few good plays after that but then seemed confused about which player was on his team because he threw the ball directly into the arms of a Shooting Stars safety — who turned the interception into a 60-yard run!
Out came the Pythons offense. Liam took off his helmet and slumped on the bench, dismay etched on his face. A few players, including Rocky, offered him halfhearted murmurs of encouragement, but Liam just looked away.
Meanwhile, the Pythons defense was back on the field. They tried to keep the Stars from scoring, but failed. With the score now 21 to 14, the two teams lined up for the extra-point attempt.
“They’re going for two!” Coach Royson warned his team.
That’s just what happened — or started to, anyway. The Stars center snapped the ball to the quarterback. The quarterback skipped back several steps, pump-faked the ball, and then began to run it in himself. He’d only gone a few steps when Alan Dobbs, one of the Pythons defensive ends, broke free and charged him.
The quarterback never saw the tackle coming. W
ham!
Alan slammed him from the side. The ball squirted from his grasp and shot straight up into the air.
Quick as a wink, Bobby darted forward, nabbed the ball before it hit the ground, and took off!
T
he Pythons and their fans roared and cheered as Bobby’s cleats ate up the yards. Three Shooting Stars players pounded after him, but Bobby had a few steps’ lead. He made it past the Pythons’ thirty, their thirty-five, the forty — and had an open field in front of him!
“Go! Go!” Rocky yelled. He jumped up and down, whooping loudly.
The Stars hadn’t given up, though. As Bobby approached their twenty, one of them made a desperate lunge for Bobby’s feet. Bobby stumbled. For a moment, it looked like he was going to fall. But he righted himself and danced the last yards into the end zone.
Fweet!
Touchdown!
Then there was another whistle blast. The Stars coach had called for a time-out.
Bobby was breathing hard but grinning from ear to ear when he jogged to the sideline.
“That was awesome!” Rocky cried.
Coach Ward was just as effusive with his praise. “Well done, Bobby! That’s the kind of heads-up play that marks the difference between a good player and a great player!”
Rocky saw the coach glance over at Jared as he spoke those words. Jared returned his gaze for a split second before getting up and walking onto the field for the extrapoint kick.
He moves like he has all the time in the world,
Rocky thought, wondering again why Jared was playing for the Pythons when it was so obvious he had no interest in the game.
Bobby’s touchdown — and the extra point, another successful kick by Jared — seemed to take the wind out of the Shooting Stars sails. Their play after the kickoff was sloppy and they quickly lost possession. Their defense was just as lackluster. When the final buzzer sounded, the score was Pythons 28, Stars 14.
The two teams walked through the “good game” hand-slap lines and then went their separate ways. Rocky was happy his team had won, although part of him wished the game had been a little less lopsided at the end. Still, a win was a win — and he wasn’t about to complain!
The mood in the locker room was raucous. Boys rehashed the game in loud voices, laughing at other players’ mistakes and bragging about their own good plays. Then Joe picked up a water bottle, stood on a bench, and squirted water into the air. Those caught in the sudden cold shower roared with surprise. They turned on Joe, pelting him with sweaty socks and spraying him with water from their own bottles.
The floor turned wet and slippery beneath Rocky’s muddy cleats. He sat on the bench to take them off. Suddenly, a loud wail pierced through the laughter — it came from Bobby, who appeared from around the corner. He had taken off his gear and was just in a pair of shorts. He was singing out loud and drumming to a beat. Only
he
knew what the song was, though, because he was listening to it on Rocky’s music player!
“Very funny, Bobby,” Rocky said. He got off the bench and held out his hand. “Ha, ha. Now give it back!”
Bobby gave Rocky a wicked grin, stuck the player in his waistband, and snapped his fingers in time to the music.
“Hey, come on,” Rocky said, louder this time. “Take the player out of there, man! You might damage it — or worse, sweat all over it!”
Bobby danced a circle just out of Rocky’s reach. Then he stopped next to bench, turned his back, and began to play air guitar. It was a perfect imitation of Rocky’s earlier performance. The other players started laughing.
Rocky flushed a dull red. Then he lunged toward Bobby, intending to pin his arms at his sides and wrestle the player free.
The tackle caught Bobby off balance. His feet slipped on the wet concrete floor and he fell. As he did, his legs slammed against the bench’s edge. Rocky fell on top of him.
Crack!
There was a sound like a dry branch snapping in two. For a split second Rocky thought the sound was his music player breaking. Then he heard someone cry out in pain. The cry came from underneath him — Bobby!
Strong hands lifted Rocky up and off. Bobby dropped to the floor and rolled onto his back, grasping his leg and writhing in agony.
The coaches came running. “Just lay still, son,” Coach Royson said, kneeling alongside the whimpering boy. “Let me see what is the matter.”
The coach’s body was blocking Rocky’s view so he couldn’t see what was wrong. But when he heard the coach suck in his breath, he guessed it must be bad. Coach Ward’s hurried 911 call confirmed his guess.
Twenty minutes later, Bobby was in an ambulance on his way to the emergency room. The other Pythons were slowly and quietly gathering their gear. The coaches were in deep conversation in the office. And Rocky was sitting on the bench — the bench where his best friend had just broken his leg, thanks to him.
There was a strange whispering sound near his feet. He looked around and saw his music player lying on the floor. Music was piping from the earbuds.
Rocky picked up the player and stared at it without really seeing it. Instead, he saw his friend’s face, contorted with pain and as pale as snow.
It’s all my fault,
he thought miserably.
If I hadn’t been such a selfish jerk, Bobby would be fine.
He switched off the music.
It’s all my fault.
P
ythons, gather around!” Coach Royson and Coach Ward emerged from the office. They looked grim.
“I just got off the phone with Bobby’s mother. I’m afraid the news isn’t good,” Coach Royson reported. “He fractured his femur just above the knee. He’s out for the season.”
There was a collective groan of dismay. A few players shot Rocky angry looks. He avoided their eyes but couldn’t stop the red flush from creeping up his neck to his face.
Then Coach Royson called his name. “Rocky, I’d like you and Jared to join me and Coach Ward in the office, please.”
Rocky swallowed hard and stood to follow the coaches. He wondered if he was going to be chewed out for causing Bobby’s accident. But, if so, why was Jared coming along too? Jared hadn’t been anywhere near where the other boys were horsing around.
Coach Royson settled into the chair behind his desk. “Grab a seat, boys,” he said. “Coach Ward has something he wants to talk to you about. Coach?”
“I know you’re both upset about Bobby,” Coach Ward said, “and we are too. That being said, we’re going to need someone to play safety. I think the two of you might be good candidates.”
Rocky’s jaw dropped. “Really? Wow, I —”
“Before you give your answer, Rocky,” Coach Royson interrupted, “I want you to think long and hard about what it would mean. Being a two-way player — that is, playing both offense and defense — can be very demanding. You’d be doing a great deal of running. And you’d have to bone up on your tackling skills too.”
“That would mean extra practice time with me — and with Jared, too, of course,” Coach Ward put in. “So if you’re not able to commit to that, for whatever reason, you need to let me know now so I can talk to another player.”
Rocky’s head was spinning. He had thought he was going to be yelled at, not offered the chance to play Bobby’s position! Then he thought of something.
“Coach Royson, what about Vincent? He’s our sub. Won’t he expect to take over for Bobby?”
The coach took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Vincent is moving out of state next week,” he said in a tired voice.
“What?” Rocky cried in surprise. “He never said anything about that!”
“He didn’t know. His parents only told him — and Coach Ward and me — last night. In any event, he will not be around to replace Bobby. That’s why we’re talking to you and Jared.”
Rocky had almost forgotten the other boy was there. Jared hadn’t said a word throughout the discussion, although Coach Ward had made it sound as if he had already agreed to train for the safety position.
Now Jared spoke up for the first time. “Why me?” He sounded wary.
“You’re one of the fastest kids on the team,” Coach Royson explained. “And from what I’ve seen in practice, you have a good instinct for defense. Coach Ward told me you played midfield on your soccer team, right?”
