The Ball Hogs (8 page)

The Sharks were caught off guard. Ben had lots of room ahead. He ran straight toward the goal, moving as fast as he knew how.

Only the goalie had a chance to stop him now. Ben was almost to the goal. The goalie
stepped toward him with his arms spread wide.

It would be a tough shot to make, but Ben knew that he could slip the ball to the side of the goalie and get it into the goal. He saw a flash of blue on his right. It was Mark!

Ben leaned to his left, hoping the goalie would dodge to that side. He did.

Ben’s choice was clear. He softly passed the ball to his right, just in front of Mark. That side of the goal was wide open. Mark booted the ball into the net.

Mark leaped into the air and shouted, “Yes!” He’d scored the Bobcats’ first goal of the season. And even better than that, the game was tied.

“Nice pass!” Mark said.

Ben couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Nice shot,” he replied.

They ran back to their end of the field.
There was still time. They could win this game.

Here came the Sharks. They weren’t done yet, either.

“Play tough defense!” called Ben. “Let’s get that ball back.”

Two quick passes brought the ball close to the Bobcats’ goal. It looked as if the Sharks would get off a shot, but Erin stepped in and stole the ball. She dribbled once and passed the ball to Shayna.

“Here we go!” shouted Ben.

Shayna passed to Ben, then ran up the field. Ben took two steps and fired the ball back to Shayna. He ran alongside her, several yards away.

There wasn’t much time left in the game. This would be the Bobcats’ last chance to win it. Shayna and Ben and Mark raced up the field. They had to get a shot off soon.

Shayna had the ball deep in the Sharks’ end of the field. Ben drifted back a few feet and shouted, “Triangle!”

Shayna passed him the ball. Ben dribbled forward. He could shoot or he could pass. But he had to decide in a second.

Mark was covered. Ben’s best option was to shoot. He planted his left foot and brought back his right. Two Sharks ran in front of him. Ben pulled the ball back and dodged to his left.

Shayna had run over and was moving toward the goal. Ben could be a hero and try to score. Instead he passed the ball to Shayna.

Shayna shot hard. The goalie put up his hands and dived for it. The ball smacked off his hands and bounced wildly in front of the goal.

Ben and the others charged toward it. Bobcats and Sharks. Blue and yellow. Everyone wanted that ball.

Ben reached it first. There was no time to dribble. No time to pass. He swung his foot at the ball and watched as it floated toward the goal.

The goalie was still on his knees. He reached for the ball with all his might. But he couldn’t quite get it.

Ben had scored!

Now Shayna had him in a bear hug, and even Mark was slapping him on the shoulder. The Shark goalie shut his eyes and kicked at the dirt. All of the Bobcats were yelling.

The Sharks put the ball back in play. They kicked it hard and ran down the field. They had to score or they’d lose.

Ben ran toward the Shark player with the ball. He couldn’t let them tie this game. The player passed the ball across the field. Erin got to it first and kicked it hard and long.

The referee blew his whistle. The game was over.

Ben dropped to his knees and raised his arms into the air.

“We did it!” Kim shouted.

“Great passing!” said Mark, giving Shayna a fist bump and grinning.

“We beat the best team in the league!” said Erin.

“No,” said Ben. “We
are
the best in the league. We just had to learn to play like a team.”

Now he knew what winning was like. It was a wonderful feeling. Especially since they’d done it together.

Ben ran to his parents, who were standing near the sideline.

His mom was beaming. “Great shot!” she said.

Dad held up one hand for a high five, and Ben jumped to slap it.

“We need to celebrate,” Ben said. “Can we go for pizza?”

“Sounds like a good plan,” Dad said.

“We’re back in business,” Ben said as they walked toward the car. “Finally got that win!”

Ben heard his name and turned to look. Mark was standing about twenty feet away, waving him over.

“I’ll be right back,” Ben said to his parents, and he walked toward Mark.

Mark looked serious. “Are you playing four square on Monday?”

“Of course I am,” Ben said.

Mark nodded. “Me too.” He smiled slightly. “No more double hits?”

“No more cheap calls?”

“No.” Mark jutted his chin toward the soccer field. “We were pretty good out there today. … I guess you aren’t
such
a twerp after all.”

“You bet we were good.” Ben glanced toward his parents, then he turned back to Mark. “It’s just like Coach keeps saying. Work
together. Even if you don’t always like each other, I guess.”

“I guess.”

Ben put his hands on his hips. He stared at Mark for a second, then nodded. “So I’ll see you at recess,” he said. He started walking away, then stopped. “There’s a long way to go in this season,” he said. “Lots more soccer games.”

“Think we can win ’em all?” Mark asked.

Ben shrugged. “I think we finally know how to. … That doesn’t mean we’ll win ’em.”

“Keep practicing,” Mark said.

“You too.”

Ben thought of that first practice. He thought of those close losses. But most of all he thought about scoring that goal. And he wished the next game could be tomorrow.

Don’t miss
Kickers #2:
Fake Out

The Kickers soccer league is heating up, and Ben’s team, the Bobcats, has two losses, one win, and one tie. Ben knows he can pull his team out of its slump and right into the league play-offs with his new move: the fake-out. He practices the tricky footwork every chance he gets. But every time he tries it on the field, he flubs up, loses the ball, and hurts his team. Meanwhile, everyone else is faking
him
out. Is Ben out of his league?

In his Kickers series, award-winning author Rich Wallace offers action-filled novels about the Bobcats, a fourth-grade town soccer team, and their bid for the league play-offs.