Read Online Football Nightmare by Matt Christopher - Free Book Online
Authors: Matt Christopher
Tags: JUV013000
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to start.
12
O n the day of the scrimmage with the Pumas, Coach Bodie got the team together for a last meeting. “Okay, here’s how this is going to work. The Puma coach and I worked it out last night. Each team is going to have ten plays on offense, starting with the ball on their own twenty. Then we switch. The Pumas will have their offensive series first.
“There won’t be any official score, and if a team
does
get a touchdown or kick a field goal before its quota of plays is used up, it starts from the twenty again. Any questions?”
Players looked around at each other, and finally Cody put up his hand. “Coach? Who’s going to start?”
The coach grinned. “I was just getting to that. Before I tell you, though, I want to make something clear. No matter who starts,
everyone
will get playing time. And the fact that someone starts today doesn’t necessarily mean that person will start in games.”
The coach then named the starting eleven. Some, like Billy, Heck, and Cody, were obvious, but a few were not. When Keith heard his name called, he was careful not to let his pleasure show in his face.
Larry must have shown something, however, because Coach Bodie said, “Is there a problem, Larry?”
Everyone turned to look at Larry, whose face got very red. “I … it … you … no, no problem.”
The coach nodded. “Good. I think it’s a good thing that a player wants to be a starter. But when it doesn’t work out that way, the thing to do is accept it and go on from there. Like I said, everyone will play, and everyone can make a contribution. Understood?”
Larry blinked and said, “Yeah,” very softly. Keith was surprised to find that he felt sorry for the other boy, who wanted that starting position so badly. He hoped that if Larry turned out to be the starter in the first game, he, Keith, would be a better sport about it.
The Pumas, wearing red shirts to distinguish themselves, lined up. Keith, in the Buck secondary, positioned himself opposite a receiver who was split wide to the left. The Puma quarterback spun and handed off to his upback, and Keith ran in toward the line to help on the stop. His help wasn’t needed, though, since Cody met the runner head-on for no gain.
On the next play, the quarterback faked a pitchout and dropped back. The receiver that Keith was covering, a wiry, long-legged guy, pretended he was making a downfield block on Keith, then tried to sprint past him. Keith didn’t bite on the feint and wheeled to run with the receiver, staying with him pretty well. The quarterback threw just as the Puma end put on the brakes and hooked back toward the line. Keith hit him just after the ball did and jarred the ball loose for an incomplete pass.
A few plays later, Larry replaced Keith, who got an approving nod from Coach Bodie and Mack as he reached the sideline. Keith feared that Larry wouldn’t be able to keep up with this receiver, who was shifty and had a deceptive burst of speed. Sure enough, two plays later Larry stumbled in an effort to stay with his man and the Puma caught a pass and raced downfield for fifteen yards before being tackled from behind by Billy.
But on the very next play, Larry was able to break up an attempted screen pass and almost intercept it. If he had held the ball, he might have run it back for a touchdown.
The Pumas failed to score in their ten plays and the Bucks took over. Larry, who had stayed in the game, caught a short pass on the first play. A moment later, his block set up a long run for Heck. Keith joined his teammates in cheering. He was eager to get into the game again, and two plays later he did, along with Jason, who substituted for Billy.
Jason called for Keith to cut over the middle and fired a pass that was slightly behind him. Keith managed to twist around and get a hand on the ball, but a hard hit knocked it away from him, and Keith sprawled on the turf.
As he returned to the huddle, Jason said, “Sorry, dude. That was my
12
O n the day of the scrimmage with the Pumas, Coach Bodie got the team together for a last meeting. “Okay, here’s how this is going to work. The Puma coach and I worked it out last night. Each team is going to have ten plays on offense, starting with the ball on their own twenty. Then we switch. The Pumas will have their offensive series first.
“There won’t be any official score, and if a team
does
get a touchdown or kick a field goal before its quota of plays is used up, it starts from the twenty again. Any questions?”
Players looked around at each other, and finally Cody put up his hand. “Coach? Who’s going to start?”
The coach grinned. “I was just getting to that. Before I tell you, though, I want to make something clear. No matter who starts,
everyone
will get playing time. And the fact that someone starts today doesn’t necessarily mean that person will start in games.”
The coach then named the starting eleven. Some, like Billy, Heck, and Cody, were obvious, but a few were not. When Keith heard his name called, he was careful not to let his pleasure show in his face.
Larry must have shown something, however, because Coach Bodie said, “Is there a problem, Larry?”
Everyone turned to look at Larry, whose face got very red. “I … it … you … no, no problem.”
The coach nodded. “Good. I think it’s a good thing that a player wants to be a starter. But when it doesn’t work out that way, the thing to do is accept it and go on from there. Like I said, everyone will play, and everyone can make a contribution. Understood?”
Larry blinked and said, “Yeah,” very softly. Keith was surprised to find that he felt sorry for the other boy, who wanted that starting position so badly. He hoped that if Larry turned out to be the starter in the first game, he, Keith, would be a better sport about it.
The Pumas, wearing red shirts to distinguish themselves, lined up. Keith, in the Buck secondary, positioned himself opposite a receiver who was split wide to the left. The Puma quarterback spun and handed off to his upback, and Keith ran in toward the line to help on the stop. His help wasn’t needed, though, since Cody met the runner head-on for no gain.
On the next play, the quarterback faked a pitchout and dropped back. The receiver that Keith was covering, a wiry, long-legged guy, pretended he was making a downfield block on Keith, then tried to sprint past him. Keith didn’t bite on the feint and wheeled to run with the receiver, staying with him pretty well. The quarterback threw just as the Puma end put on the brakes and hooked back toward the line. Keith hit him just after the ball did and jarred the ball loose for an incomplete pass.
A few plays later, Larry replaced Keith, who got an approving nod from Coach Bodie and Mack as he reached the sideline. Keith feared that Larry wouldn’t be able to keep up with this receiver, who was shifty and had a deceptive burst of speed. Sure enough, two plays later Larry stumbled in an effort to stay with his man and the Puma caught a pass and raced downfield for fifteen yards before being tackled from behind by Billy.
But on the very next play, Larry was able to break up an attempted screen pass and almost intercept it. If he had held the ball, he might have run it back for a touchdown.
The Pumas failed to score in their ten plays and the Bucks took over. Larry, who had stayed in the game, caught a short pass on the first play. A moment later, his block set up a long run for Heck. Keith joined his teammates in cheering. He was eager to get into the game again, and two plays later he did, along with Jason, who substituted for Billy.
Jason called for Keith to cut over the middle and fired a pass that was slightly behind him. Keith managed to twist around and get a hand on the ball, but a hard hit knocked it away from him, and Keith sprawled on the turf.
As he returned to the huddle, Jason said, “Sorry, dude. That was my
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