But Freddie knew. And Saturday the Cardinals’ red feathers would be flying, not the Sandpipers’ yellow ones.
For Thursday, Freddie’s English class had to write compositions — on any subject. Freddie wrote his on Wednesday night. He titled it THE BIG GAME. It was a story about a football game between the Sandpipers and the Cardinals. He made up the names of the players, but he was thinking of some real live people while he wrote.
According to his story, the game ended with the Sandpipers shutting out the Cardinals, 14–0.
As Miss Daley handed Freddie’s paper back to him, a smile curled her lips. Freddie blushed, took the paper, and glanced quickly at the mark in the upper right-hand corner.
An A!
Freddie grinned.
Coach Sears had the Sandpipers work out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. He drilled them on passes, line bucks, and the double reverse.
“The Cardinals have the strongest team in the league,” he reminded his charges after practice Thursday evening. “But they just eased by the Bluejays, and the Catbirds beat them, twenty-eight to twenty-seven. And we tied the Catbirds. I know that doesn’t mean much, but it does mean they could be beaten. Just make up your minds that you can do it. Play as hard as you can, and you will. Remember this: If the Cardinals win, they’ll get in first place for sure. If they lose, they may end in third. And it will be the first time they haven’t finished on top in three years! Okay. Scatter! See you Saturday afternoon!”
Freddie and Jimmie watched part of the Flamingo-Catbird game and part of the Owl-Bluejay game on Saturday morning. Both matchups were filled with excitement. The Catbirds won, 28–19; the Owls and the Bluejays tied, 7–7.
After leaving Jimmie, Freddie went home and looked over the records of all the teams. After this morning’s two games, the Cardinals were still sitting pretty right on top. But if they lost to the Sandpipers this afternoon, they would have two in the lost column. That would put them in third place! The records were as follows:
Won Lost Tied
CARDINALS 3 1 0
OWLS 3 1 1
CATBIRDS 3 1 1
SANDPIPERS 1 2 1
BLUEJAYS 1 3 1
FLAMINGOS 1 4 0
Of course, the Sandpipers would finish in fourth place, but that wasn’t as important as knocking off the Cardinals.
Freddie gritted his teeth. We’ll knock them off that perch this afternoon! Just watch! We’ll show Mert! We’ll show them all!
15
The crowd that attended the game that afternoon was the largest Freddie had seen at any of the games. His mom was there with Mert’s parents, Mrs. Rose, and Jimmie. You couldn’t have kept Jimmie away today!
The sun was hidden behind high gray clouds that moved across the sky like sticky syrup. A light, cool wind made it necessary for the fans to wear coats. For the football players, however, this weather was just dandy.
The whistle shrilled. Mert McGuire, the Cardinals’ fullback, kicked off.
Bucky Jensen caught the ball on the fifteen and ran it back to his twenty-seven. In three plays the Sandpipers moved the ball to their thirty-eight for a first down.
“Crisscross buck,” said Dick in the huddle. “Freddie takes it!”
Dick took the snap and faked it to Bucky, who scissored across in front of him. Then he handed the ball to Freddie, who scissored in front of him to the left. Freddie sliced through a hole and dodged a tackler. He crossed the Cardinals’ thirty-five-yard line and was brought down hard.
“Nice gain,” said Mert, who had tackled him. “Let’s see you try it again.”
“Second and two,” said the referee.
Dennis bucked but failed to make it. Then Dick tried a quarterback sneak, taking the ball through the line himself. He made a gain, but there was doubt whether it was a first down. The referee motioned to the men with the yardage chain and down marker for a measurement.
A first down! The Sandpipers’ fans roared from the sidelines and the bleachers.
Then the Cardinals seemed to gain strength. They held the Sandpipers and gained possession of the ball on their thirty-one. Freddie was taken out. Ted Butler went in.
Freddie was baffled. Why? he thought. Why has the coach been taking me out when we’re on defense?
The Cardinals moved forward slowly. Then their quarterback, Jim Small, shot a lateral to Mert. Mert raced all the way down the field for a touchdown. Jim bucked the line for the extra point, and the Cardinals went into the lead, 7–0.
In the second quarter, the Sandpipers got the ball and Freddie went back in. Mert grinned at him.
Freddie didn’t return the grin.
I hope I have the chance to tackle you, he thought. Even if it’s only once.
The Sandpipers hit twice with passes that took them to the Cardinals’ twelve-yard line. Then a clipping charge against Joey Mills set them back fifteen. Dick tried to hit Freddie with a long pass, hoping to score. But someone stretched long arms in front of Freddie and practically took the ball out of his hands. … It was Mert.
The Cardinals’ fullback sprinted down the field. He dodged Joey and Dave Summers. At last Freddie tackled him from behind, and Mert went down.
Mert’s eyes went wide as he looked around at his tackler.
“Say! Nice tackle!” he said.
He sounded as it he meant it, but Freddie said nothing. He was thinking, There! I’ve done it. And I’ll do it again.
A moment later, Ted Butler came running in. “Out, Freddie,” he said.
Freddie stared, wondering why.
The Cardinals wormed their way far into the Sandpipers’ territory. Then, on the five-yard line, Jim Small fumbled.
Sandpipers’ ball … but the Sandpipers had all they could do to keep the ball in their possession during the remaining moments of the second quarter.
Shortly after the first half ended, Freddie approached Coach Sears.
“Coach, can’t I play defense, too? I’m sure I can stop those players just as well as anybody.”
Coach Sears smiled and winked. “I know you can, Freddie. I took you out from defense during the first half for a definite reason. I didn’t want the Cardinals to know how well you’ve come along as a tackler. During this second half, they’ll find out. But by the time they do, they might not make enough gains to matter beans, and we might have that ball in our possession enough times to beat them. That’s peculiar strategy, maybe. But let’s hope it works!”
16
The second half was ready to begin. The Sandpipers chose to receive. Mert McGuire kicked off for the Cardinals. It was a low, bouncing ball that went deep into the Sandpipers’ territory. Dick Connors tucked it under his arm and started running it back. He barely reached his eighteen-yard line before being tackled.
In three plays, the Sandpipers failed to gain more than five yards. Dennis punted. It was high and not very far. Jim Small signaled for a fair catch. Now the Cardinals had the ball on the Sandpipers’ thirty-two.
The Cardinals inched forward. They were discovering something: Few runners were getting past linebacker Freddie Chase.
Then Jim shot a long pass to his right end; the player raced all the way for a TD; Mert bucked from the two-yard line for the extra point.
The Sandpipers groaned.
With two minutes left in the third quarter, Dick took the snap from center Stookie Freese and shot a quick pass to Freddie just over the line of scrimmage. Freddie slipped past a linebacker, dodged Jim Small, and then raced hard down the field. Mert was after him. But Freddie kept ahead of Mert all the way.
He didn’t slow down till he crossed the goal line.
Mert puffed behind him. “Boy! Nice run, Freddie! Even if you are my cousin!”
Freddie turned briefly and saw Mert smiling. For a second he grinned back.
“I’m just remembering that Halloween party, that’s all,” said Freddie, and trotted away.
Dennis tried for the extra point. He didn’t make it.
Score: Cardinals
14, Sandpipers 6.
Once again the Cardinals had the ball and began to threaten. From their thirty, they marched to the Sandpipers’ eighteen. Then Mert plunged through left tackle and Freddie smeared him.
Like a slippery bean the ball squirted out of Mert’s hands! Players in red and yellow scrambled madly for it.
Then — Sandpipers’ ball!
Dick threw a lateral to Bucky, and Bucky galloped for a first down. A short pass to Freddie gave them eight more yards. Then, for a moment, the Sandpipers were stopped.
Dick called time.
They rested, wet their dry throats with water a boy fetched them in a bucket, then started again.
They tried two plays and squeezed out another first down just before the third quarter ended.
The teams exchanged goals. The ball was on the Sandpipers’ thirty-seven.
“Double reverse,” said Dick in the huddle. “Bucky to Freddie.”
It worked! Freddie raced around left end for twenty-six yards before he was brought down.
Dick tried a long pass to Joey. It was knocked down. He tried again. The ball sailed out of bounds. Incomplete.
“They won’t expect a third pass,” said Dick. “A short one to Bucky. Come on. We’ve got to keep going!”
He took the snap from center, stepped back, and tossed a quick pass to Bucky. The left halfback sprinted for eleven yards.
First down, and six to go for a touchdown.
On the next play, the Sandpipers lost five yards on an offside penalty.
Then, as if he had sprouted wings on his feet, Dennis caught a lateral from Dick and ran the eleven yards for a touchdown.
Dick bucked for the extra point. The Cardinals stopped him.
Score: Cardinals 14, Sandpipers 12.
A moment after the Cardinals returned the kickoff, the referee called time and held up four fingers.
“Four minutes left to play!” said Dick to his team. “Let’s get back that ball!”
The Cardinals were stubborn. They didn’t try any passes in their first few plays. They knew that an interception could give the Sandpipers a good chance to go for a touchdown.
They moved the ball to the Sandpipers’ thirty-eight, then to the thirty. Slowly, with strong moves, they pushed forward to the twenty-four. There the Sandpipers held as if each player were glued to the next. They were like a yellow brick wall.
With seven yards to go and fourth down, the Cardinals went into punt formation. The Sandpipers fanned out, Dick playing just inside the end zone.
But Mert fooled them! He didn’t kick.
Instead, he heaved a long pass to his left end, who was running toward the sideline. The ball was high, spiraling beautifully.
Then something happened. A pair of hands snatched the ball out of the air, inches away from the end’s hands….
It was Freddie!
Freddie raced along the sideline. Behind him came the end from whom Freddie had practically stolen the ball. Harder and harder Freddie ran. The smudged white stripes slipped underneath him. Then, on the ten, he was hit. The runner had finally caught up with him.
The referee brought the ball in to the in-bounds line, about thirteen yards from the sideline.
“First, and goal to go!” he cried.
“How many more minutes?” asked Dennis.
“Minutes?” Dick glanced at the referee, then back again. “Forty seconds! Holy catfish! We’ll have a chance for only two plays.”
“Let’s get the ball closer to the middle of the field,” suggested Dennis. “Then let me try a field goal.”
All eyes swung to him, then back to the captain.
“Okay!” said Dick. “I’ll hand off to Freddie. Shoot for the left, Freddie, then charge in! Hurry! We don’t have much time!”
Dick snapped signals. Freddie took the hand-off, made a left-end sweep, and was tackled. He gained only a yard, but now the ball was near the center of the field, and nine yards from the goal line. Five yards behind the goal line loomed the goalposts.
“Dennis,” said Dick in the huddle, “you’ll have to kick that ball at least twenty yards in the air to get it over those crossbars!”
“I know,” said Dennis, rubbing his hands on his muddy pants.
They broke out of the huddle. Dick knelt about six yards behind Stookie. He caught the snap and held the ball at a slant for Dennis to kick.
Dennis kicked it squarely. The ball sailed up and over between the uprights. Even before it hit the ground, the whistle shrilled and the game was over.
The Sandpipers had won, 15–14!
Never had the Sandpipers rejoiced as they did then. There were lots of shouts and laughter, and even some happy tears.
“Let me shake your hand, Cousin,” Mert said to Freddie, smiling. “You played a wonderful game."
“Thanks,” said Freddie “You did, too, Mert.”
“Say, what did you mean when you said something to me about a Halloween party? I don’t know anything about any Halloween party!”
Freddie stared at him. “You mean you weren’t the guy who lifted my mask in front of everybody that night?”
Someone burst out laughing at Freddie’s elbow. “Not him, Freddie!” said Dick Connors. “That was Art Neeley. You mean you didn’t know?”
Freddie blushed. “No. All the time I thought it was Mert. Gosh — I’m sorry, Cousin. Can you forgive me?”
“Seeing that it’s you, I suppose so!” Mert said, laughing.
Freddie laughed, too. Then he wondered: Would he have played so well if he hadn’t suspected all the time that it was Mert? But he was glad, now, that it wasn’t.
“How about coming over for supper tonight?” Freddie asked. “Mom won’t mind.”
Mert smiled broadly. “It’s a deal!” he said.
THE #1 SPORTS SERIES FOR KIDS
MATT CHRISTOPHER®
Read them all!
Baseball Flyhawk Dirt Bike Runaway
Baseball Pals Dive Right In
Baseball Turnaround Double Play at Short
The Basket Counts Face-Off
Body Check Fairway Phenom
Catch That Pass! Football Fugitive
Catcher with a Glass Arm Football Nightmare
Catching Waves The Fox Steals Home
Center Court Sting Goalkeeper in Charge
Centerfield Ballhawk The Great Quarterback Switch
Challenge at Second Base Halfback Attack *
The Comeback Challenge The Hockey Machine
Comeback of the Home Run Kid Ice Magic
Cool as Ice Johnny Long Legs
The Diamond Champs The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
Dirt Bike Racer Lacrosse Face-Off
Line Drive to Short ** Snowboard Champ
Long-Arm Quarterback Snowboard Maverick
Long Shot for Paul Snowboard Showdown
Look Who’s Playing First Base Soccer Duel
Miracle at the Plate Soccer Halfback
Mountain Bike Mania Soccer Scoop
Nothin’ But Net Stealing Home
Penalty Shot The Submarine Pitch
The Reluctant Pitcher The Team That Couldn’t Lose
Return of the Home Run Kid Tennis Ace
Run For It Tight End
Shoot for the Hoop Top Wing
Shortstop from Tokyo Touchdown for Tommy
Skateboard Renegade Tough to Tackle
Skateboard Tough Wingman on Ice
Slam Dunk The Year Mom Won the Pennant
All available in paperback from Little, Brown and Company
Matt Christopher®
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Muhammad Ali Randy Johnson
Lance Armstrong Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant Yao Ming
Jennifer Capriati Shaquille O’Neal
Dale Earnhardt Sr. Jackie Robinson
Jeff Gordon Alex Rodriguez
Ken Griffey Jr. Babe Ruth
Mia Hamm Curt Schilling
Tony Hawk Sammy Sosa
Ichiro Tiger Woods
Derek Jeter
HALFBACK ATTACK
Freddie Chase is a good football player with one major flaw: He’s afraid to tackle. He tries hard to cover up his fear, but soon Coach Sears and the other Sandpipers know all about it. The team is fighting to finish the season at the top of the league, but how can they hope to succeed when one of their players lets the opposition run right by him? Coach Sears has no choice but to take Freddie out of the lineup. Now it’s up to Freddie to earn his way back onto the starting team. But can he overcome his fear?
Matt Christopher is the name young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. For a listing of all the Matt Christopher titles, please see the last pages of this book.
* Previously published as Crackerjack Halfback
** Previously published as Pressure Play
Halfback Attack Page 5
