Long Arm Quarterback

by Matt Christopher

  The teams went to the sidelines to catch their breath and plan for the fourth period.

  Sable nudged Tully. “You'll put Jimmy back in for offense, right?”

  Tully looked around at the players, all of whom had heard what Sable said, and snapped. “This isn't the time for that. Let's concentrate on getting the ball back in good field position.”

  “But—” started Sable.

  Tully cut him off fast. “No buts! I'll talk to you later.”

  He turned to the players. “Listen up. They're deep in their territory and I'm guessing they won't want to risk an interception. I figure they'll try to make some short gains with running plays. So watch out for them. Sam, stay back deep and watch for receivers, in case I'm wrong. The rest of you, think run. Let's try to hold 'em where they are so they'll give us good field position when they punt. Ben, Mick, Fritz, stay close to the line. Cap, Hoot, you're our roving linebackers.”

  As the Panthers took the field, Cap saw Tully wheel around and say something angry to Sable, who snapped right back. Great, he thought. Just what we need. Jimmy, he noted, had moved as far away from the quarreling grandfathers as he could get.

  Sure enough, on first down, Sandville tried a pitchout and a sweep around right end. The 'Cuda blockers took out Mick and Fritz, but Ben and Hoot got through the interference and nailed the runner at the line of scrimmage, setting up a second and fifteen.

  On second down, the Sandville quarterback dropped back as if to pass. The fastest 'Cuda took off on a deep-pass pattern, with Sam staying with him. But instead of passing, the quarterback flipped the ball to a running back behind him. The back plunged straight ahead and was tackled by Ben and Cap for a one-yard loss.

  On third and sixteen, Tully sent in Steve for Mick, and Steve told the other Panthers to watch for a possible pass play.

  But this time, the 'Cudas caught Cowpen by surprise. The quarterback retreated a few steps and punted. With no one back deep to receive the quick kick, the ball bounced and rolled all the way to the Cowpen eighteen, where Sam fell on the ball. Cap admitted that the quick kick had been a smart play. After all, Sandville had the lead, and the clock was running.

  Jimmy ran onto the field, and Cap, wishing he could have another shot on offense, ran off. But Jimmy managed to get only one first down, and the Panthers were forced to punt again.

  Cap came back in on defense, wondering if he was doomed to play only defense for the rest of the season. The 'Cudas were on their twenty and picked up fifteen yards on a deep sideline pass. Cap looked at the clock at the end of the field. If Sandville scored again, he realized, it'd be hard for Cowpen to get the lead back in the little time remaining.

  The next play, however, was a pass over the middle that Hoot intercepted and ran back to the Panther thirty. Jimmy came back in and threw a short pass to Vince for four yards. Cap felt a tap on the shoulder, and Tully spoke into his ear.

  “Cap, go in for Jimmy. We need to score, and time's running out. Go in and air it out, son.”

  Heart pounding, Cap raced out and took over for Jimmy. He called for Sam to go deep. “Guys, you gotta give me time to get this one off,” he urged.

  “Don't worry,” Ben said, and Fritz nodded his agreement.

  Taking the snap, Cap dropped back five quick steps. He saw Ben slam into one 'Cuda, while Fritz cut another defender down with a beautiful block. Meanwhile, Sam was sprinting downfield, a Sandville player trying desperately to keep up.

  Don't overthrow this one, he told himself as he cocked his arm and let the ball fly.

  Sam caught it over his shoulder and raced into the end zone. The Panthers were within a single point!

  Tully signaled for a time-out and waved Cap and Hoot over. “If we run or pass it in, we tie the game. If Hoot kicks it, we're ahead by a point, with less than two minutes left.”

  “Let's go for the win,” said Hoot.

  “Right,” Cap said. He noticed that Sable wasn't taking part in the conversation. He was standing by himself, scowling.

  Tully grinned. “All right, let's go for it.”

  Cap and Hoot ran back out. “This should be easy,” Cap said.

  “I'll give it my best shot,” replied Hoot.

  The Panthers lined up and Ben snapped the ball to Cap, who was the holder. Cap fumbled the ball slightly, but managed to get it down just as Hoot swung his foot into the ball.

  The ball sailed to the right of the goalposts. Cow-pen still trailed by one point, with very little time left.

  Hoot dropped to his knees, the picture of misery. Cap knelt next to him.

  “C'mon, Hoot, it's all right. Hey, if you hadn't intercepted that pass, we wouldn't have even gotten back into this game. Look, I've messed up a lot more than you today. And it's not over yet. There's still time left.”

  But there wasn't enough time. The 'Cudas knew that Cowpen had only one time-out remaining and managed to get a first down and run out the clock. The final score was Sandville 19, Cowpen 18.

  The unhappy Panthers trudged off the field just in time to see Sable run up to Tully.

  “If you'd put Jimmy in sooner and kept him in we could have won this game!”

  Tully just kept walking, not saying a word.

  But Sable wouldn't let up. “A fine coach you are! We should've won that game!”

  Finally, Tully spun around and glared at Sable. “That's enough! I'm sick and tired of you getting on me all the time, and in front of the kids, too! You're embarrassing Jimmy, as well as everybody else. I'm still coaching this team, and if you don't like it, then stay away!”

  Sable was about to yell back, but Jimmy grabbed his arm. “Gramps! Please stop!”

  Sable looked at Jimmy in surprise. The boy's face was red, and he looked as if he might start to cry any second.

  “Jimmy … I … I was standing up for you, boy. I was speaking out for you!”

  “Well, I don't want you to!” Jimmy stared hard at Sable. “So stop, Gramps. Please!”

  Sable opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked around at the other Panthers, but none of them would meet his eyes.

  “I'll see you when you're ready to go home, Jimmy,” he said, and walked away.

  Tully sighed and clapped his hands to get the team's attention. “All right, boys, I'm sorry about that, but it's just something between Mr. Cash and me, and nothing to do with you. I think you played a good game today, and we could as easily have won as lost.

  “Next week, we play Moosetown, and we should focus on that and on getting a win under our belts. I'll see you all at practice on Monday. Someone has to lose every game but don't let it get you down. Okay?”

  Tully looked around. “Now, who's coming with me? I have to get home and do a few errands.”

  As Cap turned to leave, Jimmy ran over to him.

  “You don't think that I believe what Gramps said, do you? Because I don't. I think he was wrong to say it.”

  Cap smiled at Jimmy. “I know you don't think that way. Grandpa is right—this is something between the two of them. It has nothing to do with you and me. Really.”

  Jimmy smiled back, relieved, and waved at Cap as he went after his grandfather. “See you Monday!”

  13

  During the week before the Moosetown game, Sable didn't show up until Wednesday. When he did, he asked Tully if he could speak to him, and the two men talked quietly in private. Afterward, Sable resumed his coaching but was very careful not to start any arguments or say anything that was critical of Tully as a coach or of any players.

  Tully decided not to introduce many new plays but to keep drilling the Panthers in what they already knew. But he did add one wrinkle: putting Cap and Jimmy in at the same time, so that one of them could either run or throw a halfback option pass.

  He also tried to help Jimmy with his pass defense, explaining how he might avoid getting tricked by a receiver's feints and not get drawn out of position.

  On Friday, at the end of practice, he gathered the team around him.


  “Tomorrow we leave for Moosetown at three o'clock. Everybody get plenty of rest, and let's be ready to play a great game tomorrow.”

  Early on the morning of the game it rained hard for several hours, but the rain ended by noon, and the sun was shining brightly when Cap and Tully came outside.

  “Looks like a great day to play,” Tully said, shading his eyes and looking around.

  Mrs. Wadell, Cap's mother, came out on the front porch. “Water is flooding all over the back garden. I think the rain gutters got full of dead leaves last night. Since Dad's already left for the fields, could you and Cap clean the gutters out?”

  “Sure thing,” Tully replied. “Cap, let's haul out the ladder and get to it.” They dragged the metal extension ladder out of the basement and leaned it against the edge of the roof over the front porch. As Cap held the ladder to steady it, Tully climbed up with a water hose and washed the collected leaves out of the gutter.

  They carried the ladder around to the back of the house, and Tully once again hauled the hose up to the roofline. But as he hosed out the gutter, Tully saw that the branch of a nearby tree kept him from being able to reach the end of the trough with the stream of water from the hose. Rather than climb back down and move the ladder, he tried to stretch out and lean himself around the branch.

  Suddenly the top of the ladder slid to the side and Tully fell off into the branches of the tree, and from there to the ground, where he landed with a thump.

  “Grandpa!” Cap yelled, running over to Tully and kneeling down. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so, just help me up,” Tully muttered. Mrs. Wadell ran out into the yard.

  “What was that noise? What happened? Tully, are you all right?”

  Tully struggled to his feet and winced. “My shoulder … I must have done something to my shoulder … can't move my arm too good.”

  “Do you think it's broken?” asked Cap.

  “Come on,” Mrs. Wadell said. “I'm driving you to the hospital emergency room.”

  “But… the game …” stammered Tully.

  “Never mind that,” Mrs. Wadell snapped. “Let's see to that arm.”

  “All right, just give me one minute. Cap, call Hoot and Ben and tell them they'll have to get over to the game without me. And you can hitch a ride with them.”

  Cap shook his head. “I'll call them, but I'm coming with you.”

  “Hurry and make those calls,” Mrs. Wadell told her son. “We should have the arm looked at quickly. And leave a message telling Candy where we went.”

  A few minutes later, the Wadells were in the station wagon, headed for the local hospital.

  “The game doesn't start until four,” Tully said. “We'll get there in plenty of time—even if my arm is in a cast.”

  But the emergency room was jammed, and the doctor didn't see Tully for over an hour. He examined Tully's arm and shoulder and sent him off for X-rays.

  A while later, the doctor came back, smiling. “Tully, you're a lucky man, even if you pulled a dumb stunt with that ladder. Nothing's broken. You have some bad bruises and strained muscles, but you'll be as good as new in a week or so. Try to be more careful on ladders from now on, unless you want to spend more time in this place.”

  “Thanks, Doc,” Tully said, looking at his watch and frowning. “It's three o'clock already, and Moosetown is an hour away. Maybe if we hurry we can get there by halftime.”

  Cap struck his hand to his head. “I didn't bring my uniform!” he cried. “Now we have to go get it and then drive to Moosetown.”

  “We'll get there for part of the game, anyway,” Tully said, as they hurried out to the station wagon. They headed back home, where Candy and Bobby Jo were waiting anxiously.

  Candy said, “Grandpa, how are you? We've been so worried!”

  “It's nothing much, just some bruises,” Tully said, looking out the car window. “Cap, get your uniform, quick, and let's get moving. Candy, Bobby Jo, hop in the back. We're late!”

  Cap struggled into his pads and jersey as they drove to Moosetown and quickly finished dressing when they arrived. Going as fast as Tully's injured arm would let them, they headed for the football field. There were about a hundred people in the bleachers, but the field itself was empty.

  “Must be halftime,” Tully said.

  Cap looked around for the rest of the Panthers. “I wonder how we're doing.” Then he saw the wooden scoreboard on the side of the field. It read MOOSE-TOWN STEERS 20. COWPEN PANTHERS 0.

  “Oh, no,” he groaned. “We're way behind.”

  Candy pointed to one end of the field. “There they are, Grandpa, look!”

  The Panthers sat in a circle around Sable Cash, who seemed to be giving a pep talk. He stopped when he saw Tully, Cap, and the others headed in their direction.

  “Tully!” Sable shouted. “How are you doing? Man, it's good to see you!” He pulled the whistle from around his neck and offered it to Tully. “You feeling good enough to take over? Because I'm ready to retire from coaching as of now!”

  “What's the problem, Sable?” Tully asked. “Is the Moosetown team that good?”

  “Yes … well, not really… I don't know!” Sable said. “All I know is, I'd rather you took over and tried to get us back into this game, if it's all right with you.”

  Tully looked over to where the Moosetown Steers, wearing green-and-white uniforms, were listening to their coach. “They don't look any better than us, as far as I can tell. Who's getting the ball to open the third quarter?”

  “We are,” said Jimmy.

  “All right,” Tully said. “Jimmy, you start at quarterback.”

  Cap hid his disappointment.

  “Cap, you're going to start as a running back with Hoot,” Tully continued. “Sam, Ben, and Mick will be in the line. We're going to show 'em our secret weapon—the halfback option. It'll mess up their minds.”

  Sure enough, when the Panthers started on offense from their twenty-two, Jimmy pitched to Cap, who fired a strike to Sam that was good for fifteen yards and a first down. On the next play, Jimmy pitched again and two receivers went deep. But this time Cap took off with the ball and Ben and Mick provided key blocks. He gained twelve more yards, putting the ball on the Steer thirty-one.

  On the next play, Cap hit Sam, who had gotten behind the Moosetown secondary, and Sam took it in for a touchdown. Hoot kicked straight and true and the Panthers were on the scoreboard, trailing 20-8.

  The Steers came out on offense looking less confident. With the ball on their twenty-five, they tried a pitchout to a running back. But Ben broke through the line and picked it off, rumbling down to the eight before being dragged down from behind. Jimmy threw Ben a shovel pass on the Panthers' first play and caught the Steers by surprise. Ben forced his way into the end zone, and Hoot kicked the conversion.

  With two minutes left in the third quarter, the score was Steers 20, Panthers 16.

  But the Steers came back on their next possession, driving down the field with a well-controlled short-yardage offense that ate up a lot of time and resulted in a touchdown. Their placeldcker had hurt his ankle, so they ran in the extra point to extend their lead to 27-16. There were four and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter.

  Mick fielded the Moosetown kickoff on his ten, and dodged and twisted his way to the thirty. Now Tully brought Cap in as quarterback and Jimmy in as a running back. Cap pitched to Jimmy, and he, Fritz, and Ben opened a gaping hole. Jimmy darted into the secondary, faked a Moosetown player beautifully, and picked up fifteen yards and a first down.

  Jimmy came out and Hoot returned. Cap faked a pitchout to him, spun, and fired a bullet pass that Mick caught for a gain of five more. The ball was on the Moosetown thirty, and there were three minutes left. Cowpen needed two scores to win. Jimmy raced back in, sending Hoot to the bench.

  “Coach says we need to score fast,” said Jimmy as he reached the huddle.

  Cap grinned as an idea came to him. “Remember the flea-flicker Sandvi
lle used last week? Let's try it on these guys.” He whispered a few instructions and the Panthers came to the line. On the snap, Cap dropped back and fired a short pass to Sam, who turned and lateraled back to Jimmy, trailing him by a few yards.

  Jimmy put on a burst of speed and suddenly it was a footrace to the end zone, with Jimmy being chased by two Steers. But Jimmy got there first. The Panthers were back in the game! When Hoot kicked the conversion, Moosetown led by only three.

  But there were just two and a half minutes left to play.

  The Steers tried to use up the remaining time with short passes and running plays. They got as far as midfield, where Ben's crunching tackle knocked the ball out of a Moosetown runner's hands. Mick fell on the ball, and the Panthers had one more chance … and thirty-five seconds on the clock.

  Tully called a time-out and waved Cap over to talk to him. “We can win with a field goal,” he said. “You don't have to go for the end zone; just get within range for Hoot to kick. Inside the twenty would be good enough, though closer would be better. We only have one time-out left, so don't run the ball, pass it. Incomplete passes stop the clock.”

  Cap called a pass play that sent three receivers out but saw as he dropped back that Moosetown was in a prevent defense designed to keep a play from going long. He threw to the only open man, Jimmy, who ran out of bounds, stopping the clock after gaining five yards.

  On second and ten, with thirty seconds left, it looked as if Sam had a step on his man. But Sam couldn't hang on to Cap's pass. With twenty-five seconds left, it was third down and ten yards needed for a first down.

  The Steers rushed three men at Cap, forcing him to roll out to his right. He threw on the run, hitting Sam for a gain of ten. But Sam was tackled in-bounds, meaning the clock was still running. Tully signaled for Cap to call the last Panther time-out. Cap went to the sidelines.

  “We have eight seconds. Time enough to throw one long pass. If it's incomplete, Hoot'll have to kick.”