“But you’re my dad,” Colt said, locking eyes with his father. “You’ve been telling me the right thing to do since I was a little kid. I’ve been trying to be like you my whole life. I had to do what you said. I had to trust you.”

  Coach’s eyes softened. Colt could see the pain on his face. He wasn’t being his coach now. He was back to being his dad.

  “I know you did.”

  18

  Stand-Up Guy

  Kick-off for the championship was only an hour away.

  Colt had been jumpy all day. He couldn’t wait for his last class to end. Finally, the Dragon Lady stopped talking. The bell rang. Now he could get ready for the big showdown with the Highland Hurricanes. He always found it harder waiting for the game than playing it.

  He walked into the locker room not knowing what to expect. The last time he saw his teammates they wouldn’t talk to him.

  Bulldog’s wide body stepped in front of him. His hands were clenched out front like they were ready to deliver a punch. Colt tensed and got ready to defend himself.

  “Welcome back, bro.” His oldest friend reached out a beefy fist for a knuckle-bump. “Andrea’s story in the Woodside Weekly explained everything.”

  “But did you have to hit Tyrone?” Jamal asked, throwing up his hands. “Did you have to follow Coach’s orders?”

  Sanjay moved beside Jamal. “Yeah, couldn’t you make your own decision?”

  Bulldog stepped in. “I’ve got a question for you guys. What if someone told you to do something? Something bad. Would you do it?”

  Jamal shook his head. “No way, man.”

  “Okay, but, what if that someone was your dad?” Bulldog asked.

  Jamal nodded slowly after a moment. “You’re right. My dad is the law. What he says, goes.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it like that,” Sanjay said. “I guess you had no choice.”

  Both players reached out and fist-bumped Colt. The team was back together.

  “It must have been hard keeping it a secret,” Jamal said.

  “Brutal,” Colt said. “It was awful thinking all you guys hated me. But I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to get benched. I wanted to keep playing to help the team. And I didn’t know how to do that except by trusting my dad. I’m glad it’s all over.”

  There was only one teammate who didn’t bump fists with Colt.

  “Now we don’t have a chance,” Gunner sneered.

  “What are you talking about?” Bulldog said. “We’re lucky to have Colt back in the lineup.”

  Gunner glared at Colt. “But we lost Coach. And we can blame your reporter girlfriend for that. She didn’t have to send that video to the league. She wanted to get Coach kicked out of the game. She’s a traitor.”

  Colt couldn’t let Gunner get away with badmouthing his girlfriend. He didn’t want to fight him right before the big game, but he felt he had no choice.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Colt growled. He gave Gunner a two-handed shove square in the numbers.

  Gunner cocked his fist, ready to hammer Colt.

  “That’s enough!”

  Every head in the locker room whipped around to face the door.

  It was Coach.

  “You’re just in time to watch me drop your son,” Gunner said, waving a fist in the air. “It was him and his traitor girlfriend that got you suspended. But don’t worry, Coach, I’ve got your back.”

  “Sit down, Gunner,” Coach said. He pointed to the end of the bench as far away from Colt as possible. Gunner griped, but did as he was told.

  Bulldog looked puzzled. “I didn’t think you were allowed to be here, Coach.”

  “I’m not allowed to coach during the game. But the rules don’t say anything about me talking to you before the game here in the locker room.”

  “It’s a good thing you are here, Coach,” Gunner said. He looked boiling mad after taking on Colt. “Tell us again how we have to do whatever it takes to win. Even if that means taking off some guy’s head.”

  Coach rolled up the sleeves of his Warriors’ windbreaker. He rested one foot on the bench. Colt was looking at a different man. A man who wasn’t about to coach a championship game. Who didn’t have to win at all costs. This was a man in control. There would be no outbursts, no forgotten orders today.

  Coach spoke calmly. “I want you all to listen to me. Especially you, Gunner.”

  Bulldog took a break from taping up his hands. Jamal stopped putting on his shoulder pads. Colt finished pulling on his jersey. Every player sat down and fixed his eyes on Coach.

  “This is the biggest game of your lives, men.”

  “You know it!” Gunner shouted, jumping to his feet.

  “But it doesn’t mean we do anything to win.”

  Gunner sat back down. His brow wrinkled with confusion. “What are you saying? We should play to lose?”

  “Not at all,” Coach said. “We play hard. We give everything we’ve got on every play. We sacrifice for our teammates. We leave it all out on the field. But we play fair. We never use our helmets to go after a player’s knees. And we never go after a player’s head. Ever.”

  Gunner’s jaw dropped. He looked dazed. His face was pale. His football world had been turned upside down.

  Coach walked past Gunner to where Colt sat on the bench. “What I ordered Colt to do in the last game was wrong,” he said to the players. “The league was right to suspend me. But I learned some things about myself. Some things I’m learning to live with. And I’ll never ask any of you to make a dirty hit again. And if I do, I want you to refuse to do it until I’m myself again.”

  “There’s still one big question, Coach,” Bulldog said. “If you’re not going to coach the game, who is?”

  “I’ve decided to put one of you in charge,” Coach said, scanning the faces in the room. “The toughest and fairest player on the squad. The Warrior with a heart like a lion.”

  Coach motioned for Colt to get up.

  “The son who makes his father stand a little taller.”

  A shot of pride surged through Colt’s body. His dad hadn’t praised him for a long time. And never in front of the team.

  Coach put his hand on Colt’s shoulder. “This is your coach today. Colt will make the defensive calls when he’s on the field. And help Keegan make the quarterbacking calls when he’s waiting with the defence on the sideline.”

  “What about me?” Gunner demanded. “I’m a co-captain, too.”

  “Sorry, Gunner. When I said do whatever it takes to win, I was out of line. This isn’t pro football, and it isn’t twenty years ago. In this game you take your orders from Colt.”

  Colt heard some grumbling nearby.

  “Coach made a bad call telling Colt what to do before,” Jamal said. “So why should we trust him to make a good call now?”

  Keegan nodded. “I’m glad Colt is playing. But should he be coach, too?”

  Bulldog looked Keegan and Jamal in the eyes. “Who was the best player on the team before that hit? The player who made tackle after tackle? The player who got us to this game?”

  “Colt,” Keegan said.

  “And who was the player that did what Coach asked? Who put his team before himself? Who took the blame and got suspended even though it wasn’t his fault?”

  “Colt,” Jamal agreed.

  “Exactly, bro. So who’s the best guy, the most loyal guy, to lead us in this game?”

  Keegan and Jamal both nodded and pointed at the new coach.

  The clock on the wall ticked closer to the opening kick-off. Colt and his dad stood at the door patting each player on the back as they left for the field.

  “You can do this,” said the old coach.

  “We can do this,” said the new one.

  19

  Blindsided

  It was the rematch of the year. Colt knew the Hurricanes wouldn’t have forgotten the last game between them. The Warriors had come back to win after the Hurricanes’ star quarterback had been cut down at the knees. Colt was sure the pain of that play burned in Travis Valiant’s memory. If anyone had motivation to beat the Warriors this afternoon, it was him.

  “Heads!” Colt called. He and Gunner stood at midfield facing the two Hurricane co-captains.

  “Tails!” the ref called, picking up the coin.

  The Warriors had lost the toss. Colt hoped it wasn’t a bad omen. The Hurricanes would receive the ball.

  The stands were packed. Half the fans were cheering for the home-team Warriors. Half were rooting for the Hurricanes. Colt’s mom and dad were watching somewhere in the crowd. Everyone roared as the Warriors booted the ball to start the game.

  The Hurricanes were pumped. A wave of red uniforms came storming down the field right at Colt and his teammates. After a blazing forty-yard runback, Travis took over the Hurricanes’ offence at mid-field. He masterminded a drive that even the three best linebackers in the league couldn’t stop.

  Colt, Bulldog, and Gunner never knew what play was coming next. When they expected a run, Travis would step back in the pocket and fire a perfect spiral to one of his wide receivers. When they expected a pass, he’d hand off the ball to his running back who’d scoot between them for a first down. After just four plays the Hurricanes had run the pigskin into the Warriors’ end zone for a touchdown. Colt watched the convert sail through the goalposts. It was already 7–0.

  In the second quarter the Warriors battled their way back. Slowly but surely the black and blue offence marched down the field into enemy territory. Keegan kept the Hurricanes guessing. Pass . . . run . . . run . . . pass. After two more short running plays they pounded the ball down to the one-yard line. But now it was third down. Even though they could smell the goal line it was risky to go for the touchdown. If the Warriors didn’t score on their last down, the Hurricanes would take over the ball. Keegan called a timeout and ran to the sideline to talk over the next play with Coach Colt.

  “Maybe we should kick a field goal and get the easy three points,” Keegan said.

  Colt looked him in the eye. “We need a touchdown to tie up the game. I think we should go for it. I know you can do it.” Colt pushed his quarterback back onto the field just like he had seen his dad do so many times before.

  Keegan took the snap from the Warriors’ centre and tossed the ball to his running back. He swept around the right side. His legs churned faster and faster. The Hurricane defenders dove at his feet, but all they tackled was turf. He raced across the goal line for the touchdown! The Warriors had taken the gamble and made it count. Colt punched the air on the sideline. The score was knotted 7–7.

  Colt snapped on his chinstrap ready to go on for the kick-off. Suddenly, a voice shouted behind him.

  “Let’s go, Greg!”

  Colt’s head snapped around. A man in a green army coat was yelling at Gunner. His dad was back.

  “What are you doing here?” Gunner asked.

  “I couldn’t miss this game, Greg. I know how much it means to you. I got special permission from the base to be here.”

  Gunner shot a glance over his shoulder as he and Colt headed onto the field.

  “Remember, Greg, everything you’ve got!”

  As the clock ticked down in the first half the Hurricanes’ quarterback showed the crowd why he was an all-star.

  Travis Valiant moved his red squad down the field with the precision of a surgeon. Every pass knifed deeper into the heart of Warrior territory. Every run cut further into their confidence. Colt and his teammates tried everything to stop the bleeding, but nothing worked. Travis was about to stab the Warriors with another touchdown.

  Colt raised his hand for a huddle. “We have to stop him.”

  “But how?” Bulldog asked, shaking his head.

  “I know what to do,” Gunner said. “I’ll nail him. Do whatever it takes.”

  “Weren’t you listening?” Colt fired back. “That’s not how we play. That’s not how we ever should have played.”

  “Says who?”

  “Says me! I’m Coach now.”

  Colt knew Gunner would do anything to make his dad proud. The same way Colt wanted to make his dad proud. But there was no time left to argue. He had to trust Gunner to make a clean hit. He ran onto the field and held his breath.

  The referee blew his whistle to start the play. Travis took the snap and stepped back into the pocket. His eyes darted left and right looking for an open receiver in the end zone. Colt and Bulldog charged over the line, but were blocked by the Hurricanes’ big linemen. Colt was going nowhere. All he could do was watch.

  He saw Gunner blast from the line. His eyes burned red like he was possessed by the devil. He ran straight for the quarterback. It didn’t look like anyone could stop him. Gunner had his head down. He had Travis Valiant in his crosshairs. Then it happened. One of the hulking linemen raced from the other side. He was like a runaway truck without brakes. Gunner never saw him coming. The lineman’s big shoulder pads smashed against his helmet. Gunner fell to the ground. And stayed there. He didn’t move.

  Travis found an open receiver. He fired a pass into the end zone. His wide receiver hauled it in. The Hurricanes had scored again.

  Colt and Bulldog didn’t even see the touchdown though. They had rushed to Gunner’s side the second he’d been hit.

  “Are you okay?” Colt asked, kneeling.

  “I never saw him,” Gunner groaned. “Did they score?”

  Colt nodded.

  “It’s my fault.”

  “No, you got blindsided,” Bulldog said.

  “Yeah, I got popped pretty good. I’m a little woozy.”

  Colt and Bulldog helped their teammate up.

  “Let’s get you to the sideline,” Colt said. He put Gunner’s arm over his shoulder and they trudged off the field.

  A minute later the whistle blew, sending the two teams to their benches for halftime. Colt glanced up. The Warriors were down 14–7. They were taking a hit on the scoreboard, and on the field.

  20

  Headcase

  “Shake it off, Greg.”

  Sergeant Nelson’s hands were on his hips. He looked down at Gunner, who was slumped on the bench. “When the second half starts I expect to see you out there.”

  “He got hit on the head, Mr. Nelson,” Colt said. “He’s a bit groggy.”

  “It’s nothing. He’s been hit before,” Sergeant Nelson said. “You can play through it, Greg.”

  Colt studied Gunner. His shoulders were hunched. His arms hung limply by his side. His eyes looked glazed. Colt wasn’t so sure he could play through it.

  He wasn’t the only one.

  “I’ve seen that look before,” Andrea said. She took a photo of Gunner and slung her camera over her shoulder. “It’s the same look Tyrone Hill had when they carried him off.”

  Sergeant Nelson gritted his teeth. “You don’t know Greg. He’s tough.”

  “I know he is,” Colt said. “But he got his bell rung. He’s not himself.”

  Sergeant Nelson pointed at his son. “This is the biggest game of your life, Greg. You’ve got to get back out there.”

  Gunner tried to stand up. His legs wobbled before he slumped back down.

  Colt had to make a decision. Should he let Gunner play like his father wanted? Or keep him on the bench? He wondered what Coach would do.

  A week ago Coach would have sent Gunner back out there. All he’d cared about was winning. But his dad wouldn’t do that now. He’d learned what a hit to the head could do. How it could make people do things they might regret for a long time. And how it could hurt the people they cared about most.

  Colt had made up his mind. He spoke firmly. “Gunner, you’re staying on the bench for the second half.”

  Sergeant Nelson’s face turned blood red. “I didn’t come here just to see my boy sit on the bench. Who are you to say he can’t play, anyway?”

  “I’m the coach.”

  “How can you be the coach? You’re just a kid.”

  Colt looked Gunner in the eye. “Remember what happened to Tyrone Hill?”

  Gunner nodded slowly and winced.

  “Well, I don’t want that happening to you. You can’t play until you’re checked out by a doctor. And that’s not happening today.”

  Gunner looked up at his father. “It’s over, Dad. I can’t do it. I can’t even walk. I’m sorry I let you down.”

  Sergeant Nelson narrowed his eyes at Gunner and shook his head. “I expected more from you, Greg.” Then he turned and walked away.

  Colt felt bad for Gunner. There was a time when his dad would have done the same thing. When he would have cared more about playing through the pain and winning, than about his own son. But Coach had changed. He hoped Gunner’s dad would change, too.

  The referee blew his whistle to start the second half.

  Colt stood on the sideline giving Keegan last-minute instructions. The rest of the Warrior offence ran onto the field to receive the kick-off.

  “I’m not used to such a loud crowd,” the Warrior quarterback said.

  Colt grabbed Keegan by the shoulder pads. “Just pretend they’re the audience and you’re about to go on stage. You’ve rehearsed a hundred times. You know the plays just like you know your lines.”

  Keegan strapped on his helmet and nodded. “The curtain’s going up.”

  Colt pushed the tall quarterback onto the field. “You can do it, man. This game is ours.”

  Colt’s pep talk worked. With Keegan calling the plays, the offence steamrolled down the field. The Hurricanes had no answer for the Warriors’ bruising running attack. Led by their powerful halfback, they pounded their way to a series of first downs. When the Hurricanes’ defence was sure there’d be another run, Keegan would launch a pinpoint pass. Anthony hauled in his last throw and the speedy Warriors’ flanker dashed into the end zone. The convert was kicked. The score was all tied up 14–14.

 

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