Last Man Out by Mike Lupica Page B

was on his own. It didn’t mean he wasn’t going to rely on Coach Fisher or his teammates. Tommy would always be a team-first guy. His dad had told him that being on a team was no different than being on a crew of firemen. To Patrick Gallagher, the guys on Engine 41 had been more than just teammates. They’d been his friends. He’d had to trust them, and trust their loyalty. He’d told Tommy there couldn’t be even the slightest doubt, because that moment of doubt could make all the difference. You had to be able to count on your guys a hundred percent. And they had to be able to count on you. Simple as that, whether you were fighting fires or trying to win football games.
    Tommy realized that was the mistake he’d made at practice the other night. His hard hits had given Danny and Nick a reason to doubt him.
    But they’d all moved past that now. Tommy had decided not to wait; he’d talked to both of them at school on Friday.
    â€œI’ll always have your back,” Tommy said.
    Nick laughed and said, “That is
way
better than getting body-slammed in the back, trust me.”
    â€œI just want you to know you can trust me.”
    â€œI’ll always trust you,” Nick said. “But, T? As much as you love football, sometimes you gotta remember it’s just football, not . . .”
    Nick stopped himself. But Tommy knew what was coming. So he just went ahead and finished the sentence. “Not life and death,” he said.
    Tommy knew that. He realized no matter how well he played or how many games he won—or even how mad he got—none of that was going to bring his dad back. But that didn’t make it any less difficult.
    All he could do now was try to play football the way his dad had taught him. Every game. Every down. He was going to make the guys who thought they were leaving it all on the field look as if they weren’t trying at all.
    When Tommy and his mom got to the field in Watertown, she told him she was going to have coffee with a friend, but would be back before the game started.
    â€œBig game, right?” she said before Tommy got out of the car. “Nick’s mom told me the Titans are one of the best teams in the league.”
    â€œThey’re all big games,” he said. “But this one might be the biggest of them all.”
    Emily wasn’t coming to the game. Their aunt Peggy, his dad’s youngest sister, was babysitting. Em had a soccer game later, and Tommy had promised her he’d be there, even though it was actually the last thing he wanted to do after playing his own game.
    As Tommy walked across the parking lot and toward the field, it occurred to him that it had been one week, almost exactly, from when he’d heard the first siren.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    â€œYou think these guys are
that
good?” Greck said to Tommy and Nick on the sideline before the game.
    â€œNo matter how good they are,” Tommy said, “we’re better.”
    â€œDon’t you love it,” Nick said, “when Gallagher goes all analytical on us?”
    â€œYou want analysis for dummies?” Tommy said. “How about we jump these guys early and never let up?”
    First drive of the game, Titans on offense, and Tommy was ready to get to work.
    Fresh start, but same old Tommy.
    On the third play of the drive the Titans’ quarterback, Kevin Corwin, dropped back to pass, two yards shy of a first down. Tommy charged right out of the gate and used his speed and strength to blow past his blocker.
No problem
.
    When Kevin saw Tommy running toward him like a maniac, Kevin decided to pull the ball down and try to run with it. He turned it on, sprinting toward the line of scrimmage, but couldn’t make it to the marker before Tommy was on him, pushing him to the ground and out of bounds for a loss. Fourth down.
    Tommy was about to get up and high-five Greck when heheard the ref blow his whistle.