now at midfield. Tully sent Vince in to replace Mick and to give Jimmy a message: Don't react too quickly when
a receiver seems to be making a move; watch out for fakes.
Sandville tried the flea-flicker, the trick play that had gotten them their touchdown, but this time Hoot saw the running
back trailing the receiver and hit him as soon as he caught the lateral, stopping the play for a gain of only five.
Jimmy got burned on another pass play, good for twenty yards, and Sandville was at the Cowpen fifteen.
On the sidelines, Cap tried to catch Tully's eye. He
knew
he'd do a better job than Jimmy on defense. But Tully didn't send him in. On the next play,the Sandville quarterback pitched it to another back—who threw it into the end zone where a receiver was waiting, all alone.
Jimmy had charged in too quickly, expecting a running play.
On the extra-point try, the snap was off target. The holder, a running back, picked it up and, dodging two tacklers, took
it in. Sandville led, 15-8.
12
C ap wanted desperately to get back into the game, but Tully stayed with Jimmy. Jimmy showed that he could move the team and
didn't attempt any more long passes. Mixing up short passes over the middle and sideline patterns, with a few runs, he marched
the Panthers down the field to the 'Cuda ten-yard line. But a pass on third and four was knocked down, incomplete. Tully signaled
for a time-out, and Cap listened as Jimmy talked to Tully and Sable.
“I'll get a first down,” Jimmy insisted.
“Let him give it a shot,” advised Sable.
But Tully shook his head. “We're within Hoot's field-goal range. Let's get four points.”
Despite Sable's objections, Tully ordered the field-goal attempt. Hoot's kick was straight and long enough, and the Panthers
trailed by only 15-12.
As Cowpen prepared to kick off, Cap tapped Tully's shoulder. “Uh … am I going to get another chance?”
Tully turned and said, “You'll get back in, don't worry.”
Hoot kicked it deep, but the 'Cuda blockers opened a hole in the middle, and the return man almost broke the runback for a
touchdown. Hoot, the kicker, was the last man with a chance to bring him down. He barely did it, making a shoetop tackle,
at the Panther twenty.
Tully sent Cap in to play defense, bringing Jimmy to the sidelines. On first down, the 'Cudas tried a short-pass play to a
runner coming out of the back-field. Cap reacted quickly and lunged in front of the receiver, getting a hand on the ball and
deflecting it. Second down. The Sandville quarterback pitched out to a runner, who threw a short pass to the center. Hoot
read the play and slammed into the center just as the ball reached him, stopping him for a gain of just one yard and making
it third and fourteen.
In the Panther defensive huddle, Cap said, “They're going to have to throw for the first down. Let's try to pressure the quarterback.”
The Panthers lined up two rushers, one on either side of the center, and they charged into the backfield just as the ball
was snapped. The 'Cuda passer, seeing Ben and Fritz thundering down on him, threw a hasty pass that wasn't close to anybody.
They called time with a fourth down and long yardage to get.
In came their placekicker. “Think he can kick it that far?” Sam asked Cap.
“Maybe it's a fake,” Cap replied. “Watch out.”
It wasn't a fake, and the kick was good. Sandville had built its lead back up to 19-12.
Cap was disappointed when Tully sent Jimmy back out to run the offense. A voice from the bleachers yelled out, “Keep Cap in
there!” It sounded to Cap like his sister, but he wasn't sure.
Sable walked over to Tully and said, “You did the right thing, bringing Jimmy in. He'll get us the lead back, you watch.”
Tully didn't answer.
The 'Cuda kickoff was deep into the end zone for a touchback, and Cowpen took over at their twenty. Jimmy surprised the Sandville
defense with a reverse, on which he pitched to Fritz running
a receiver seems to be making a move; watch out for fakes.
Sandville tried the flea-flicker, the trick play that had gotten them their touchdown, but this time Hoot saw the running
back trailing the receiver and hit him as soon as he caught the lateral, stopping the play for a gain of only five.
Jimmy got burned on another pass play, good for twenty yards, and Sandville was at the Cowpen fifteen.
On the sidelines, Cap tried to catch Tully's eye. He
knew
he'd do a better job than Jimmy on defense. But Tully didn't send him in. On the next play,the Sandville quarterback pitched it to another back—who threw it into the end zone where a receiver was waiting, all alone.
Jimmy had charged in too quickly, expecting a running play.
On the extra-point try, the snap was off target. The holder, a running back, picked it up and, dodging two tacklers, took
it in. Sandville led, 15-8.
12
C ap wanted desperately to get back into the game, but Tully stayed with Jimmy. Jimmy showed that he could move the team and
didn't attempt any more long passes. Mixing up short passes over the middle and sideline patterns, with a few runs, he marched
the Panthers down the field to the 'Cuda ten-yard line. But a pass on third and four was knocked down, incomplete. Tully signaled
for a time-out, and Cap listened as Jimmy talked to Tully and Sable.
“I'll get a first down,” Jimmy insisted.
“Let him give it a shot,” advised Sable.
But Tully shook his head. “We're within Hoot's field-goal range. Let's get four points.”
Despite Sable's objections, Tully ordered the field-goal attempt. Hoot's kick was straight and long enough, and the Panthers
trailed by only 15-12.
As Cowpen prepared to kick off, Cap tapped Tully's shoulder. “Uh … am I going to get another chance?”
Tully turned and said, “You'll get back in, don't worry.”
Hoot kicked it deep, but the 'Cuda blockers opened a hole in the middle, and the return man almost broke the runback for a
touchdown. Hoot, the kicker, was the last man with a chance to bring him down. He barely did it, making a shoetop tackle,
at the Panther twenty.
Tully sent Cap in to play defense, bringing Jimmy to the sidelines. On first down, the 'Cudas tried a short-pass play to a
runner coming out of the back-field. Cap reacted quickly and lunged in front of the receiver, getting a hand on the ball and
deflecting it. Second down. The Sandville quarterback pitched out to a runner, who threw a short pass to the center. Hoot
read the play and slammed into the center just as the ball reached him, stopping him for a gain of just one yard and making
it third and fourteen.
In the Panther defensive huddle, Cap said, “They're going to have to throw for the first down. Let's try to pressure the quarterback.”
The Panthers lined up two rushers, one on either side of the center, and they charged into the backfield just as the ball
was snapped. The 'Cuda passer, seeing Ben and Fritz thundering down on him, threw a hasty pass that wasn't close to anybody.
They called time with a fourth down and long yardage to get.
In came their placekicker. “Think he can kick it that far?” Sam asked Cap.
“Maybe it's a fake,” Cap replied. “Watch out.”
It wasn't a fake, and the kick was good. Sandville had built its lead back up to 19-12.
Cap was disappointed when Tully sent Jimmy back out to run the offense. A voice from the bleachers yelled out, “Keep Cap in
there!” It sounded to Cap like his sister, but he wasn't sure.
Sable walked over to Tully and said, “You did the right thing, bringing Jimmy in. He'll get us the lead back, you watch.”
Tully didn't answer.
The 'Cuda kickoff was deep into the end zone for a touchback, and Cowpen took over at their twenty. Jimmy surprised the Sandville
defense with a reverse, on which he pitched to Fritz running
Similar Books
