The Counterfeit Tackle by Matt Christopher

the worst way, so I told him I’d take his place…”
    And he went on to explain the whole thing, why he did it and everything. And Coach Hayes, and the three guys beside him, stared
     as if thunderstruck.
    And then Coach Hayes started to laugh and couldn’t stop laughing for a whole minute. Even the boys with him laughed.

    “No wonder I thought it was odd that Corky was playing his tackle position so strangely at times!” he said, drying the laugh
     tears from his eyes. “Not once did I suspect… Boy! You twins certainly pulled that off slick!”
    Buzz’s heart was beating like an old alarm clock. “You won’t kick Corky off the team because I played in his place, then,
     will you, Mr. Hayes?”
    The coach thought a bit. “No, I won’t, Buzz. Matter of fact, what are
you
doing tomorrow afternoon?”
    Buzz stared. “Who? Me?”
    “Yes, you,” said the coach.
    “N-nothing,” murmured Buzz, wide-eyed.
    “Then, how would you like to play in Corky’s place, seeing as how he has a bad ankle and can’t play anyway?”
    Buzz’s heart throbbed. And he had thought he wouldn’t have a chance anymore!
    “I sure would!” he said.
    “Wait a minute.” Coach Hayes turned to the three boys beside him. “I’m going to tell the rest of the team what Corky and Buzz
     just told us. But what’s your opinion? Okay if Buzz takes Corky’s place again?”
    Buzz looked at them. For a moment his heart stood still.
    All three boys smiled happily.
    “You bet!” said Craig.
    “Sure!” said Frosty.
    “I’m all for it!” said Tony.
    Buzz was filled with excitement. He looked at Corky and Corky looked at him. They couldn’t say anything for a full half-minute.

13
    S UNDAY was a cold, bleak day. The sky was scudded with gray clouds, the sun peeking through only occasionally.
    The Cougars strutted around the field like cocky roosters. They had won their first two games, and were confident that they
     would beat the Otters, too.
    The Otters won the toss and chose to receive. Abe West, the Cougars’ husky fullback, kicked the ball. Craig caught iton his eighteen and ran it back to his twenty-eight.
    Buzz watched the game from the bench. The coach had Toi Ying playing right tackle.
    I wonder if he’ll put me in
, Buzz thought.
I just wonder
.
    He wasn’t wearing his glasses. The coach had said it might be dangerous to play tackle with them on. It was sure hard to see
     things in the distance without them. But he didn’t care. He just wanted to see if the guys would really be friendly toward
     him now that they knew he was Buzz and not Corky.
    Frosty Homan gained five yards on a run through left tackle. Then Bobby Loberg picked up another two on a run around right
     end. On the third down Craig flipped a screen pass to Bobby andBobby plowed ahead six yards for a first down. They moved the ball to the Cougars’ thirty-eight-yard line, and lost it on
     a fumble.
    With three minutes to go, Coach Hayes came over, smiled. “Okay, Buzz. Go in at the next down in place of Toi Ying.”
    Buzz went in. On the very first play he was off side.
    “That’s okay, Buzz!” said Craig, as the referee counted off five yards against the Otters. “Watch it the next time.”
    The Cougars had the ball on the Otters’ eleven-yard line. With second down and three to go, the Cougar quarterback tried the
     keeper play. He didn’t get anywhere. Abe West bucked. He gained two yards. Not enough for a first down.
    “Thataway to go, guys!” said Craig, running behind the linemen and hitting them on their rumps. “Hold them one more time and
     I’ll give you a medal.”
    On their last down, Abe West tried to buck the line again. It was close… so close that the referee called in the linesmen
     with their chain to measure.
    Short by inches!
    “Are we lucky!” cried Goose, smacking Buzz on the shoulder. “Let’s go now, men!”
    Buzz’s heart warmed. Already the guys were treating him as one of their own. Boy, that smack on the shoulder