sure felt good.
They gained five yards on two plays. Then a whistle blew, announcing the end of the first quarter.
The teams changed goals. The ball was put on the Otters’ thirteen-yard line.
Third down, five to go. Craig called for a double-reverse. He took the snap from center, handed off to Bobby, who was running
hard toward the left side. Then Bobby handed off to Jimmy, who was running toward the right side.
Buzz blocked his man as best he could. But the man pushed him aside and bolted through the line. He just missed grabbing Jimmy
by the jersey.
Buzz saw Jimmy speeding around right end, gaining yardage with every step. He saw the Cougar linebackers shift from the left
side of the field to the right side. The play had fooled them completely.
Buzz bolted forward. He threw himselfin front of a linebacker and the Cougar player went sprawling over him.
Buzz looked up. Jimmy was still running. The Cougar safety man was gaining ground on him fast. He was almost upon Jimmy…
Then Buzz saw someone running behind the speedy halfback. It was Craig Smith!
Just as the Cougar safety man started to tackle Jimmy, Jimmy lateraled the ball behind him. Craig caught it… and raced all
the way down the field for a touchdown!
The Otter fans cheered so loudly that they must have been heard for miles around.
Frosty kicked for the extra point. The ball sailed straight between the uprights. The Otters went into the lead, 7 to 0.
The Cougars threatened to score when they succeeded in throwing a completed pass that went for thirty-five yards. They got
to the Otters’ five-yard line. Then their quarterback messed up their chances by fumbling a snap from center. Gary O’Brien
recovered the ball for the Otters on the two-yard line!
Craig stood back in the end zone as he called signals. At the snap Buzz’s man charged past him so quickly that Buzz was thrown
off balance. The next instant he heard the shrill blast of the referee’s whistle.
He looked around and saw Craig on the ground, tackled.
“Safety!” said the referee. “Two points!”
The half ended a few plays later. The boys stopped play and walked tiredly off the field.
As they got closer to the bleachers, Buzz saw Mom, Dad, Joan, and Corky sitting with Goose Marsh’s parents. Dad was leaning
forward and saying something to Mr. and Mrs. Marsh. All at once they all broke out laughing.
14
T HE Cougars rolled that second half. Within three minutes their quarterback, Jack Sterns, pulled off a quarterback sneak that
netted them eighteen yards. This put them on the Otters’ nine-yard line.
Jack tried a pass which was knocked down by Craig. He tried another, down in the right corner, where the endline met the sideline.
Jimmy missed knocking it down by inches.
The Cougar receiver caught it andwent over for a touchdown. Abe West converted and the Cougars went into the lead, 9 to 7.
The Cougars held the lead going into the fourth quarter.
Within one minute they pulled off a reverse play that went for twenty-eight yards. It was a play that made Buzz sick. The
ball-carrier had zipped right past him. He hadn’t been on his toes and his man had knocked him aside like a tenpin.
Coach Hayes will take me out now for sure
, he thought.
And Coach Hayes did.
“You had your shoulders up, Buzz. Remember what I told you. Keep down. Drive forward with your shoulders. You’ll be less likely
to lose balance that way.” He chuckled. “Might make a football player out of you yet!”
Buzz laughed.
The Cougars lost the ball on a fumble on the Otters’ twenty-four-yard line. Coach Hayes sent Buzz back into the game.
In the huddle, Tony Krebbs and Frosty Homan, crouching on either side of Buzz, gave him a friendly pat on the back. Craig,
straight across from him, looked him directly in the eye, then at the others around him.
“Come on, guys. Let’s do something. Those Cougars aren’t better than we are.”
“They took out Puffy Williams,” said
They gained five yards on two plays. Then a whistle blew, announcing the end of the first quarter.
The teams changed goals. The ball was put on the Otters’ thirteen-yard line.
Third down, five to go. Craig called for a double-reverse. He took the snap from center, handed off to Bobby, who was running
hard toward the left side. Then Bobby handed off to Jimmy, who was running toward the right side.
Buzz blocked his man as best he could. But the man pushed him aside and bolted through the line. He just missed grabbing Jimmy
by the jersey.
Buzz saw Jimmy speeding around right end, gaining yardage with every step. He saw the Cougar linebackers shift from the left
side of the field to the right side. The play had fooled them completely.
Buzz bolted forward. He threw himselfin front of a linebacker and the Cougar player went sprawling over him.
Buzz looked up. Jimmy was still running. The Cougar safety man was gaining ground on him fast. He was almost upon Jimmy…
Then Buzz saw someone running behind the speedy halfback. It was Craig Smith!
Just as the Cougar safety man started to tackle Jimmy, Jimmy lateraled the ball behind him. Craig caught it… and raced all
the way down the field for a touchdown!
The Otter fans cheered so loudly that they must have been heard for miles around.
Frosty kicked for the extra point. The ball sailed straight between the uprights. The Otters went into the lead, 7 to 0.
The Cougars threatened to score when they succeeded in throwing a completed pass that went for thirty-five yards. They got
to the Otters’ five-yard line. Then their quarterback messed up their chances by fumbling a snap from center. Gary O’Brien
recovered the ball for the Otters on the two-yard line!
Craig stood back in the end zone as he called signals. At the snap Buzz’s man charged past him so quickly that Buzz was thrown
off balance. The next instant he heard the shrill blast of the referee’s whistle.
He looked around and saw Craig on the ground, tackled.
“Safety!” said the referee. “Two points!”
The half ended a few plays later. The boys stopped play and walked tiredly off the field.
As they got closer to the bleachers, Buzz saw Mom, Dad, Joan, and Corky sitting with Goose Marsh’s parents. Dad was leaning
forward and saying something to Mr. and Mrs. Marsh. All at once they all broke out laughing.
14
T HE Cougars rolled that second half. Within three minutes their quarterback, Jack Sterns, pulled off a quarterback sneak that
netted them eighteen yards. This put them on the Otters’ nine-yard line.
Jack tried a pass which was knocked down by Craig. He tried another, down in the right corner, where the endline met the sideline.
Jimmy missed knocking it down by inches.
The Cougar receiver caught it andwent over for a touchdown. Abe West converted and the Cougars went into the lead, 9 to 7.
The Cougars held the lead going into the fourth quarter.
Within one minute they pulled off a reverse play that went for twenty-eight yards. It was a play that made Buzz sick. The
ball-carrier had zipped right past him. He hadn’t been on his toes and his man had knocked him aside like a tenpin.
Coach Hayes will take me out now for sure
, he thought.
And Coach Hayes did.
“You had your shoulders up, Buzz. Remember what I told you. Keep down. Drive forward with your shoulders. You’ll be less likely
to lose balance that way.” He chuckled. “Might make a football player out of you yet!”
Buzz laughed.
The Cougars lost the ball on a fumble on the Otters’ twenty-four-yard line. Coach Hayes sent Buzz back into the game.
In the huddle, Tony Krebbs and Frosty Homan, crouching on either side of Buzz, gave him a friendly pat on the back. Craig,
straight across from him, looked him directly in the eye, then at the others around him.
“Come on, guys. Let’s do something. Those Cougars aren’t better than we are.”
“They took out Puffy Williams,” said
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