Frosty Homan. “He was their best tackle. How about running a play through there?”
“Okay. We’ll try it,” said Craig. “Mike… Robin, open that hole!”
They broke out of the huddle, hurried to the line of scrimmage. At the snapCraig turned, handed the ball off to Frosty, and Frosty plunged through left tackle. The hole was there and Frosty kept going.
He went for nine yards.
“Good going!” said Craig.
Bobby Loberg bucked through the same place for another six yards and a first down.
“Let’s try a run through our right side this time,” said Craig. “Buzz… Pete, now it’s your turn!”
“Just come along!” Buzz smiled.
Jimmy Briggs carried. He picked up only two. On the second down Craig heaved a pass to Goose. It was intercepted! Goose tackled
the Cougar man almost on the spot, but the damage was done. The ball was back in the Cougars’ possession.
They moved the ball across the stripes slowly, as if they weren’t in a hurry at all.But that was because the Otter defense was making it seem so.
The seconds ticked away swiftly. There were only two and half minutes left to play. Buzz saw the sweat on Craig’s face. Craig,
as well as the other players, wanted badly to win. But this seemed to be a battle between quarterbacks. Between Craig Smith
and Jack Sterns.
“We have to get that ball,” said Craig. “We have to!”
Two minutes left. The Cougars had the ball on the Otters’ twenty-two. They gained three yards on a line buck. Another two
on a buck.
“Hold that line, men!” shouted Craig. “Hold it!”
A screen pass! A fumble! Buzz saw the ball bouncing crazily on the ground. Saw a Cougar player rush toward it. With all the speed he could muster he plunged after the ball… fell on it!
The Cougar player fell on him and tried to pull the ball out of his hands. Buzz hung on desperately. The whistle shrilled.
When Buzz got up he saw the referee pointing toward the Cougars’ goal!
Craig, Tony, and Mike all slapped him happily on the back. “Good going, Buzz! Now let’s go! Let’s move!”
The Otters moved with line plunges, short passes, reverses. Craig tried them all and they worked. And then, with forty seconds
to go, he pulled the unexpected… the long one.
Goose was running far down the field. The pass was a beautiful spiral. Almost too far. Goose ran harder, caught it, and went
over for the touchdown.
15
F ROSTY missed the uprights by three feet. No one cared. A few seconds later the game was over. The Cougars had taken their
first beating of the season — 13 to 9.
The Otters hugged each other, jumped, laughed, cheered.
“Hey, Buzz!” cried Goose. “My mother’s baked more of those raisin cookies this weekend! Come over and bring Cork!”
Buzz almost made a face. Then smiled. “Maybe I will!” he answered.
A smiling figure ran across the field and flung an arm around him. “Learned any more about chess from those books, Corky?”
“Not me!” Buzz chuckled. “I’ll never catch on to that game, Dougie! Chess takes brains!”
Dougie laughed. “See you later, Corky!” he said, and ran off.
I wonder where that little squirt Pete Nettles is, thought Buzz. He usually…
Then there was Pete, bolting across the field toward him, a mile-wide grin on his face.
“Nice game, Corky!” he cried. “I knew you guys would beat the Cougars! I’m glad you did! Boy, were they getting cocky!”
“No one’s too good for us Otters,” said Buzz.
“Right! See you later, Corky!”
Pete broke away from Buzz and Buzz thought:
Someday I’ll have to tell him, too. And Dougie. Can’t let them live their whole lives not knowing the truth
.
He headed for the bleachers, where he spotted Mom, Dad, Joan, and Corky waiting for him, broad grins on their faces.
Later that afternoon there was a knock on the door. Buzz answered it. There stood Goose Marsh, Frosty Homan, and Tony Krebbs.
“Hi, Buzz!” said Goose, smiling. “Nice game!”
Buzz grinned.
“Okay. We’ll try it,” said Craig. “Mike… Robin, open that hole!”
They broke out of the huddle, hurried to the line of scrimmage. At the snapCraig turned, handed the ball off to Frosty, and Frosty plunged through left tackle. The hole was there and Frosty kept going.
He went for nine yards.
“Good going!” said Craig.
Bobby Loberg bucked through the same place for another six yards and a first down.
“Let’s try a run through our right side this time,” said Craig. “Buzz… Pete, now it’s your turn!”
“Just come along!” Buzz smiled.
Jimmy Briggs carried. He picked up only two. On the second down Craig heaved a pass to Goose. It was intercepted! Goose tackled
the Cougar man almost on the spot, but the damage was done. The ball was back in the Cougars’ possession.
They moved the ball across the stripes slowly, as if they weren’t in a hurry at all.But that was because the Otter defense was making it seem so.
The seconds ticked away swiftly. There were only two and half minutes left to play. Buzz saw the sweat on Craig’s face. Craig,
as well as the other players, wanted badly to win. But this seemed to be a battle between quarterbacks. Between Craig Smith
and Jack Sterns.
“We have to get that ball,” said Craig. “We have to!”
Two minutes left. The Cougars had the ball on the Otters’ twenty-two. They gained three yards on a line buck. Another two
on a buck.
“Hold that line, men!” shouted Craig. “Hold it!”
A screen pass! A fumble! Buzz saw the ball bouncing crazily on the ground. Saw a Cougar player rush toward it. With all the speed he could muster he plunged after the ball… fell on it!
The Cougar player fell on him and tried to pull the ball out of his hands. Buzz hung on desperately. The whistle shrilled.
When Buzz got up he saw the referee pointing toward the Cougars’ goal!
Craig, Tony, and Mike all slapped him happily on the back. “Good going, Buzz! Now let’s go! Let’s move!”
The Otters moved with line plunges, short passes, reverses. Craig tried them all and they worked. And then, with forty seconds
to go, he pulled the unexpected… the long one.
Goose was running far down the field. The pass was a beautiful spiral. Almost too far. Goose ran harder, caught it, and went
over for the touchdown.
15
F ROSTY missed the uprights by three feet. No one cared. A few seconds later the game was over. The Cougars had taken their
first beating of the season — 13 to 9.
The Otters hugged each other, jumped, laughed, cheered.
“Hey, Buzz!” cried Goose. “My mother’s baked more of those raisin cookies this weekend! Come over and bring Cork!”
Buzz almost made a face. Then smiled. “Maybe I will!” he answered.
A smiling figure ran across the field and flung an arm around him. “Learned any more about chess from those books, Corky?”
“Not me!” Buzz chuckled. “I’ll never catch on to that game, Dougie! Chess takes brains!”
Dougie laughed. “See you later, Corky!” he said, and ran off.
I wonder where that little squirt Pete Nettles is, thought Buzz. He usually…
Then there was Pete, bolting across the field toward him, a mile-wide grin on his face.
“Nice game, Corky!” he cried. “I knew you guys would beat the Cougars! I’m glad you did! Boy, were they getting cocky!”
“No one’s too good for us Otters,” said Buzz.
“Right! See you later, Corky!”
Pete broke away from Buzz and Buzz thought:
Someday I’ll have to tell him, too. And Dougie. Can’t let them live their whole lives not knowing the truth
.
He headed for the bleachers, where he spotted Mom, Dad, Joan, and Corky waiting for him, broad grins on their faces.
Later that afternoon there was a knock on the door. Buzz answered it. There stood Goose Marsh, Frosty Homan, and Tony Krebbs.
“Hi, Buzz!” said Goose, smiling. “Nice game!”
Buzz grinned.
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