***
Hax didn’t feel quite as nervous running out onto the field for his second game. Running onto the field still felt exciting, but he didn’t feel like he was about to explode like he had before the game with Benson.
Wilson was also a bigger school than Lareta, though not quite such a football powerhouse as Benson. Lareta usually lost to them but Hax thought Coach Hayes had done a good job of convincing the team they could win if they played hard.
They did their warm-ups and gathered on the sidelines. Captains Jurgens and Mack went out for the coin toss. Lareta won and chose to have Wilson kick-off. Once again Morrison was back to receive. He made twelve yards, out to the thirty, a good return.
Jurgens and the rest of the first-string trotted out onto the field while Hax studied Wilson’s defense. The guy playing middle linebacker had on a different number from the guy on the scouting video Hax’d watched Thursday night. Had their first-string linebacker been out last week? Or was he out this week?
Hax trotted over to Manny, Lareta’s manager, and asked if he could look at the roster they had for Wilson. Manny rolled his eyes but pulled out the roster. Hax saw the listed starter at middle linebacker had the same number as the one out on the field. He asked Manny, “Do you know if this is the same roster as last week? Or do they print a new roster each week?”
Manny snorted, “No. Would it matter?”
Hax considered a moment, “I guess not.” Either way the middle linebacker wasn’t the one he’d watched on the video. He turned to watch how this one played.
Hax found himself watching far more analytically than he had during the game the week before. He’d felt good when Coach Hayes’d pointed out that most high school quarterbacks had trouble keeping track of what their own offense was supposed to do and recognizing a few “looks” that the opposing defense might present. Coach said actually grasping the weaknesses and foibles of the individual players on the other team’s defense was rare. Coach thought it was pretty good that Hax had done so for his own team after a period of weeks, but he’d doubted Hax could do it well enough to understand Wilson’s players from a single game tape in one night.
Nonetheless, the coach had given him a copy of the scouting video to review and he’d gone over it carefully.
This middle linebacker seemed more excitable than the one on the video and it seemed like both he and the right-side linebacker were looking to the left linebacker for direction. Hax decided the middle linebacker from last week was probably their starter, but he was out sick or something this week.
Jurgens led the offense to a couple of first downs. Watching this fidgety new middle linebacker, Hax thought he could easily read when they were going to blitz. The guy was slow and couldn’t seem to cover Lareta’s receivers very well, but big and strong and good at stopping the run. He also broke through Lareta’s line pretty quickly when he blitzed.
The rest of Wilson’s team performed about as Hax would have expected from the scouting video.
Hax had started to wonder why Coach Hayes wasn’t having them run short passes over the middle to take advantage of the middle linebacker’s weak pass protection. Then Jurgens’ primary receiver was covered on a play. The tertiary receiver was open in the short middle. Hax excitedly waited for Jurgens to the hit the tertiary. Ice slid down Hax’s spine when instead Jurgens sent a long bomb to his secondary receiver as if he hadn’t seen the tertiary. This was even though that secondary receiver was covered by Barry Horn, Wilson’s star defensive back. Before the game the coaches had warned them to do their best to stay away from Horn. The DB was small but really fast.
And, when Jurgen’s pass went a little wide, Horn picked off an interception.
And, like the little rocket he was, he ran it all the way back for a touchdown.
With a sick feeling in his stomach, Hax felt the momentum shift. Jurgens looked disheartened as he came off the field and Hax felt bad for him. Coach Hayes grabbed Jurgens as he crossed the sideline and gave him an emphatic verbal thrashing.
After that Jurgens looked more down than ever.
Wilson made the extra point and kicked off.
Then Jurgens was back out on the field. He looked uncertain and played like it too. He threw the ball away three times. Hax thought he was really afraid of getting intercepted again because he had open receivers, they just weren’t wide open.
Then Lareta was punting.
Lareta’s defense went out on the field for the first time.
Hax had fast-forwarded through the scouting film of Wilson’s offense, wanting to watch as much video of their defense as he could. Now he intently watched Wilson’s offense playing live, hoping to get some ideas. Unfortunately, they seemed to play very much a plain vanilla offense. But they executed it well, making Hax think of Coach’s KISS principle. Getting three yards here, then eight yards and a first down. Six yards and then nine for another first down. Three, two and fifteen for a third first down. Just as Hax had started to despair of stopping them before the goal line, Elias took the Wilson QB down hard and the ball bounced loose.
Lareta recovered it!
Lareta’s offense went back on the field and started running the ball. At first they were successful, pounding out the yards for first down after first down, but then they stalled and, when Jurgens did try to pass on third down and eleven, it was incomplete.
They punted and Wilson marched down for another touchdown.
It was 0-14 just two minutes into the second quarter.
During the kickoff, Hayes called Hax over, “I’m sending you in, you ready?”
Hax felt bad for Jurgens, but not bad enough to keep him from saying, “Yes sir.”
Hayes turned back to watch the kickoff and Hax did too, but, with his eyes still on the field, he said, “Coach?”
“Yeah?” Hayes responded without looking away from the field.
“Um, their middle linebacker’s different from the one on the vid. This one’s strong but slow. I think our ends can beat him for short yardage passes up the middle.”
Hayes turned to look at Hax with a contemplative look on his face. He shrugged, “Ok, we’ll try a few, see what happens.”
Jurgens trotted up on the other side of Hayes, saw Hax standing next to him and got a hurt look on his face. Hayes said, “We’re gonna have Buchry run a set of downs; see what happens.”
When he heard that, Jurgens looked like someone shot his dog.
Morrison made an eighteen-yard return of Wilson’s kickoff.
Aldon Mack looked around at the guys in the huddle. He thought they looked a little frazzled and gun shy. Then Buchry trotted up, I knew it was gonna happen eventually, but I’d hoped Carl would get a few more chances before this kid got sent in. He wondered how the team would react and was surprised to see them seem to settle down as Buchry’s eyes passed over each of them. Buchry said, “Okay, coach says Wilson’s middle linebacker can’t defend the pass so we’re gonna try to slip one by him.” Buchry called the play then turned to the tight end, “Wojo, you’re crossing over the middle, look to get the ball right after you pass that linebacker, then turn downfield. Run to the right, that hotshot DB isn’t big enough to stop you once you get up to speed.” He turned to the wide receiver, “Terry, you’re secondary receiver. Bend your pattern a little toward the middle too.”
They clapped their hands and moved up to the line, Aldon feeling confident in the upcoming play for the first time—even though he wasn’t intellectually sure there was any justification for it.
The ball hiked and Aldon watched Wojo with one eye while covering his blocking assignment with the other. Like coach had told Buchry, the middle linebacker looked clumsy as he turned, trying to cover Wojo as he went by.
The ball zipped behind the linebacker to drop perfectly in Wojo’s hands.
Wojo turned down field and barreled right at Horn, Wilson’s star DB.
Horn looked like he didn’t have the balls to tackle the bigger Wojo head on, instead trying to
hook Wojo’s ankles as he went by.
Wojo stumbled a little—but retained his feet and kept going—all the way to the goal line.
As Aldon trotted off the field he thought, One freaking play! That goddamned Buchry turned this whole game around on his first play!
Wilson received the kickoff and brought their offense onto the field, but Lareta’s defense seemed energized, stopping them with a three and out.
As Aldon trotted out onto the field again he looked around himself at the rest of the offense. They’re standing taller! Eager, he thought, like they think good things are going to happen.
In the huddle, everyone looked at Hax as if they were expecting him to bring down the word from on high—which on Aldon’s reflection was ridiculous after a single successful play. Buchry called an off-tackle draw, then focused on the linemen. He said, “Jackson, your guy likes to try to go around you to your left. This time, let him, ‘cause the play’s going to your right. Wojo, you’re stopping the outside linebacker. He’s tough but not very smart. If you bump him, then pull off like you’re going out for the pass, he’ll follow you—sell it!” Buchry turned to Aldon, “Mack, they’ll have made you a lane, once you have the ball, make like a freight train, right?”
Aldon nodded, suddenly sure of himself.
The ball hiked, Buchry slapped it solidly into Aldon’s stomach, the lane was wide open and Aldon blew through it, feeling unstoppable. He made twenty-five yards before he got pulled down by a safety, two defensive backs and a linebacker.
Trotting back to the huddle Aldon felt invincible!
Buchry threw two passes to receivers slanting across the middle for eleven and fourteen yards each.
Wilson’s defensive backs pulled in a little to help shore up the weak area around the middle linebacker. Buchry threw the ball to his tertiary receiver over by the sideline.
Another freaking touchdown!
Aldon Mack trotted off the field shaking his head, Buchry’s run five plays and the game’s tied up! Looking across the field he could almost see dejection rising over Wilson’s sideline—like some kind of sickly miasma.
After the kickoff, Wilson made a couple of first downs, but then they had to punt again.
Back on the field Aldon thought Lareta’s offense seemed overly excited. But as soon as they formed the huddle around Buchry an expectant calm came over them. It’s like Buchry hypnotizes them, Aldon thought. Buchry called a running play, once again telling key players how to beat the guys they were assigned to block. Each of them nodded as if, with that bit of advice, they now had complete confidence they could handle their man. Buchry turned to LaVar, the other running back, and said, “Grimes, those blocks are going to get you past the line to the left side DB. That guy’s gotten a rep for tackling the ball and stripping it. Let the ball swing wide in one hand; he’ll focus on it like it’s a matador’s cape. Then pull it in and protect it with both hands when you’re actually going by him, okay?” Grimes looked surprised, then nodded eagerly.
The play went just like Buchry’d scripted it. Grimes broke by the DB but was eventually pulled down by Horn from behind. Not before he’d gotten twenty-four freaking yards though.
Next came a pass. Buchry’s receivers didn’t get free. Aldon thought he was going to have to throw the ball away but when one of Wilson’s guys broke into the pocket, Buchry put his long, skinny, left-arm on the guy’s upper arm and danced around him, pushing him down into the dirt!
Then he hit Wojo with a long bomb, even though Wojo’d slowed down as if he thought the play was over. Wojo’s defender apparently thought the same thing and that’d provided the separation that left Wojo open. The DB took Wojo down as soon as he caught it but it was another thirty-five yards!
Running play, pass into the middle. Pass into the middle and then they were at the goal line.
Aldon punched through a dive off center for that last yard.
Six more plays and we’ve got a third touchdown! Aldon thought with amazement.
They kicked off but there were only fourteen seconds left in the half. Nothing really happened before they headed into the locker room, up 21-14.
***
Louis laid out his guns and considered them. He kept them in the house for protection and he’d never thought he’d need them for something like this. Angela’d always been a good wife. Obedient, she’d kept a nice house, learned to cook, and raised Louis, Jr. without complaint. He’d thought it odd when she’d said she wanted to go to the local high school football game with one of her girlfriends whose daughter was a cheerleader. After all, who’d want to do something like that? But he’d learned over the years of his marriage that women often wanted to do things he had no interest in.
But then, about 10 minutes ago he’d remembered that Jimmy Dotson, one of Angela’s high school boyfriends, was supposed to be an assistant coach for the team. No way she’s down there watching some friend’s daughter doing cheers! That bitch is trying to sniff around Jimmy again!
Louis undid his belt and started threading his small-of-back holster onto it. Once it was strapped in place, he reached behind his back to be sure he could draw the little 9 mm. He popped out the magazine and checked to be sure it was full. Next, he put a round in the chamber before putting the gun on safe and putting it back in the holster. He put on his leather jacket and dropped the Sig Sauer into its big pocket.
Still fuming, he picked up the keys to his car and headed out the door.
***
At the start of the second half Wilson received the kickoff and marched down for a touchdown to tie it up again at 21-21. Aldon started feeling edgy over the seeming reversal of their fortunes, but as soon as they got in their first huddle with Buchry, Aldon and everyone else seemed to relax. Buchry ran the plays Hayes sent in, but modified each one slightly with directions he gave the guys in the huddle. They made gains on every play and rolled up first down after first down on the way to another touchdown of their own, 28-21.
Shortly after Wilson got the ball on the kick off, Elias intercepted a pass. Buchry marched them down for another touchdown in eight plays, 35-21.
Wilson received the kickoff, but stalled on their drive and had to punt. When Lareta’s offense went back out on the field, Buchry hit a long bomb on their third play for another touchdown!
The score was 42-21 and Buchry’d only run twenty-one plays in the second half.
And only eleven in the first half.
Hayes sent in the second-string with the third string quarterback. This seemed to be a kindness to Jurgens as it didn’t imply he was on the second-string now—even though everyone had to be thinking it.
As the fourth quarter puttered along to an inevitable conclusion, Aldon found himself standing near Buchry, furtively watching him as he stood there studying the game and twisting a football. Aldon shook his head as he wondered how Buchry did what he did. Not just the uncannily accurate passing, but also how, with a few words and a calming look, he could settle the team and utterly convince them that whatever strategy he’d just proposed was going to work. A damned sophomore and he settles seniors and juniors with a few words. Never looks ruffled. So damned skinny, you’d think if he got tackled once he’d be out of the game; except no one seems to be able to lay a hand on him!
Shrieking and bellowing suddenly came from the bleachers behind them. Aldon noticed Buchry turning curiously at the same time as Aldon did.
In the lower stands behind them the crowd was scrambling away from a guy waving a gun!
He was dragging a woman by the hair and yelling at people to keep back.
The crowd kept falling back away from the couple. Aldon looked around to see if there were any security people around but none were in evidence. He had no idea whether the school hired any rent-a-cops for game security, but figured those kinds of cops probably didn’t carry guns anyway.
Aldon wondered if there was any way someone could stop the guy. He’d backed up to the railing at the end of the bleachers so no one coul
d come up behind him. Charging him from the front while he was waving a gun seemed crazy!
The guy looked down at the woman and, in a voice that carried clearly, said, “Angela, you shoulda known better than to fool around on me!” He brought the gun down to point it at her head…
The gun disappeared!
For a moment Aldon thought the gun had exploded or something, then Aldon’s mind recognized a football bouncing off the railing behind the couple. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Buchry picking up another ball.
The guy hadn’t let go of the woman’s hair. He shook his right hand a couple of times as if it’d been stung, then reached behind his back. He’s got another gun! Aldon thought with dismay.
Buchry threw another ball. This one caromed off the guy’s head and dropped him like a sack of potatoes. Buchry bent over and picked up a third ball.
The people in the stands rushed forward to swarm over the gunman.
Aldon stood there, staring at Buchry and wondering what the hell he’d just seen happen. Could you really knock someone out with a football? Aldon thought about how bad a hard-thrown football could hurt if you didn’t catch it right. He pictured getting hit in the temple. I guess it could knock you out… I just saw it happen.
People were looking around, trying to figure out what’d just happened. Aldon thought he might’ve been the only one to actually see Buchry throw a ball; everyone else had been focused on the gunman. But, in view of the fact that footballs had stopped the shooter, it wasn’t long before people started looking at the players on the sideline.
The Boy Who Couldn’t Miss Page 15