Todd Goes for the Goal

by Stuart A. P. Murray

  Rudy yelled “Go!” and Will and Todd sprinted to the front of the line. Every time Rudy shouted, the two players at the end sprinted to the front. Most of them said a good word to Todd as they ran past him. At least most of the team welcomed him.

  After warm-ups and some heading drills, Jaynes organized several four-on-four games. The goalies worked out together, while the field players played with cones for goals. Todd found himself playing against Gates and Rudy. He didn’t know how his own three teammates usually played, so it took a while to learn each other’s moves. There was a lot of one-touch passing. Everybody hustled and played hard, as Coach Jaynes demanded.

  “What you do in practice, you do in the game,” Jaynes called out from time to time. “Move the ball, move it quick.”

  Jaynes often yelled at guys for holding the ball too long. He didn’t much care for dribbling. And dribbling was what Todd did best.

  “Get rid of it, Benson!” Jaynes would yell. “Pass it and get open!”

  It didn’t surprise Todd that Rudy and Gates took him down a few times. He tried to ignore it, but his legs were bruised and scraped from their tackles. Often, he beat them, and he scored a few times. His team was ahead when Jaynes called out, “Next goal wins!”

  Will was watching now, and he called out, “Nutmeg ’em, rookie!”

  But now Gates had the ball and took off up the middle, straight for the cones. That caught Todd’s teammates by surprise. But not him. He got there just in time to block what Gates thought would be an easy goal. In the next moment, Todd was breaking away. He realized that varsity players were not so hard to beat after all.

  Then he was flat on his face, tripped from behind. As he rolled, he saw Gates getting the loose ball. Todd was dazed. He’d gone down hard. He tried to sit up to clear his head.

  There was Will, grabbing Gates by the shirtfront and heaving him back. Rudy came in and pushed at Will, but Jaynes shouted at them.

  “It’s over! Break it up. Take it easy, guys. Don’t want injuries.”

  Jaynes glanced at Todd, who was on his feet by now, refusing to show he had been shaken up. His ears were ringing. Will asked if he was all right. Todd clenched his jaw and nodded.

  The coach’s whistle blasted, and he called everyone in. He said there was an away game the next day. It would be an easy game against Ross Corners, the league’s weakest team. He told them he wanted a lot of goals.

  “Looks like Benson can take a hit,” Jaynes smirked, still not looking at Todd. “Tomorrow he’ll get a chance to show us if he’s ready for varsity.”

  Todd wanted to rub his sore muscles, but he refused to show any sign of pain. At least the ringing in his ears had stopped. Not until he and Will were walking home did he admit he ached.

  “The Ross Corners game is your debut, dude.” Will slapped him on the shoulder. “Start scoring, and Gates’ll be riding the pine.”

  “Yeah,” Todd said, knowing his trouble with Gates and Rudy had just begun.

  The Ross Corners match was special to Todd not just because it was his first varsity game. It seemed his whole family was involved somehow. Both his parents came to the game, and Betsy, too, of course. Two of the players on the other team were Todd’s cousins, and their families were there as well. He worked with them all at the Ross Corners greenhouse during the summer. Even a few employees from the business came over to watch the game.

  Then there was Melanie, who’d driven down with her older tennis teammates. Mel’s being there made Todd more nervous than anything. Her tennis match had been canceled because it was a rainy day. Heavy rain that morning had turned into a soft drizzle. The fans wore rain jackets and held umbrellas. But it was a mild day, and Todd enjoyed the excitement of it all. Will was not so pleased.

  The Ross Corners field was sloppy and slippery. A big puddle of water covered one penalty area.

  Will saw it and said “odds bodkins.” He pushed at the water with a foot, but there was too much to clear it away. “Shoulda brought my wet suit and scuba gear.”

  Todd knew a slippery field gave the advantage to the attacker. The attacker should know where he wanted to go with the ball, while the defender had to react. It wasn’t easy for the goalie to react on a sloppy field, when his feet skidded.

  Warm-ups ended, and Todd hoped he’d get in for at least a quarter of the game.

  “You’ll play, Obeey,” said Gates, as he pulled off his rain jacket.

  He still looked perfect in his all-white away uniform, while everybody else was soggy and splashed with mud. “We’ll run up the score and coach will let you have the crumbs.”

  While Highfield was undefeated, Ross Corners had not won very often this year. Highfield beat them, 4–0, the first time they had played this season. Will told Todd he heard they were getting better, though. No team had scored more than two goals against them since then.

  “This year they have a new coach who’s been working on their defense,” Will said, about to take the field. “And their goalie is supposed to be decent.”

  Will didn’t know how right he was.

  The Ross Corners players, wearing red shirts and black shorts and socks, were sure hard to score on. In fact, through most of the first half, the score remained tied, 0–0. Highfield had several great chances to score, but the ball just wouldn’t go in the goal.

  No matter what Highfield did, Ross Corners players seemed to be there at the last moment. They blocked shots, made desperate tackles, or the goalie would make great acrobatic saves. Even the wet field seemed to favor Ross Corners. Highfield controlled the game with their short passing—but they couldn’t score.

  Todd watched from the end of the bench. The Highfield players were getting frustrated, which made them play worse. Ross Corners was supposed to be weak. But they kept most of their players on defense. They “packed it in,” as was the saying. Highfield played very rough, but Ross Corners was able to take it.

  As the half drew to a close, Coach Jaynes’s face turned redder and redder. He liked to sit on a director’s chair and look cool. But today, he was steamed. Every time Highfield missed a chance or lost the ball, he gulped down water from a plastic bottle he kept under his seat. He began to yell whenever a player lost the ball on the dribble.

  “Piddling with the ball,” he called it.

  The crowd was thrilled—especially the Ross Corners gang. They were yelling and clapping every time their players touched the ball or made a good defensive play. But every time a Highfield player did something wrong, their fans groaned. Coach Jaynes gulped. That water bottle was almost empty.

  Gates was hopeless out there. It was as if he didn’t want to get any mud on his uniform. The mud was exhausting to run in, and the poor guy always seemed to get the ball in that standing water. One time, the Ross Corners goalie dived in for the ball and splashed water all over Gates. He stood back and thoroughly wiped his face with his shirt before continuing to play.

  That got a few gulps from Coach Jaynes. He threw the empty water bottle. Even Rudy yelled at Gates. Then, in the last minutes of the half, Ross Corners broke away. Will came out, but Rudy got there first. Rudy lunged in and knocked the ball away. But to his horror, the ball squirted past Will and into the goal.

  “Gadzooks!” Will exploded in dismay.

  Rudy lay there, head in hands. Ross Corners fans went delirious. Will yanked Rudy to his feet and put an arm over his shoulder. He didn’t want Rudy to feel bad. It was a mistake, but it came from a great effort.

  The whistle soon blew for halftime, and the Ross Corners fans exploded again, cheering wildly. The players sloshed off the field.

  The score was Ross Corners 1, Highfield 0. Todd’s teammates and Coach Jaynes couldn’t believe it.

  Chapter Four

  The Enemy

  As Todd went to sit with the team for the coach’s halftime talk, he looked over at his father. Mr. Benson was trying not to grin. Todd knew he didn’t much like Coach Jaynes, although he’d been careful not to say so directly.
/>
  The coach’s halftime speech shocked Todd. He’d never seen a man in his mid-fifties get so angry before. Coach Jaynes wasn’t screaming, but he was boiling over. His icy stare locked onto his players—especially Gates, who had played so miserably in the first half. He spoke through clenched teeth, and sometimes spit came out.

  “We’re gonna mop the floor with them next half! I know that! But if you play like this against good teams, then you can forget about the state championship. You get it?”

  Some of the players tried to agree with him, but they all seemed in shock at being behind to a so-called lousy team. Rudy sat there, looking glum—elbows on his knees, head down.

  Jaynes said a few things about how weak the opposition was and about how they got a goal by a “stupid mistake.” That wasn’t true, because Rudy had made a great defensive play. It was just bad luck the ball went in.

  “Hey, Coach, what do you mean?” To every-one’s surprise, Will had spoken up. “Rudy’s been the best player out there today, Coach, he—”

  “Awright, awright, whatever, let’s get back to business.” Jaynes didn’t like to be challenged, but Will could stand up to him because he was so important to the team. “Benson, you’re in on the left side. …”

  Todd wondered if he’d heard that correctly. Already?

  “Your job’s to chase the ball and cross it. Don’t dribble. Don’t piddle with it. Use your speed. Then get it over to Gates. Set him up. And Cooper, finish it!” Coach said.

  The plan was for the defenders in the back and Will to boot everything long to Todd. He was fresh, and he was fast. But as he went onto the field, his legs felt like jelly. At the last minute, Jaynes called him over.

  “I know you have family on the other team, Benson, but when you’re on the field, they’re not family, they’re not friends—listen up.” He drew Todd closer. “Today, on the field, they’re the enemy. And you better play like they’re the enemy. All right, go!”

  They’re the enemy.

  Those words echoed in Todd’s mind as he took his position as a left-side attacker. He would be on the same side as the Highfield fans. His family and Mel were there. At first, all he could think of was what Coach Jaynes had said. His own cousins were supposed to be the enemy?

  The game restarted. Before long, Todd loosened up. He shook off the awful words of his coach. He wanted the ball. He concentrated on the game. Not on the coach. Not the fans, not family, not the mud or the rain. He was in a varsity game! And he knew he could do it.

  At least on the ground. A big Ross Corners defender got to the high balls most of the time. Their team had been well coached on defensive heading. But on the ground, Todd used his speed and took advantage of the defenders’ bad footing in the mud. He began to create chance after chance for Highfield. Unfortunately, it was Gates at the other end of those chances, and today he was hopeless.

  In one situation, Highfield had a free kick that Rudy sent sailing into the Ross Corners goalmouth. Todd went up for it. It was a great chance for a goal. But that big, strong defender came out of nowhere and headed the ball clear, almost off Todd’s own head.

  “Get your elbows up next time, Obeey!” Rudy said, as they ran back on defense. “Get ’em up and use ’em to keep that guy off you.”

  Todd knew playing like that could be dangerous to the opposing player. He also knew time was running out. Ross Corners packed it in even more. It seemed like every guy they had was on defense. Another Highfield free kick, and Rudy got ready to take it. He told Gates to go to the right of the goal where he’d take defenders with him. Then he spoke quietly to Todd.

  “Start right, then go to the far post, Obeey. You’re getting it. And keep your elbows up. I ain’t losing this game on an own-goal, man!”

  What followed was a blur, it happened so fast. Todd sprinted right. He heard the whistle for the kick and cut back across the goalmouth. He turned. The ball was there in the air. He jumped. He had it. And his elbows were up. He directed the ball downward, and it squirted on the mud and into the corner of the goal. 1–1!

  The Highfield fans went wild. Everybody on the team grabbed him, high-fiving, and slapping his back. Even Coach Jaynes was on his feet, beaming. Then Todd saw his father, looking back at something on the field. So was Melanie. The ref blew his whistle over and over. Todd turned to see the big defender lying on the goal line, holding his forehead, blood on his hands.

  Todd had elbowed him. It was an accident, but it was awful just the same. Some Ross Corners fans were shouting for a red card. Todd stood there, staring in disbelief. The ref waved off the call for a foul. Somebody on the sidelines said the refs always favored Highfield and that gave them an advantage.

  “Let’s go, Obeey!” Rudy pulled Todd toward their own half for the restart. “We need another one. Fifteen minutes left!”

  As he went, Todd looked at his father, who seemed pained. Todd held his hands out to say it was an accident. His father nodded.

  “Great play, Benson!” That was Coach Jaynes yelling. “Now keep playing! Remember what I told you!”

  This was the enemy?

  Todd felt terrible. His legs went weak again. The defender was on the sidelines now, sitting up. His coach treated his forehead. The refs were there, too, making sure the player was all right. Both teams were taking the break to drink water. Will tossed a bottle to Todd.

  “Not intentional, man.” As he turned away to his goal, Will said quietly, “But next time, be careful with your elbows.”

  Play began again. At first, Todd was in a daze. He didn’t know how to react to the play he’d just made. But he knew he had to keep playing.

  Then, to his surprise, the defender that he had knocked down came running back onto the field. A butterfly bandage was over one eyebrow. Todd offered his hand.

  “Hey, man, sorry …”

  “Yeah,” said the boy, lightly slapping Todd’s hand. “You Highfield guys always apologize for playing dirty—when you score.”

  “Dirty?”

  “That’s the only way you can win.”

  Todd was startled at first. He didn’t deserve that rude comment. He wasn’t a dirty player. Anger rose up in him. Now he had something else to prove. He turned to Rudy.

  “Gimme the ball on the ground next time, in front of this guy.”

  Rudy didn’t question Todd. And when the chance came, he played him a ball that stopped in the puddle, almost in reach of the defender. Todd charged and faked to boot the ball at goal. The defender threw himself to block it and skidded past. In the next moment, Todd was sloshing by him. The mud was terrible. The goalie was charging. The only thing Todd could do was toe the ball as hard as he could.

  It zipped past the goalie’s ear. Highfield 2, Ross Corners 1.

  This time, the Bensons and Melanie all cheered. The Highfield fans all cheered Todd’s great effort.Coach Jaynes applauded. A couple more minutes went by, and the game was over. Todd felt like a wet rag, completely spent.

  Melanie passed by, tapped his arm, and said he’d played a great game. She said nothing to Gates, who looked miffed. Todd was thrilled. It could not have been a better start on the Highfield varsity.

  The Bensons all bundled, wet and steaming, into the car. As they drove away, Todd was jabbering about the game, until he realized everybody else was quiet. He asked why.

  “Well, Todd,” Mrs. Benson said, “we have a big announcement to make.”

  She cleared her throat. His father cleared his throat and looked at her. They both seemed ready to speak, but paused.

  Then Betsy piped up excitedly. “We’re moving to Ross Corners next year!”

  Chapter Five

  Leaving Highfield

  When the Bensons got home that evening, Todd’s very exciting day had turned to a very mixed-up day. By now, his parents had explained that Mrs. Benson’s mother and father were retiring and moving to a new apartment. They were leaving the Ross Corners farmhouse and flower business with the greenhouse to the Bensons.

&n
bsp; Todd’s family agreed not to tell anyone else about the move until Thanksgiving. Todd could not even tell Will. By then, Todd’s soccer season would be over. Coach Jaynes wouldn’t have to wonder whether to put him back on jayvee and give some other young player a chance—one who was staying at Highfield.

  On the one hand, Todd loved his grandparents’ old farmhouse, with its barn, woods, and fields. On the other, he felt he was about to become an important player on one of the best high school soccer teams in the state.

  Like Will, Todd had high hopes of a college soccer scholarship. But Will was a great goalie on a great team. Scouts would know about him. Todd soon would be a good player on an ordinary team. No scouts would likely hear about him. If he did not get noticed, his chances of a soccer scholarship would disappear. He told his father so.

  “Why do you say that?” Mr. Benson asked.

  They were sitting in the kitchen, and Todd was rubbing his bruised legs with liniment.

  “Come on, Dad, just ’cause they almost beat us today doesn’t mean anything. They got lucky. Could’ve been ten zip us. Should’ve.”

  “Coulda, shoulda, woulda—that’s not much of an attitude, is it? Fact is, Ross Corners might have snatched the win.”

  Mr. Benson was right. But Todd was right, too. They’d outplayed Ross Corners by miles, and if just—well, shoulda, coulda, woulda. … Still, Todd’s future in soccer seemed hopeless playing for a weak team compared to Highfield.

  “No chance for a soccer scholarship, Dad.” He let his pants leg down, making a face as he felt the pain of a bruised shinbone. “But their fullback was tough.”

  “Jerry Spane,” Mrs. Benson said, passing through the room. “Good family. I went to high school with his parents.”

  There it was again. Talk about Ross Corners as if it already was home. Or always had been, since the Bensons had spent so much time there for as long as Todd could remember.

  Betsy breezed in behind her mother. “You’re just sorry to be moving because of Mel,” she said.