The Counterfeit Tackle

by Matt Christopher

  “I don’t know about that… I’m not keen about football. But if I played this Sunday, too…”

  He paused, and Corky stared at him.

  “That Craig Smith, for instance,” Buzz went on. “I never thought he was smart enough to captain a football team. But he called some plays last week that were the right ones at just the right time. I bet he’d make a good chess player.”

  “Chess!” snorted Corky. “That’s all you have in that brain of yours!”

  The Otters practiced on Tuesday. Buzz went along with Corky. He sat on the sideline and watched. Coach Hayes had the boys drill on blocking and tackling, then had them scrimmage. They played rough and hard. Buzz could hear the sound of their helmets and shoulder pads battering each other even from where he sat.

  He couldn’t see any fun in that. Getting knocked around and poked in the ribs by hard helmets wasn’t for him. He’d rather play something safe, like chess.

  But it was on the football field that he had learned what it meant to have guys talk with you, laugh with you, and joke with you. Those fellows were the same off the field, too. Their friendship with Corky proved it.

  Something happened to Alan Rogers, so Bobby Loberg took his place. Buzz saw Coach Hayes look at Alan’s hand and then administer first aid to it. Alan didn’t go in again. The Otters will miss Alan badly on Sunday, thought Buzz, if he can’t play.

  Buzz accompanied Corky to the practice sessions on Wednesday and Friday, too. There was supposed to be practice on Thursday, but it rained so hard that the coach called it off.

  Then, during scrimmage on Friday, Buzz saw someone lying on the field after a play and not getting up. A chill rippled along his spine as he recognized the number on the back of the player’s jersey — 76.

  Corky’s number!

  He stood up on his feet and began chewing his fingernails nervously. Coach Hayes ran out, knelt beside Corky, and felt his ankle.

  Buzz saw Corky wince.

  Then the coach and Craig Smith helped Corky to his feet. They got on either side of him and helped him off the field.

  Buzz ran over.

  “Your brother sprained his ankle, Buzz,” said the coach. “I’ll drive him home so that he can apply a cold pack to it. This is tough luck for your brother and for the team. We play the Cougars Sunday.”

  12

  DAD looked at Buzz long and thoughtfully.

  “I know how you feel, Buzz,” he said at last. “Your mother and I had quite a talk about it Sunday. Just about the same time you and Corky were talking in your bedroom.”

  “Then, can I, Dad?” pleaded Buzz. “Corky wouldn’t play anyway. His ankle isn’t completely healed. Can’t I just wear his uniform and sit on the bench?”

  Dad looked at Mom and Mom looked at Dad as if this were really an impossible situation.

  “Well… what do you think, Kate?” asked Dad.

  “I think the boys should do exactly what we said they should.”

  Buzz’s brows shot up. “What is that, Mom?”

  “Mom and I think that you and Corky should tell Coach Hayes and the team just what you did,” Dad answered. “We think it’s better than trying to keep it a secret. It will bother your consciences later. And both of you — Mom and I, too — might be sorry. What do you think?”

  Buzz looked unhappily at Corky. “I don’t know. What do you think, Corky?”

  He knew Dad and Mom were right. But if they told the coach about their switching places with each other his chance of playing in the next game would surely go down the drain.

  Corky shrugged. “I think we’d better tell them,” he said.

  Buzz shrugged, too. “Okay. Guess we’ll tell them. And guess I might as well forget about playing Sunday.”

  They waited until after dinner to see Coach Hayes, because they knew that he worked every Saturday morning.

  The coach lived on Palmer Avenue, not far from their own street. Buzz and Corky found him in the backyard, playing football catch with Tony Krebbs, Frosty Homan, and Craig Smith.

  “Well, hi, boys!” Coach Hayes smiled. “How’s the ankle, Cork?”

  “Not so good,” replied Corky.

  Buzz hadn’t figured on anyone’s being with the coach. He had thought that he and Corky could make their confession to Coach Hayes, and then Coach Hayes could tell the team.

  His face reddened as the coach turned to him. “And how are you, Buzz?”

  “I’m fine,” Buzz said.

  Then he looked at Corky and Corky looked at him, and Corky said: “You tell him. It was your idea in the first place.”

  Coach Hayes frowned. He tucked the football under his arm and came closer to them.

  “Guess those three guys might as well hear this, too,” Buzz said.

  “Okay.” The frown on the coach’s face deepened. “Come here, fellas. Buzz has something to tell us.”

  Tony, Frosty, and Craig came forward and stood beside him.

  “Just wanted to tell you that it wasn’t Corky who played in that game last Sunday,” Buzz confessed. “It was me.”

  The eyes of all four listeners opened wide.

  “It was me,” repeated Buzz. “Corky wanted to see the Giants-Bears game in 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

  SUNDAY 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 it on 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 and Bobby 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 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 himself in 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

  THE 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 and went 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 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 snap Craig 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

  FROSTY 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. “Thanks. Come on in.”

  They stepped inside.

  “We’re going over to the Tower,” said Goose. “Do you and Corky want to come along? It was you who climbed the Tower with us last week, wasn’t it, Buzz?”

  “Right!” Buzz laughed. So did Goose and the others.

  “Boy! You sure had us fooled then!” said Goose. “What are you two guys going to do next?”

  “I’ll tell you what we’re not going to do,” replied Buzz. “And that is switch ourselves again! Right, Corky?”

  “Right, Buzz!”

  The boys got their coats and caps, said, “See you later!” to Mom, Dad, and Joan, and followed Goose, Frosty, and Tony out the door.