by Rich Wallace
Ben saw Loop sprinting straight toward the goal. “Cover him!” he yelled.
Mark darted over, but Loop fielded the pass and pivoted to shoot. The ball careened off Mark’s shin guard and wobbled toward the goal. Ben ran forward and smothered it.
He stood up and let out his breath. No need to hurry, he thought. Every second of delay was to his team’s advantage. So he looked around the field.
Kim was alone near the sideline, and Ben rolled the ball hard toward her. She cut toward it and took off, covering a lot of ground before any of the Falcons caught up.
With a nifty move, Kim stopped short and flipped the ball to Mark. He booted it hard and chased it, sending it down near the Falcons’ goal.
Ben pumped his fist as a Falcons defender knocked the ball out of bounds. Kim ran over to take the throw-in. The Bobcats were controlling the ball, and the clock was ticking away.
“Move up a little,” Ben called to Omar, who was far back on defense. “Go to midfield. Keep the ball down that end.”
Omar jogged forward a bit. Down the other end, Jordan had taken an off-balance shot that went out of bounds.
Ben hopped up and down. This game was nearly over. And what a job he’d done. He’d stopped every shot, and he’d scored a goal of his own. And his work might already be done. If his teammates could keep the ball up at the other end of the field, the Falcons wouldn’t get another chance.
It looked like that might happen. Kim made a steal and controlled the ball for a few seconds. When the Falcons got it back, the Bobcats swarmed the ball and kept it from coming downfield.
With seconds remaining, Loop finally broke free. He kicked the ball past Jordan and took off at a full sprint. He crossed midfield, then turned it on even harder.
Omar stepped up and forced Loop to go wider. But Alex was racing down, too, and Loop sent the ball directly into his path.
Ben dug in and crouched, ready to leap for the ball. It would be a tough shot for Alex; Ben had the corner of the goal protected.
Loop had cut back toward the middle, and Alex made the pass. Ben dodged that way.
As he lifted his leg to shoot, Loop suddenly fell forward, landing in a heap on the turf. Ben dived onto the loose ball. The referee blew his whistle.
Ben looked over. Mark was lying on the ground behind Loop. Loop sat up and groaned, rubbing his calf.
“That was a dangerous play,” the referee said. “I’m awarding a penalty kick.”
Penalty kicks were very rare in this league, but this one seemed to be justified. Mark had tripped Loop as he was about to shoot.
Mark shook his head, but he held out his hand for Loop and helped him to his feet.
“Here’s the wrinkle,” the referee continued. “Time has expired. So I want only the goalie and the shooter on the field. If the Falcons score, we go to overtime. If not, then the Bobcats win.”
Ben looked at the sky and blew out his breath. Loop set the ball on the penalty mark, about twelve yards in front of the goal.
The referee explained the rule, since neither player had been involved in a penalty shot before.
“The goalie must stand still on the goal line until the ball is kicked,” he said. “The shooter can kick it only once. Since the game has ended, you can’t score on a rebound, only on the first shot.”
Loop stepped several feet back from the ball. Ben spread his arms a few inches from his hips and bent his knees. He could hear players from both teams yelling from the sidelines. It was just him and Loop. One-on-one.
Loop looked mean. Ben knew that he did, too. He’d made a lot of great saves today, but they’d be worth nothing if he didn’t stop this shot.
He knew Loop would be aiming at a corner of the goal, but which one? If Ben guessed wrong and darted to one side, he’d leave the other side wide open. But would he be able to react quickly enough if he waited until the ball was in the air?
There was no more time to think. Loop charged forward and booted the ball. It soared to Ben’s left, about shoulder height and fast.
Ben dived. He felt the ball strike his hands and he pushed hard.
As he hit the ground, Ben could hear the cheers. But who were they for? He looked back toward the goal and saw the ball, but it was outside the net.
Loop was squatting near the penalty line, his hands crossed behind his head, his eyes on the ground. The Bobcats were running toward Ben, leaping and shouting. He’d punched the ball over the goal. He’d made the save!
The next few minutes were wild, with players smacking him on the back, his parents and his brother giving him giant hugs, and his coach telling him he’d played the best game of his life.
The Bobcats crossed the field together and shook hands with the Falcons. Alex smiled slightly as Ben took his hand. “Great save,” he said.
Loop swung his hand and hit Ben’s, but he kept walking away and didn’t say a word. Ben let him go. He didn’t need to speak to Loop. His play on the field had said it all.
CHAPTER SIX
Toughing It Out
Ben couldn’t wait until recess the next day. Not because he wanted to burn off energy, but because he had a nice surprise for Loop.
He’d saved that paper with Loop’s predictions on it. He planned to march over to Loop’s four-square game and show it around.
Loop had been quiet all morning. Ben hadn’t had a chance to talk to him before class. He did look over a couple of times and mimic Loop’s favorite gesture, patting himself on the chest and then pointing. Loop just frowned and looked away.
He knows I’ve got him now, Ben thought. He’ll never get even for that thrashing we gave them yesterday.
So Ben was feeling pretty good as he made his way across the playground. Loop was smacking a ball around with a couple of classmates, waiting for the rest of the four-square players to arrive.
“Did you guys see the paper this morning?” Ben asked.
“What paper?” Nigel replied.
“You know, with the soccer scores,” Ben said.
Loop scowled. “The newspaper doesn’t print the results of the Kickers League,” he said.
Ben took the paper out of his pocket and held it up. “I meant this paper,” he said. “Let’s see. The Rabbits won. But uh-oh, this Falcons score is way off. I think they got their butts kicked.”
Loop rolled his eyes. Nigel grabbed the edge of the paper and looked at it, then grinned at Loop. “Guess you were a little off, huh?”
Loop shrugged. “Things didn’t go our way.”
Because of us, Ben thought. He laughed and started to walk away.
“Are you playing four square with us or not?” Loop asked.
“Nah,” Ben said. “Not till Monday. I’ve got another big soccer game to get ready for. But I guess you already heard about that.”
Ben held on to that good feeling throughout the day. He wasn’t bothered that he only got a B on a math test. And he didn’t mind that he’d forgotten to bring an extra quarter to buy a cookie at lunch. Having the upper hand on Loop for a change was all he needed right now.
He watched the clock for most of the afternoon. Larry’s cross-country race was scheduled to begin at four. That would be almost as exciting as playing soccer.
* * *
Ben could hear a lot of yelling as he approached the park. He knew he was late, but he’d been so hungry after school that he’d run home first and eaten a peanut butter sandwich. So the race was beginning as Ben reached the park entrance.
“Go, Lincoln!” Ben yelled. He could see several green-shirted runners from Larry’s team near the front of the pack as they raced across the field.
Ben had been to a couple of Larry’s races here, so he knew the two-mile course. He could get a great view of the runners from the top of a hill partway through the race, then cut across this field and see them again a half mile later. From there, he’d run toward the finish line.
He saw his parents approaching, too. With his mother working more at the bank, they were onl
y able to get to the major sports events—like the soccer play-offs and Larry’s championship races. Ben gave them a wave and scampered up the grassy hill, then made his way through the woods for about fifty yards. The runners would be coming along this trail any minute.
There were eight teams in the race, including Lincoln’s biggest rival, Brookfield. The Brookfield runners were easy to spot in their red-and-black uniforms.
A small crowd of spectators was nearby. A shout went up as the lead pack of runners came into view. Larry’s teammate Devin was at the front, but the group tucked tightly behind him included four runners from Brookfield and none from Lincoln.
“Come on, Devin!” Ben yelled. “You look good.”
Larry was in view now, running second for Lincoln. He was usually the third or fourth runner on the team. Two of his teammates were right behind him. A steady stream of runners raced past Ben’s post.
“Hold that pace!” Ben called. “Gotta catch some of those Brookfield guys.”
They’d run less than a half mile, so Ben knew things would change a lot before the race was over. Larry always said it didn’t matter how fast you started. The object was to finish strong.
Ben sprinted down the side of the hill and across the field toward a cluster of spectators who were waiting for the runners to exit the woods.
As he approached, a cheer went up. “All right, Devin!” someone yelled. “You’re pulling away.”
The voice sounded very familiar. Ben craned his neck to see the runners coming up the dirt path. Devin had a twenty-yard lead, but the next runner was from Brookfield. Two runners from other schools were next, then three more from Brookfield. Larry and his two teammates were several yards behind the Brookfield pack.
In cross-country, a team’s first five runners score points. Unlike in most sports, the lowest score wins. The winner of the race scores one point for the team, second place gets two, and so on.
“Do it, Larry!” came that same voice, and this time Ben recognized it. Why was Loop at the race?
As Larry ran by, he appeared more comfortable than the runners around him. He was running very fast but pacing himself well. The race was only half over, so he had plenty of time to move up.
From the finish line, Ben would be able to see the last half mile of the race. He started to run in that direction.
“Wait up!” called Loop.
Ben slowed a little. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
“My cousin is on the girls’ team,” Loop said. “Your brother looks really good today.”
“He’s primed,” Ben said. “Very focused.”
“I hear you,” Loop said. “I guess it runs in the family.”
That sounded like a compliment. But Ben could think about that later. The Lincoln runners needed to pass a few people or they’d be sorry.
“Let’s go, Lincoln!” Ben yelled, although the runners were probably too far away to hear.
Ben ran toward the finish line, which was on the other side of the big grassy field.
“This way,” Loop said.
“Where?”
“We’ll catch them about two hundred yards from the finish,” Loop replied. “That’s where they need a boost, not at the finish line.”
“Good call,” Ben said. He followed Loop to where the runners would cut behind a baseball diamond. From there, it would be a straight sprint to the end.
They stood to the side, out of the runners’ path but close.
“Should be here any minute,” Loop said.
“Yeah. I didn’t know you liked cross-country.”
“I love to run.”
“You gonna switch to cross-country in junior high?”
Loop shrugged. “Who knows? Soccer, cross-country … I might even play football.”
“Yeah.” There were a lot of sports to choose from. But they wouldn’t be in junior high for three more years.
Loop was obviously in better spirits this afternoon. Ben wished he hadn’t made a big deal about the soccer game at recess. Ben had played a great game—why rub it in? Loop was a terrific athlete, but nobody could win all the time.
“Here’s Devin,” Loop said, pointing to a spot a hundred yards away.
It appeared that Devin would win the race. He had a big lead on the first Brookfield runner. Then came a runner in a blue jersey and one in orange. Those four were spread out.
A roar came from the spectators as the next group came into view. Three red jerseys and three green ones.
“That’s the whole race right there!” Loop said. “Whichever team toughs it out most will win.”
As they rounded the last turn, Larry moved slightly ahead of the others in his pack.
“Sprint!” Ben yelled.
“Don’t look back!” shouted Loop, jumping into the air.
As Larry passed them, Ben could barely speak from excitement. The five runners behind Larry were starting to sprint, too. Ben could hear Larry’s breathing and see the pain on his face. But Larry kept going, and he was pulling away from the others.
“Think we’ll win it?” Ben asked.
“Too close to call,” Loop said. “But Larry looks great. They won’t catch him.… Quite a week for your family, huh?”
Ben and Loop ran to the finish area and found Larry walking slowly with two of his teammates.
“Way to be,” Loop said. “Real guts.”
Larry nodded. “Thanks,” he whispered.
“You all right?” Ben asked.
Larry forced a smile. “I’m wiped out. But fifth overall and second guy on the team. I’ll take it.”
They waited anxiously for the announcement of the team scores. Finally it came:
“Third place, with eighty-two points, Emerson.”
“In second place …”
Ben felt his fists tighten. Lincoln was either first or second.
“Brookfield, with forty.”
A big cheer went up from the Lincoln team. They’d won the title.
“The new team champion is Lincoln, with thirty-eight points.”
“Awesome,” Larry said, slapping hands with his teammates. He turned to Ben.
“Just another race?” Ben asked with a big grin.
Larry shook his head and beamed. “Best race I ever ran.” He picked up his sweat suit and wiped his forehead with the shirt. “Think you can make it two championships in one house tomorrow?”
Ben nodded confidently. He jutted his thumb toward Loop. “The hardest part was beating this guy’s team yesterday.”
“Don’t be too sure,” Loop said. “The Rabbits are very good.”
“Will you be there?” Ben asked.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Loop said. “And I’ll be pulling for you guys. Any team that can beat us like that deserves to win the title.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
On the Run
Ben woke extra early on Saturday and quietly made his way down to the kitchen. The floor was cold on his bare feet.
He looked out the back window at the yard. Most of the leaves had fallen from the trees, and the lawn was no longer bright green.
The game wasn’t until nine, so Ben hoped things would warm up by then. He couldn’t wait, even though that uneasy pregame feeling was haunting him again. Championship jitters, he thought. But this time he was sure the nervousness would go away once the game began.
Larry came bounding down the stairs in his green sweat suit. “Feel like running?” he asked.
“I’ll run plenty later,” Ben said. “Aren’t you tired?”
“Coach always says to run the morning after a race.” Larry opened the refrigerator and took out the orange juice. “Otherwise your muscles get stiff.”
Ben stuck his head inside the door, too. He grabbed a container of yogurt.
“Sleep good?” Larry asked.
“Mostly. Woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t stop thinking about the game. It’s tough coming back just two days later. In the regular season, we had a week betwee
n games.”
Larry laughed. “And every week, you could barely sit still waiting for Saturday. You said you would play a soccer game twice a day if they’d let you.”
“Yeah. Well, this is different. It’s for the title.”
Larry tied his running shoes and went out the door. Ben stared at the yogurt container, then put it back in the refrigerator. He ate crackers and peanut butter instead.
The soccer field was damp with dew, and the sky was overcast and gray. But the grass had been re-marked with sharp white lines, and a table near the bleachers held shiny trophies for the winning team.
“Can you play?” Ben asked Shayna, who had warmed up with the team but was still limping.
“Maybe some,” Shayna said. “It’s better, but it’s still sore.”
“We’ll use her a little at a time,” Coach said. “Whenever somebody needs a breather.”
That won’t be me, Ben thought. This is for the title—I definitely won’t run out of steam.
The Bobcats had lost to the Rabbits twice. The first loss was in the second game of the season, when the Bobcats were still learning to play like a team. The second time, they’d lost by a narrow 3–2 score. And they’d played that game without Ben, who’d been suspended because of a harsh penalty.
As they took the field for the championship game, he was certain the Bobcats had become the better team.
Ben and Mark were lined up on defense. “Cover the entire field,” Ben said to Mark. The Rabbits played a wide-open style of soccer, bringing all of the players except the goalie forward when they had the ball. Ben and Mark planned to play the same way.
“Lots of action,” Ben continued. “We have to run like never before.”
Erin, Jordan, and Omar were on the front line for the Bobcats, with Kim in goal. Ben looked over at the bleachers and caught his father’s eye. They pointed at each other and Ben gave a serious nod.
Everyone seemed excited. But things started badly for the Bobcats.