Game-Day Jitters

by Rich Wallace

  First Jordan tripped over the ball and fell flat on his face when he could have had a breakaway. Nothing like that had happened to him in weeks.

  Then Erin made a pass directly to one of the Rabbits when Omar was wide open on her other side.

  “We’re in blue,” Ben said with a laugh the next time Erin came downfield. “Those purple guys are Rabbits.”

  Finally, instead of clearing the ball up the sideline, Mark made a foolish pass directly to the front of the Bobcats’ goal. After some scrambling around, the Rabbits managed to score.

  Mark stood with his hands clasped behind his neck, staring at the sky. “How did I do that?” he asked Ben as the teams lined up again. “That’s one of the first things Coach taught us not to do.”

  “We’ll settle down,” Ben said. “We’ve been behind before. We’ll get a quick goal and it’ll be like starting over.”

  But then it was Ben who made a mistake, getting far upfield on the attack before the Bobcats had moved the ball past midfield. With Jordan dribbling along the sideline, Ben saw an opportunity to overload the offense. But before he could set up near the goal, the Rabbits stole the ball and quickly took it the other way.

  Only Mark was back on defense, and the Rabbits had a three-on-one break. Some rapid passing set up an easy shot, and suddenly the Rabbits had a 2–0 lead.

  “Sub!” called Coach Patty. She waved to Ben to come off the field, and Darren ran on to take his place.

  “We’re not thinking,” Ben said as he joined Shayna and the coach on the sideline.

  “No one’s playing smart,” Shayna added.

  “It’s like we forgot how to be a team,” Ben said, shaking his head.

  “We don’t seem to have our usual energy,” Coach said. Then she laughed and turned to Ben. “Except for you. You showed a little too much energy out there. I’m always glad to see defenders get involved in the offense, but you can’t leave our end of the field unprotected like that.”

  Ben nodded slowly. “Looked like a real chance. Jordan’s usually very reliable.… Didn’t think he’d lose the ball.”

  Ben took a seat on the bench and picked up his water bottle. He unscrewed the cap and took a swig, but he wasn’t thirsty yet. He let the water drip out of his mouth into the dirt.

  Loop had come over and sat next to Ben. “What’s going on?” he asked. “You guys look like beginners out there.”

  Ben kicked gently at the dirt. “I don’t know.”

  “Listen, I can see the difference from the bleachers,” Loop said. “The Rabbits are just hustling more. They’re getting to every loose ball.… Guess we took it all out of you.”

  Maybe that was it. The Rabbits had played a rather easy game in their semifinal, but the Bobcats had fought down to the final second of theirs. So no wonder Ben’s team was feeling flat. They’d used up a lot of emotion in their victory.

  Ben nodded. “This could get ugly.”

  “Yeah, if you guys let them score again, it’ll be out of reach. You need to regroup and start battling harder. Slow them down a little or they’ll keep scoring.”

  Loop held out his fist and Ben pounded it with his own. “Can I get back in there?” he called to the coach.

  “Next stop,” Coach said. “Give Omar a break.”

  On the next throw-in, Ben ran onto the field. “Just like we used to,” he said to Erin and Jordan. “Smart passing, quick moves.”

  The Bobcats played better for the rest of the half, and the Rabbits didn’t score again. But it was still 2–0 at halftime, and the Bobcats hadn’t taken a single shot at the goal.

  “Twenty minutes,” Ben said as they walked off the field. “That’s all the time we have left to prove that we can be champions.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Gaining Momentum

  “Man, I haven’t played that badly since the beginning of the season,” Jordan said, shaking his head and adjusting one of his shin guards. He and Ben were sitting on the bench, waiting to take the field for the second half.

  Jordan had become a top scorer for the Bobcats, and he was skilled at moving with the ball and passing. But he’d made some big mistakes today.

  “We played better the last few minutes,” Ben said. “But we don’t look like champions.”

  Jordan stood and stretched. “Well, I’m not going down without a fight. They might have to peel me off the field when this is over, but I’m going to run like crazy for the next twenty minutes.”

  “I’m with you,” Ben said. He smiled slightly. “Maybe you’d better give another pep talk.”

  Jordan looked embarrassed, but he stood up on the bench and waved the rest of the Bobcats over. He was a quiet kid, but he’d managed to inspire his teammates at halftime of last week’s game with a few choice words.

  “The only difference in the first half was that the Rabbits wanted it more,” he said. “They out-hustled us and they out-smarted us. We have to dig way deeper in this second half. It isn’t just energy, it’s pride. Do we have enough of it?”

  “Yeah,” said Mark.

  “Oh, come on,” Jordan said. He raised his arms high. “Do we have enough pride?”

  “Yes!” they all said.

  “Louder.”

  “Yes!” they shouted.

  “All right.” Jordan stepped down from the bench. “Let’s prove it.”

  They ran onto the field and took their spots. Jordan, Kim, and Ben were on the front line. They’d worked well together all season, combining for quite a few goals. They’d have to be at their very best in the second half.

  Ben looked across at the Rabbits’ two best players. The boy was the shortest player on the team, but he was one of the best dribblers in the league. The girl with the brown ponytail was tall and fast. She’d scored goals in both previous games against the Bobcats.

  Ben put the ball in play, sending a short pass to Kim. She passed the ball backward to Erin.

  Ben broke down the sideline, trying to get open.

  Erin kicked the ball high in the air toward the corner. Ben sprinted toward it, arriving at the same time as that shortest Rabbit. They battled for the ball, and Ben took control. He tried to cut toward the goal, but the defender stayed right at his side.

  Drop this guy, Ben told himself. Fake him out.

  As he reached the corner, Ben turned sharply and tried to drive the ball toward the front of the goal. But the defender blocked the pass and the ball rolled over the end line.

  “Corner kick!” called the referee.

  Ben ran to the ball and picked it up, placing it inside the corner arc. Jordan and Kim packed in near the goal, with Erin and Mark several feet back.

  Ben stepped forward and lofted the ball toward the goal. A flurry of leaping blue- and purple-shirted players darted at it.

  Ben ran onto the field, and suddenly the ball was coming back to him. He’d be shooting from a tight angle, but the path between him and the goal was open. He planted his left foot and drove his right one into the ball, sending it on a line drive toward the upper corner.

  The goalie jumped and stretched out his arms, catching the ball and falling to the turf. Ben sprinted back down the field.

  “Good start!” Jordan called. “Let’s keep up that pressure.”

  “Turn!” came a shout from the sideline. Shayna was pointing toward the Rabbits’ goal.

  Ben pivoted and shot back up the field. Erin had made a steal and was about to shoot.

  The goalie knocked down the shot, but the ball rolled to the corner. This time Ben was several yards ahead of that short defender, and he got to it first. He kicked the ball with the inside of his foot, lifting it into the air and sending it to the front of the goal.

  Kim was waiting. She skillfully met the ball with her forehead, driving it into the net. The Bobcats were only one goal behind.

  “All right!” Ben called, racing over. “Great head.”

  “Beautiful pass,” Kim said, slapping Ben’s hands.

  “Now we’ve got the
momentum,” Jordan said. “Let’s keep it up.”

  The pace stayed at a high level after that, with both teams working hard to try to score. Ben was sweating despite the cool weather, and his legs were getting tired. But this game meant too much to let up.

  Twice the Bobcats brought the ball deep into the Rabbits’ zone before losing it out of bounds. Twice more the Rabbits made a strong attack on the Bobcats’ goal, only to have Darren make nice saves.

  But much of the game was played near the center of the field, with both teams battling for control and neither keeping the ball for long.

  Ben could hear his brother and his parents shouting along with the other spectators. They usually stayed fairly quiet during the games, but even they were more excited than usual.

  After another long, hard sprint up the field, Ben stood with his hands on his knees, puffing. The ball had gone out of bounds, and they were waiting for Kim to retrieve it.

  “Sub!” called Coach Patty. Ben turned and looked. Shayna was jogging onto the field and pointing at Ben. She hadn’t played at all.

  “Me?” Ben asked.

  “Just a quick one,” Shayna said.

  Ben stepped off the field and walked toward the coach. She clapped her hands and said, “Great hustle.”

  Ben dropped to his knees and shut his eyes for a second.

  “You’ll recover quickly,” Coach said. “You always do.”

  Ben nodded and said, “I’m already recovered. You can put me back in.”

  “Next whistle,” Coach said. “There’s about five minutes left in the game, so don’t ever let up.”

  Ben stood and watched the action. Shayna couldn’t move very quickly, but she didn’t seem to be in much pain.

  “She wanted to play a little, since this is the last game,” Coach said. “But I told her to stay out of the scuffles. Just get on the field and then get off.”

  Mark knocked the ball out of bounds, and Coach yelled, “Sub!” again.

  Ben slapped hands with Shayna as she jogged off. She had a big smile. The spectators gave her a round of applause.

  He’d rested for only about a minute, but Ben felt fresh again. He darted over to the tall girl with the brown ponytail, who was moving the ball down the field for the Rabbits.

  As Ben approached, she stepped over the ball and swiftly changed direction. Ben had seen that move before. He lunged forward and got his foot on the ball, knocking it to the side. Both players ran toward it, and Ben managed to get control. He fired the ball to Kim, who was yelling, “Support!”

  As the ponytailed girl ran at Kim, Ben took some fast steps up the field. Kim passed to him, and Ben took off up the middle.

  He’d learned to make some tricky moves as he ran with the ball, and he needed to make them now. Two Rabbits were closing in on him. He leaned to his left, then kicked the ball to his right with the outside of his foot. That was enough to get him past the first defender, and his speed was enough to get by the second one.

  Ben had an open path to the goal now, but several Rabbits were chasing him. The goalie had stepped forward, and Ben would have a hard time shooting the ball past him. Ben was near the edge of the field. He’d need some help.

  A few more strides brought him close to the corner. From the side of his vision, he could see Kim moving toward the goal. He knew Jordan would be there, too.

  Ben stopped short and set his foot on top of the ball to stop it. The first Rabbit stumbled past, creating a brief opening. Ben took it. He sent the ball sharply across the grass to Kim, who touched it once and nudged it ahead into Ben’s path.

  Ben raced to the ball. The goalie was crouched in front of him, waiting for the shot.

  No way, Ben thought. He’d never slip the ball into the goal from this angle. Instead he rolled it to the side, hoping Kim or Jordan would reach it first.

  Jordan did. He booted the rolling ball directly into the net, past the diving goalkeeper.

  What a comeback! The Bobcats had fought back from two goals behind and tied the score.

  The Rabbits looked stunned as Kim, Jordan, and Ben ran past them. They’d had this game locked up. Now all of the momentum was with the Bobcats.

  “One more!” Ben said firmly. “Next goal wins.”

  Jordan punched his fist into his palm. Kim jumped up and down. Ben glared at the Rabbits and let out his breath hard.

  Just one more.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Last Chance

  As the Rabbits moved down the field, Ben tried to stay aware of their two best players. Get that ball, he thought. Time is running out.

  Coach had said that there would be an overtime period if the game ended in a tie. But Ben wanted to end it now. The Bobcats had taken control of the game.

  When Mark stole the ball and headed upfield, Ben felt a rush of excitement. Things had really been clicking for the Bobcats in the past few minutes. They were ready to score again.

  Mark passed to Kim, and Kim passed to Jordan. With a quick burst of speed, Jordan brought the ball deep into the Rabbits’ zone. Ben was running toward the goal, too.

  Jordan passed to Kim and she shot. The ball hit the goalpost and bounced to Ben’s side of the field. He ran toward it with two Rabbits at his side.

  Ben reached the ball and lowered his shoulder to guard it from the defenders. The short kid was to his left, and another Rabbit was between Ben and the goal. A third was approaching. He was trapped.

  There was no way Ben could get the ball to the goal. He saw Erin running up from her defensive position. It would be a long backward pass, but she was open. Ben kicked it toward her.

  Ben was off balance and his pass was awkward. His foot hit the turf first, and he kicked the ball with the side of his toe. The ball rolled toward the sideline.

  Bad pass! Ben told himself.

  The ponytailed girl swooped over and took the ball, running at full speed. She dodged past Erin into the clear. Ben chased after her.

  Since the rest of the Bobcats had been near the Rabbits’ goal, the girl had plenty of room to run. She crossed midfield and ran deep into the Bobcats’ end of the field.

  Ben and the others ran desperately back, but so did all of the Rabbits. The girl made a soft pass to the front of the goal, and the leading runner pounded it past Darren and into the net.

  The Rabbits swarmed the goal scorer, yelling and jumping. They didn’t just have the momentum now, they had the lead.

  And the game was almost over.

  Ben couldn’t believe what had happened. The Bobcats had done everything right until he’d made that awkward pass.

  He kicked the ball into play and chased after it. They still had a chance.

  But Jordan had the ball stolen, and the Rabbits went on the attack again. Mark finally got it back and kicked it up the field, but the referee blew his whistle. “Game over!” he called.

  Ben dropped to his knees and stared at the ground. He looked up to see the Rabbits at the sideline, giving each other hugs and high fives. The girl with the ponytail was bouncing side to side in a dance.

  Jordan was sitting on the turf about ten yards from Ben. His mouth was hanging open as if he couldn’t believe what had happened. Kim was walking slowly toward the bench. Erin was walking behind her, head down.

  Coach Patty was clapping her hands and calling the Bobcats over. “Great job,” she was saying. “Absolutely fantastic.”

  But Ben didn’t feel fantastic. They’d come so close to winning the championship. They should have won it, as far as he was concerned.

  The soccer ball was sitting on the turf a few feet away. Ben gave it a halfhearted kick toward the bench.

  Coming close isn’t worth anything, he thought. It’ll be a long time before I feel like playing sports again.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Larry. “You couldn’t have played any harder.”

  “Thanks,” Ben said softly. “Could have played better, though.”

  “Nah, you were great. You coming home with us?”r />
  “No, I’ll walk. I feel like being alone to think this one over.”

  “I hear you. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt for long.”

  Ben watched the Rabbits receive their trophies. He put on his sweatshirt and sat on the bench, staring out at the field until nearly everyone had left. He wasn’t too sad and he wasn’t too angry. But he was a little bit of both. And he definitely didn’t feel like talking to anyone.

  So close, he thought. One or two different bounces and those trophies would have been ours.

  “Quite a game.”

  Ben turned and saw Loop walking toward him with a grin.

  Ben’s first reaction was to turn the other way, but then he thought again. Loop was one of the few people who could understand how Ben was feeling right now. Just two days ago, Loop had been the one who fell short.

  “Great playing,” Loop said, extending his hand.

  Ben bit down on his lip and nodded. He shook Loop’s hand. “Was it?”

  “Yeah. Great season, too.”

  Ben thought that over for a second. Despite the loss, this soccer season had been one of the best experiences of his life.

  “Glad it’s over?” Loop asked.

  Ben shrugged. “I don’t know. Wish we could play that game again. I’d make sure we wouldn’t start out so slow. We’d definitely beat them if we had another chance.”

  Loop laughed. “That’s what I kept telling myself after you beat us in the semifinal. All those near misses that could have been goals … but you don’t get another chance. You have to take your chances when you have them.”

  “So, what’s next?” Ben asked.

  Loop took a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it. “Look here,” he said. “Signups for the basketball league at the YMCA. You up for that?”

  Ben looked the paper over. “Definitely,” he said.

  “Maybe we can get on the same team for a change,” Loop said. “That would be something, huh?”

  “Yeah, it would.”

  The soccer ball he’d kicked toward the bench was a few feet away. Ben picked it up and started dribbling with his hand, as if it was a basketball. Loop reached for it, but Ben shielded it with his body. He ran up the field with Loop chasing him.