CHAPTER 5
The game against the Eagles was the following Thursday. Noah knew he wouldn’t play much, if at all. He sat on the bench with his helmet between his feet. His stats notebook was on the bench next to him, between him and Adam.
“It’s cold today,” Adam said. He blew into his hands.
Noah nodded. “The news said it’ll get down to freezing overnight,” he said.
“I wish I were playing,” Adam said. “Then I’d stay warm!”
Noah said, “There’s no chance I’ll play today. Coach is mad at me.” He shrugged. “I don’t know what to do about it. I can’t just stop loving stats and football history.”
He watched the game carefully, and noted every stat he could think of in his notebook.
“What are you writing down?” Adam asked.
“I’m keeping track of both teams’ gains, what plays are working, tackles, sacks, completions . . .” Noah said. “You name it, I’m writing it down.”
Adam shook his head. “Didn’t Coach French tell you to keep your head out of your stats book?” he asked.
“I’m keeping stats on this game,” Noah said. “That means not only do I get to record stats and go through my notebook, but I end up paying close attention to the team and the game, too. This should make everyone happy — me and the coach.”
The boys both looked up at the field as their quarterback, Carlos Suarez, took a long snap. Carlos spun to his right, then cut left and handed off to Eric, the first-string running back.
Eric cut back to the right and then turned up field. He spun once to get through the defensive line, and then put his head down and started toward the end zone.
It was not a clear run, though. An Eagles defensive back was too fast even for Eric. He was on top of him in an instant.
Eric tried to dodge, but he cut right into his blocker and they both went down. The Eagles back jumped on both of them and the whistle blew.
“Ow!” Eric screamed from the bottom of the pile-up. “My ankle!”
The whistle blew again as the Eagles defensive back and the Wildcats fullback got to their feet. The medics and Coach French ran out to the field.
Noah and Adam watched from the bench. It looked like Eric was really hurt. “That looks bad,” Adam said quietly. Noah nodded. He was too shaken to even write down the stats of the play.
The coach and the medics crouched over Eric’s ankle. Now and then, Noah could hear Eric yell out in pain.
After a few minutes, one of the medics ran to their truck. He came back carrying a stretcher.
“Oh no,” Adam said. “Looks like Eric is coming out of the game.”
Noah nodded. “I bet he sprained his ankle,” he said. “I hope it doesn’t ruin his whole season.”
The fans and other Wildcats clapped for Eric as he was carried off the field.
Noah grabbed his pen and his stats book. He marked down the eight yards Eric had gained on the lead run, the play they’d just done. Then he marked that Eric had been injured and had to leave the game.
Noah looked up as Eric was loaded onto the stretcher. Coach French was heading in his direction, carrying Eric’s helmet.
Noah looked back at his notebook and marked that the second-string running back would be entering the game.
Then he realized he was marking his own row in the stat book.
The second-string running back was him.