On the Friday afternoon of the game, the Sandville 'Cudas showed up in a yellow school bus leading a fleet of cars and trucks full of fans. The bleachers were almost half full of Cowpen fans, including Candy, Bobby Jo, and Gabe Muñoz, along with friends and family of the other Panthers.
The Cudas got off their bus, already in their black-and-maroon uniforms. From where the Panthers were warming up, Cap took a look at his opponents. Sandville had thirteen players. His mouth felt dry. The 'Cudas ran out to the other end of the field and began doing calisthenics: jumping jacks, sit-ups, and so on. They looked … ready.
“They don't look so great,” said Jimmy Cash, coming up behind Cap. “We can beat these guys.”
A few days before, when Tully had told the team that Cap would start, Jimmy had made a point of coming over and shaking his hand.
“Good luck. And I just want you to know, I don't believe your grandpa played favorites—whatever Gramps says.”
Cap had been grateful to Jimmy. During the practices before the game, Tully and Sable had not spoken to each other except when it was necessary. Sable continued to help players and make suggestions, and Tully let him, knowing that Sable's advice was useful.
The referee for the game was a high school gym teacher from Ausburg, in a real ref's outfit with black-and-white-striped shirt and bright yellow flag to throw for penalties. A real ref, a real crowd … a real game. It was what Cap had wanted to play for years, almost since he could walk.
He felt weird, and couldn't tell whether he was excited, or nervous, or just plain scared. All those people in the bleachers … when he'd put on the blue-and-gold uniform, it felt funny. He had walked past a mirror and was startled at what he looked like.
He looked like a football player.
Sandville won the coin toss and chose to receive. Hoot kicked off for the Panthers. His kick was short, but it took a bounce that the 'Cudas had trouble picking up. They wound up starting from their twenty-yard line. On their first series, they hit a short pass for six yards, but Ben and Mick stopped a run up the middle for a loss. Ben rushed the passer on third and eight and forced him to release the ball too quickly. The pass was incomplete and Sandville had to punt. The Cowpen fans cheered.
Hoot fielded the punt at the Cowpen nineteen, got a good block from Fritz, and ran it back to the thirty. The Panthers huddled and Cap called for a pass over the middle to Mick.
The blockers gave Cap time to set up, but his pass was a bullet and bounced off Mick's fingers, incomplete. On second down, Cap faked a long pass to Sam and shoveled an underhand throw to Ben, who plunged into the line, caught the 'Cudas by surprise, and gained nine yards. Cowpen third and six.
Cap called for another pass, sending Sam deep and Mick over the middle. He dropped back, saw that Sam had beaten his defender by two whole steps, and fired a long pass—too long. It sailed over Sam's head.
Cap had to punt. He noticed Sable Cash saying something to Tully, who shook his head and looked annoyed.
Cap's punt was high and forced the 'Cuda receiver back to his seven-yard line. Mick and Hoot dropped him just as he caught the ball.
This time the 'Cudas managed to gain some yards, but their drive was stopped at midfield when Cap picked off a pass. Cowpen had the ball on their thirty-five.
Tully sent in Vince to give Hoot a rest. Cap tossed a pitchout to Vince then blocked a 'Cuda defender. Behind Fritz's block, Vince got loose for ten yards. But another running play was stopped for no gain, and Cap's third-down pass, intended for Sam, was overthrown again.
The game was scoreless until the middle of the second quarter, when the 'Cudas tried a trick play. They completed a short pass to an end, and as the Panthers converged to bring him down, the end flipped the ball back to a trailing runner, who outran everyone into the end zone.
A placekick after the touchdown was perfect, and Sandville led, 8-0.
With three minutes left in the first half, Tully sent Jimmy in for Cap.
“About time,” growled Sable. Cap figured Sable hadn't meant for him to hear, but he had. But he remembered what Tully had said and tried to concentrate on the game, shouting encouragement to Jimmy and his teammates.
Jimmy started off with an end-around, pitching to Sam as he circled around from his right-end position before racing downfield behind blocks from Ben, Steve, and Jimmy himself. Before the 'Cudas could run Sam down, he had gained twenty-four yards, and the ball was on the Sandville twenty-one. Two short passes brought them to the seven-yard line, and the Cowpen fans were all standing and yelling. On first and goal, Jimmy flipped the ball back to Fritz, but Fritz didn't run; he stepped back and threw into the end zone, where Sam pulled it in for six points.
Hoot kicked it through the uprights and the game was tied at eight apiece when the first half ended.
The teams headed for the gym locker rooms for the fifteen-minute halftime break. Most of the Panthers were excited and chattering to one another, although Cap had to force himself to join in. He slapped Jimmy on the back.
“Good job! You got us back in the game!” Jimmy smiled happily.
Hoot came over to Cap and spoke quietly. “You were a little nervous, that's all. You'll get 'em in the second half.”
Cap hoped that he would have the chance to show what he could do in the second half but wondered if he would.
“All right, attention over here,” Tully called out, and the Panthers settled down. “You did all right out there, and we can beat these guys if we play our game and keep our heads.”
He tapped his clipboard. “Jimmy, good job mixing up the plays just then. You unsettled their defense. You'll start the second half. The other starters will be Ben, Hoot, Mick, Fritz, and Sam.”
Cap hoped his disappointment didn't show, but he had to admit that he deserved to stay on the bench. He had done a pretty bad job.
Tully and Sable each gave short pep talks, telling the Panthers to stay alert on defense and to remember the trick play that had got the 'Cudas their touchdown.
“It's important to see everything,” Sable pointed out. “You see a running back trailing a receiver after a pass, think about what he's doing there. Don't commit to a tackle too soon!”
“Okay, we receive to start the second half,” Tully said. “Let's get some more points on the board. Jimmy, the shovel pass to Ben might work again, so look for a place to use it. The main thing is to give it your best shot. Okay, Panthers. Ready to play ball?”
“Yeah!” they shouted and ran out of the locker room, fired up.
Hoot took the opening kickoff, and with the help of a few good blocks and one fine cutback, got all the way to the Panther thirty-eight before the 'Cudas stopped him. Jimmy gained six yards on a short pass to Mick and five more on a lateral to Fritz, who cut upfield and plowed over two tacklers. With third and four from the 'Cuda thirty-one, he tried a pass to Sam going deep, but his throw was high and short and a 'Cuda defender intercepted it.
Sandville struck quickly, gaining fifteen yards on a pass when Jimmy couldn't stay with his receiver. It was clear to Cap, watching from the sidelines, that the 'Cuda quarterback figured that Jimmy was a weak defensive link. He threw another pass good for twelve yards, once again taking advantage of Jimmy's not being able to cover his man tightly enough.
Sandville was now at midfield. Tully sent Vince in to replace Mick and to give Jimmy a message: Don't react too quickly when a receiver seems to be making a move; watch out for fakes.
Sandville tried the flea-flicker, the trick play that had gotten them their touchdown, but this time Hoot saw the running back trailing the receiver and hit him as soon as he caught the lateral, stopping the play for a gain of only five.
Jimmy got burned on another pass play, good for twenty yards, and Sandville was at the Cowpen fifteen.
On the sidelines, Cap tried to catch Tully's eye. He knew he'd do a better job than Jimmy on defense. But Tully didn't send him in. On the next play, the Sandville quarterback pitched it to another back—who threw it into the end zone where a receiver was waiting, all alone.
Jimmy had charged in too quickly, expecting a running play.
On the extra-point try, the snap was off target. The holder, a running back, picked it up and, dodging two tacklers, took it in. Sandville led, 15-8.