CHAPTER 9

ONE POINT DOWN

When school started after vacation, Willy was doing better in practice. He didn’t get so tired anymore. And he had learned some moves. He could score some points now, taking other kids down or reversing them. And he wasn’t getting pinned. Much.

One afternoon the coach set up matches to decide who would wrestle varsity and who would wrestle J.V. Willy had to wrestle Biff. Willy was so nervous that when his turn came, he tripped over the edge of the mat. Biff didn’t look nervous at all.

At first Biff was ahead. Then, in the middle of the match, Biff started to slow down. He was getting tired. Willy was tired, too, but he kept going hard. Willy started to score some points.

In the last period Biff was only one point ahead. Willy was on top, in control. Willy would have to turn Biff on his back to win. But Biff pulled in his arms and legs so Willy couldn’t grab hold of them. Biff was hiding out like a turtle inside its shell.

“He’s stalling!” Dan shouted. “Make him wrestle! Biff is stalling!”

When time ran out, Biff was still one point ahead. Biff won the match, so he would get to wrestle varsity.

“See?” said Biff, breathing hard. “You’re still a scrub.”

“What does that make you, Biff?” asked Rufus. “You were scared the whole last period. You had to stall or that scrub would have kicked your butt.”

“It was so close,” said Willy, shaking his head. “So close.”