“THANKS for losing us the game, Bigfoot,” Roger McDonald snarled as the Ravens filed out of the gym toward the locker room. He angrily smacked the metal water fountain as he passed it.

“You blew it, Rollins,” Sinjin James agreed. He smacked the water fountain, too. Clearly, they wished that the fountain were Theo’s head.

Theo didn’t say anything. Roger and Sinjin weren’t wrong.

No one else said anything. Theo couldn’t decide which was worse, Roger’s and Sinjin’s angry insults or knowing the rest of the players were all thinking the same thing.

“Team meeting,” Coach Mandrake announced, hurrying past the boys into the locker room. “Right now. Let’s go, boys. Hustle, hustle, hustle.”

Great, Theo thought. Team meeting. More insults. More humiliation.

Theo looked over his shoulder back into the gym. He was at least a head taller than the rest of the team, so his gaze skimmed over the tops of their shiny, sweaty heads. The Danbury Heights players were high-fiving, hugging their parents, and laughing at something their coach was saying. Theo’s teammates marched with heads hung down like handcuffed convicts shuffling back from the sunny exercise yard into their dark cells.

He saw Burrito Breath pointing at him, then whispering to his pal, Number 8. They both laughed. Burrito Breath laughed so hard he started coughing.

Behind them, up in the bleachers, Theo saw the girl who’d called him Sasquatch. She was eating a red Twizzler. She said something to the two guys beside her and they laughed.

Everyone seemed to be laughing.

Everyone except Theo.

And his team.

And Coach Mandrake.

In the locker room, Coach stood while the ten boys on the team took seats on the wooden benches. The overhead lights glistened off his bald head. He stroked his goatee while he waited for everyone’s attention.

“First,” he said cheerfully, “I want to congratulate you boys on a game well played.”

Roger snorted and looked down at the ground.

Coach frowned at Roger. “You got something to say, Roger? Let’s hear it?”

Roger shook his head, his eyes still on the ground.

Coach Mandrake continued: “Now, I know today’s outcome is not the one we’d all hoped for, but it’s only the first game of the season. We’ve got plenty more ahead of us.”

Weston Zheng, the team comedian, piped up, “At least no one comes to the games, so the rest of the school won’t even know we lost.”

A couple guys chuckled.

Roger scowled at Weston. “Maybe if we start winning, they’ll start coming.”

“Yeah, Coach,” Sinjin agreed. “I’m tired of being a school joke.”

Most the boys started chattering at that. Lots of “yeah”s and “that would be awesome”s and a stray “fat chance.” Someone said “deadweight” and a couple kids looked at Theo.

Only Theo and Chris Richards remained silent. Chris was the team’s best player, but he didn’t talk much. The only time he spoke was to call out plays. During the weeks of practice before today, he’d never made fun of Theo like most the others, but he hadn’t offered any encouragement either. All the other guys respected him because he was so good and because he was generous at passing off the ball so they could shoot.

“I agree,” Coach Mandrake said. “This is the year we turn things around. We make a name for this team. Fill those bleachers with butts and fill that trophy case with trophies. Then everyone will know our team and they’ll know your names!”

Theo could feel a glimmer of hope rising among the other boys. They sat up straighter. Allowed themselves a smile. Roger and Sinjin fist-bumped.

“So, toward that end, we’re going to make some major changes,” Coach said. He pointed at Theo.

Here it comes, Theo thought. I’m off the team. One-Game Wonder. Except I wasn’t a wonder, more like a blunder.

“I’ve decided we’re going to build our entire offense around Theo.”

The coach’s statement dropped on the players like a bomb. Everyone turned to look at Theo as if they were surprised he was still sitting there. As if his body should have just vaporized in shame.

“What!” Roger hollered. “But, Coach, he sucks!”

Ordinarily, Coach wouldn’t have allowed anyone to rag on a teammate like that. Laps or push-ups or wind sprints would have been the punishment. But this time, he ignored the taunt. Instead, he rubbed his hands enthusiastically like he was a criminal mastermind hatching a brilliant scheme. “Boys, take the weekend to practice your shooting. On Monday we come back with a whole new attitude and a whole new game plan. The rest of the season will rest on Theo’s very tall shoulders.” He smiled at Theo as if Theo should be grateful for this vote of confidence.

What Coach didn’t see were the nine other sweaty faces staring at him as if they’d just found the guy who’d invented homework.