“You said . . .” Danny swallowed again, then raised his chin.

“Yeah?” It was a challenge.

“Coach, you said you needed me to win a championship.” Danny tried to stop the tremble of his lips by biting down hard on the bottom one.

Coach Kinen looked off in the distance for a moment before he said, “Football’s a funny sport, Danny. It’s a lot like life. Things change. Things happen that you don’t expect.”

The coach peered at Danny. “I’m thinking of you. I mean, does it make sense to rush back and risk making it worse, when . . .”

The offense ran their play. Pads popped like a gunshot. Markle stood over the linebacker he’d flattened and let out a battle cry.

“Wooooo! You do not take on Markle! Not ’less you want a mouthful of shoulder pad! Chump!”

Coach Kinen looked from the knot of players swarming Markle back to Danny. “When you might not even play, Danny.”