Monday, Chase headed out to the JV practice as usual. Tripp and the varsity team had beaten North Sumter 24 – 13. Tripp caught three passes and Megan kicked a long field goal, but Chase hadn’t gone. It was too far away, and his mother was tired. That was fine by Chase. He hadn’t really felt like watching the other guys playing varsity, anyway.
JB had another huge game passing and running the football, and there were rumors around school that coaches from the University of Florida and Miami would be at this week’s upcoming game to watch him. He already had a scholarship offer from Florida State and from what Chase gathered, every other college he’d every heard of.
On Chase’s way to the field, Coach Skalaski pulled him aside.
“When you’re all done out there with your practice today,” he said, “I want you to come over to our field and start to get familiar with how we do things while we’re together.”
Chase gulped and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
It was a grueling practice, with steam rising out of the grass as the Florida heat baked the players and field. Other guys kept getting water, but Chase never noticed. He just wanted practice over so he could join the varsity team.
Finally it was, and with JV practice behind him, he trotted over to the varsity field. Varsity! With their longer practices, fancier practice uniforms, and bigger bodies. Much bigger bodies.
Several others from JV were headed in that direction as well. Apparently coach had talked to a few players, including Solomon Williams and Nick Wood about getting familiar with varsity. They stood together, off to the side of the field.
“Where should we go?” Solomon whispered to Chase.
“I don’t have any idea. Let’s just stand here,” responded Chase. Solomon nodded. After a few moments, Coach gathered the entire team together and called Chase and the others over by waving his hand in their direction.
“Gentlemen,” he began, “you know that I’m a big fan of Chuck Noll.” Chuck Noll had won four Super Bowls as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Coach’s favorite team, and was his favorite coach. “Coach Noll always preached that champions become champions not by doing anything extraordinary, but rather simply by doing ordinary things better than anyone else. Other people could do those ordinary things, but choose not to.”
Chase was glued to Coach’s words. Others, however, were restless, but Chase didn’t notice. The players all around him. The jerseys. He was locked into everything being said. He had waited for this moment for so long!
Coach took a drink from his water bottle and continued. “Coach Noll once said, ‘Leaving the game plan is a sign of panic, and panic is not in our game plan.’ Well, I’m telling you all right now that skipping school is not in our game plan either! I understand Senior Skip Day is next week, and skipping will not be tolerated here.”
Chase and Tripp exchanged glances. Chase had forgotten about Skip Day. He was an eighth-grader, after all. “While some of you might be considering skipping, know that there will be consequences, so choose carefully.”
There was shuffling and muttering from the guys. “Come on, Coach,” Roger said. “It’s a tradition.”
Bad idea, Chase thought.
Coach’s eyes were bulging. “You have the privilege of wearing this uniform. Therefore, you are role models. You are expected to live up to a certain standard.”
Chase looked at JB and wondered if he was planning to skip. If so, he hid it well. JB’s face remained passive, his eyes on the coach.
“Starters or not, you skip, there will be consequences,” Coach continued.
As the team left the field, Coach gathered Chase and the few other JV players around him. “I don’t want you to worry about Friday. Just want to put you at ease.” Chase’s heart started thumping. Who would have to miss the game? Chase, maybe playing quarterback for the varsity and only in eighth grade!
Coach continued, “We want you to play in the last JV game this week, but you’ll practice with us during the week. And we want you to dress with us on Friday. You won’t be able to play but we might need you as backup for the playoffs.”
Chase and Solomon understood that per league rules, they couldn’t play in a JV and varsity game in the same week. Still, they were psyched to be able to dress with the team!
They all nodded, vigorously and simultaneously.
“Let’s see how it goes. I want you to show me what you’ve got during practice! And depending how things turn out in the playoff picture . . . well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. This will be a lot of work, okay?”
“Okay!” Chase said eagerly. I’m so ready for this! Staying on varsity, any way they wanted him to and especially with playoffs looming, sounded awesome.
“Once it’s time to play, for you defensive guys, our defense is just the same as yours. Those of you on offense,” — Chase looked over at Nick and Solomon, the only other offensive players — “don’t need to worry about learning our offense. We will probably have to use you on special teams, covering kickoffs or punts, but we won’t make you play offense. That would be too much in just a couple of days. Although, it’s just the same stuff — and the game might speed up some with older guys around you.” Coach turned toward Chase. “If JB can’t play, we’ll go with Roger. If it’s an emergency, we’ll put Tripp back there. Although he’s not a quarterback, he knows the plays. We can have him just run the ball. I don’t want you to worry.”
Chase tried to hide his disappointment. He was anything but worried. He’d been thrilled at the thought of being put in at quarterback. Now he was still excited at being on the varsity, but his hopes for quick fame were apparently dashed.
After practice, the excitement was back and Chase ran across the wide lawn to Tripp’s house. After Coach had talked to the JV guys, Chase hadn’t seen Tripp again. He headed by his own house to grab Daisy, then they headed across the yard to the Stevens’ house.
Dusk was settling in as he arrived. Chase knocked his usual three times and ran in with Daisy when Kayla opened the door. Daisy usually barked at most anyone who moved — at either house — but not at the Stevens family. Even though they didn’t feed her people food.
Chase ran in and saw Tripp. “I missed you after practice! Tried to find you!”
“Yeah, I figured I’d better get home and get started on homework.”
Kayla and Tripp’s mom were there too, and Chase was surprised again to see Tripp’s father in the family room as well. Chase couldn’t remember running into Tripp’s dad so much for dinner during football season, because of traveling so much for the Destroyers.
“Hey, Chase,” said Tripp’s dad, and the others greeted him as well.
Chase looked puzzled, and said to Mr. Stevens, “Why are you here?”
Tripp’s father smiled. “Seems like you ask me that a lot lately.” He smiled. “I had been on the road scouting this week,” he answered. “They sent me to look at a couple of colleges in Ohio and Indiana, and I just flew back into town. That’s where the cold weather is! Man, it was freezing!”
The concept of freezing was hard to believe, since it was so hot they still didn’t have to wear a jacket in Lincoln. It was hard to imagine cooling off anytime soon. “Anyway, since I’ve been gone for three days, I landed and drove straight here. I didn’t even bother to go down to the stadium. The views are better here.” Mr. Stevens’ office was deep inside the stadium, along with the other Destroyers offices, with no windows. His running joke as long as Chase had known him was “my beautiful wife and daughter are a much better view” than his view at work in his windowless office.
The boys couldn’t disagree. Mrs. Stevens was very pretty and Kayla was really cute, with her braces. When she wasn’t being an irritating little sister.
Chase thought Mr. Stevens had the world’s greatest job, but Mr. Stevens always told him that it wasn’t that much fun, especially if you were a football fan.
“No,” Mr. Stevens said, “it is not a great job for a true fan like you. We’ll go to a game and you’ll see for yourself.”
That night, Chase and the Stevens family talked about nothing other than his promotion to the varsity. “Yep,” Tripp said, “one of these days it’ll be Clark-to-Stevens for a big completion.” Tripp was a really good player and was big for his age, like his dad had been. Mr. Stevens played two years in professional football for the Oakland Marauders after a college career at Brown University.
“I hope so,” said Chase. “I’m just excited to be up with you guys.”
Tripp’s mood turned serious. “I still think the seniors are going to skip tomorrow,” he said.
“You’re kidding!” said Tripp’s mom. “After all that Coach said? Tripp was just telling us about Coach’s warning when you got here.”
“Yeah, they were all talking after practice that it was something that they felt like they had to do as part of the senior class.” Tripp shook his mop of blond hair and shrugged his shoulders. Chase, although of decent build for middle school, felt dwarfed by the taller Tripp.
Mr. Stevens sighed. “They need to learn some responsibility.”
As for Chase, he didn’t really care if they learned or not. In fact, he kind of hoped they didn’t learn just yet. All he could think about right then was that he was headed to varsity. He told Mr. Stevens that Coach said Tripp might play quarterback in an emergency.
“Ugh. That sounds terrible,” said Tripp.
“What? I mean, good. That sounds really good.” Tripp laughed as Chase spoke. “Why would it be terrible?”
“I’d rather just stay where I am. After almost two months, I finally know what to do and where to be. Pretty much, anyway. I’m finally getting it all figured out. That’d be confusing.”
Mr. Stevens nodded. “Plus, as quarterback, you have to know what everyone does. It’s easier to just keep track of your own job — like Tripp does at receiver.”
“Good. Tripp, tell Coach you want me to play.”
Tripp chuckled. “Definitely.”
Mr. Stevens spoke up. “Guys, your primary job is to do what you’re told. Whatever you’re told. Don’t say anything to Coach, Tripp. Hopefully everyone does what they’re supposed to and nothing happens.”
Chase looked disappointed but understood. He checked his watch — time to head home.
“Yeah, see ya, Thug.” Mr. and Mrs. Stevens shook their heads and rolled their eyes. Tripp and Chase were good kids and good students — as far from “thugs” as possible.