Double Reverse by Fred Bowen Read Free Book Online

coach. “Quinn’ll be at tight end. He’ll hold his block for a count of one and do a short down-and-out.”
    Coach Butler traded a look with Coach Vittone. They both seemed skeptical.
    But then Butler said, “Okay, if you guys have been practicing it, let’s give it a try.”
    The boys sprinted back onto the field. “Hey, Quinn,” Coach Vittone called after them. “Don’t forget to tell the referee you’re lining up at tight end!”
    “Ready … set … hut one … hut two!”
    Jesse turned, faked the handoff to Griffin, and rolled right. When he looked back, a Glen Forest linebacker was rushing right at him. Jesse spied Quinn running free in the end zone. He floated a pass over the defender’s head and into Quinn’s waiting hands. Jesse was smiling even as the Glen Forest linebacker smashed him to the ground.
    The Panthers were ahead, 14–12!
    Savannah boomed the kickoff almost to the end zone, pinning Glen Forest deep in their own territory. The Eagles didn’t have a chance to go the more than 80 yards against the fired-up Panthers defense in order to score. Time ran out and the Franklin High freshman football team had their first win!
    As the team walked off the field, they all seemed happy: Langston about his big touchdown catch. Quinn about his game-winning extra points. Savannah about being the Panthers’ new and improved kicker. And last but not least, Jesse, who was stillremembering his big plays—a touchdown run, a touchdown pass, and the game-winning play.
    He took off his helmet and shook out his sweaty hair. “Some of us may not look like we can play the parts,” he said to the happy Franklin Panthers, “but I think we’re putting together a pretty good football team.”

Chapter 12
    The trees along the highway were ablaze in October colors: reds and golds against the stubborn deep greens of the pines.
    “What time is the game?” Jesse asked.
    “One o’clock,” his father said, turning to face him from the passenger’s seat.
    “Do you think Jay will get to play much?”
    “Some. The coach has been using him as a fifth defensive back on passing downs.”
    “He said he was playing special teams too,” Jesse’s mom added, keeping her eyes on the twisting road.
    Jesse slid down in the backseat. Part of him still saw his brother Jay as the quarterback, the main guy on the team. It was going to take some time to get used to seeing him as a safety and a part-time player.
    As the Wagners pulled closer to the campus, the autumn woods gave way to the sights and sounds of a small college town. Stone and brick buildings, some more than a hundred years old, stood back from the tree-lined streets. Clusters of students and parents walked across the wide campus greens toward the football stadium.
    Jesse’s mother parked the car and they all stepped out. “It’s a perfect day for a football game,” she declared, looking up at the fluttering leaves.
    “Yeah,” Jesse agreed. “This game is going to be totally cool.”
    “Even though Jay isn’t the quarterback?” his dad asked.
    “Well, it won’t be perfect, but that’s okay. He’s playing college football,” Jesse said, thinking about his own unspoken dreams. “Not many guys get to do that.”
    Jesse’s mom hooked her arm into Jesse’s and pulled him closer. “And we still have a quarterback in the family.”
    They walked through the postcard-perfect campus to the stadium. His dad handedthree tickets to a man standing at the stadium gate. Jesse pushed his way through the turnstile. Inside, under the stands, an older man wearing a bright green windbreaker shouted, “Program, program, get your program!”
    “How much?” Jesse’s father asked.
    “Five bucks.”
    Jesse’s dad paid for the program and handed it to him. “Here you go. Look up your brother.”
    Jesse leafed through the program until he came to the team