Double Reverse by Fred Bowen Read Free Book Online Page B

watched his brother as he talked.With his helmet under his arm and the number 12 on his chest, Jay still looked every inch a quarterback.

Chapter 13
    Jesse’s cleats clattered against the hard floor when he stepped out the Franklin High School locker room door. He studied the freshman team schedule on the Big Board. The scores of the team’s games had been neatly filled in.
    FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN TEAM
[all games on Thursdays]
Date
Team
Time
Score
9/19
South Shore
3:30 p.m.
L 26-0
9/26
@ Pinewood
3:30 p.m.
L 21-14
10/3
Glen Forest
3:30 p.m.
W 14-12
10/10
Roosevelt
3:30 p.m.
W 22-12
10/17
@ Auburn
3:30 p.m.
L 30-14
10/24
@ Morgan
3:30 p.m.
W 21-16
10/31
@ St. Andrews
3:00 p.m.
W 28-6
11/7
Eastport
3:00 p.m.
    The Panthers had added three more wins after the Glen Forest comeback. Jesse had played well at quarterback. He had surprised everyone except maybe Coach Vittone with his scrambling, play-calling, and knack for finding open receivers while still on the run.
    Quinn stepped up behind Jesse. “Four wins, three losses,” he mused. “That’s better than I thought we’d be at this point. One more win and we’ll have a winning season. And you”—he nudged his shoulder against Jesse’s back—“turned out to be a pretty good quarterback.”
    “You’ve been a pretty good tight end,” Jesse said, poking Quinn in the ribs with his elbow.
    “What about me?” Langston protested. “I’ve scored four touchdowns. That’s as many as Griffin.” He posed and flexed his right bicep. “Not bad for a little guy.”
    “And you’re forgetting about me?” Savannah had just emerged from the girls’ locker room in full practice gear. “Where would you guys be without your kicker?”
    The four friends jogged out to the practice field. Jesse stopped short when he saw something he hadn’t seen in weeks—Henry Robinson warming up along the sidelines.
    “What’s Henry doing here?” he asked. “I thought he was out for the season with his ankle.”
    “I saw him running down at Hobbs Park last weekend,” Savannah said. “He looked okay.”
    “What do you think Coach will do?” Langston asked. “Are you going to lose your job?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Quinn hooked his thumb back toward the gym. “No way. Coach has seen the Big Board. We’ve been winning and scoring points big-time with Jesse at quarterback.”
    Jesse wasn’t so sure. “Coach may not want Henry to lose his starting position just because he got hurt. I mean … that wouldn’t be fair.”
    “Hey, Jesse!” Coach Butler called, waving his clipboard over his head. “Hustle over here.”
    “Looks like I’m about to find out,” Jesse said.
    “Tell him to keep you at quarterback,” Langston called. “I’m getting to like playing wide receiver.”
    Jesse joined the coaches. Henry didn’t look over at him.
    Coach Butler got right down to business. “We’re going to split the practice reps between you two at quarterback today,” he explained. “I want to see how Henry’s coming along. I’ll play the guy who looks like he’ll give us the best chance to beat Eastport.”
    The two quarterbacks nodded in silence. Jesse stood up as straight as he could. He felt small next to Henry. The same way he felt when he stood next to his brother.
    “Okay, let’s go,” Coach Butler said. “Henry, you take the first reps.”
    Jesse started to turn away, but then realized he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to go. Was he a quarterback? A wide receiver? Or something else?
    “Hey, Tark!” Coach Vittone called.
    The older coach came over and rested his hands on Jesse’s shoulder pads. “Listen, you’ve done a great job all season at quarterback,” he said, looking Jesse in the eye. “Coach Butler just wants to give Henry a chance … you know, after his injury. Do you understand?”
    “Sure, I get it. But I mean … am I still, you know, a quarterback?”
    “Of course you’re still a quarterback, Jesse.” Coach Vittone smiled. “Just