Touchdown for Tommy by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online Page A

afternoon.”

17
    T he crowd at the football game was the largest Tommy had ever seen. The sun shone brightly. People wore sweaters instead of
     coats. It was Indian summer weather.
    The Pirates were playing the Jets. When the game started, Tommy was on the bench.
    The Pirates won the toss. They chose to receive. The teams lined up and the Jets kicked off.
    David caught the ball on the twenty. He carried it to his thirty-five. He tried an end-around play, lost a yard, then threw
     a forward pass to Nicky Toma. Nicky snared it.He galloped for ten yards before a tackler brought him down.
    The Pirates rolled on to the Jets’ twenty-two-yard line, then were penalized fifteen yards for holding. Second and twenty-five.
     The ball was now on the Jets’ thirty-seven-yard line.
    Mr. Adams sent in Tommy. “Tell David to throw you a pass,” he said. “Make it good, fella!”
    “I’ll try!” cried Tommy.
    In the huddle Tommy told David what Mr. Adams had said.
    “Okay. Number sixteen. Let’s go.”
    The teams lined up. David barked signals. The ball snapped from the center. David caught it, ran back, and lifted the ball
     to his shoulder.
    Tommy shoved his man aside, then ran past him down the field. Two of the Jets’ backfield men started after him. Tommyraced toward the sideline. Underneath him a white stripe flashed by. Then another.
    David’s hand snapped forward. The ball sailed through the air in a spiral.
    Tommy stared. The throw was too far!
    Tommy picked up speed. He stretched out his hands. He ran faster — faster! And then the ball was zooming down … down.
    Faster! Run faster!
    The ball struck Tommy’s fingers. It bounced up. He had lost the ball!
    But, no! There it was, in the air again! He reached for it. He caught it and tucked it safely against his body.
    And then his feet couldn’t keep up with the forward motion of his body. He fell and rolled over.
    The whistle shrilled. The referee trotted toward Tommy and took the ball from him. He moved the ball a few yards in fromthe sideline, then set it near the ten-yard line.
    “Nice catch, Tommy!” yelled David.
    “Way to go, Tommy!” cried Tim McCarthy. “Let’s go for a t.d.!”
    Tommy felt good.
    First and ten. David handed a lateral to left halfback Tim. Tim raced around the left end for two yards. Then right halfback
     Stan Baker took a lateral from David and threw a short pass to Tim. Tim burst around the tackle. A fumble! A half dozen players
     from both teams leapt on the ball!
    Shreeek!
    The boys unpiled from the ball. Everyone watched to see who had the ball. The boy on the bottom was a Jets player!
    “Just our luck!” yelled Tim, unhappily.
    David patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s hold ’em,” he said.
    The Jets lined up for punt formation.
    “Block that kick!” yelled David. “Come on, men!”
    At left end, Tommy dug his toes into the hard ground. He’d get through. He’d get through to block that kick. The Pirates couldn’t
     lose all that ground after having gained so much.
    The Jets fullback stood far back, his shoulders hunched forward, his hands outstretched. He called signals in a sharp, loud
     voice. The ball scraped the ground as it left the center’s hands.
    Shoulders hit shoulders. Legs tangled. Rubber cleats dug up hard dirt, crushed it to brown dust.
    Tommy pushed aside his man and plunged through a hole. He went after the fullback. The fullback caught the ball. He took a
     step forward, lifted his foot.
    Just then a man threw himself against theball! The ball struck his padded shoulder, bounced high into the air, then landed on the ground.
    Tommy and two Jets players rushed after the ball. Tommy was there first and pounced on it.
    Then the quarter ended.

18
    D avid raced off-tackle in the beginning of the second quarter. He got the ball within two yards of the goal line. On the next
     play, Fred plunged through the line for a touchdown, then converted for the extra point.
    Pirates 7, Jets 0.
    Tommy, Nicky, and the