Chapter 27
Stub was the bearer of the Petros Weekly Herald that week, bringing a copy to the coaches in their office.
Cole laid his copy down to continue looking at Lance’s scouting report on Monroe. He really did not want to do so, but felt drawn to the newspaper and finally gave in to the urge. Cole grabbed the paper and thumbed through the pages, finally finding the sports.
There was a blurry picture of Skip and a couple of other players celebrating a touchdown. The caption said it was D.J., but Cole knew that was wrong.
Panthers Roar! Now Sting the Hornets! read the headline.
It was a long wait for a group of Petros players, fans, coaches and one underpaid sports writer. That cursed losing streak ended on a brilliant, colorful Friday night as our beloved Panthers put past disappointments behind.
This was the kind of dominating performance we used to expect from our boys but had not seen in way too long. Looking much like their brothers of old, the Panthers showed off their skills on offense and were quite stingy on defense as Homecoming queen Barbara Hale oversaw the festivities, not letting her fall while climbing the bleachers ruin her night. There is another story on her accident on the front page but I was greatly relieved to hear the x-rays were negative and her leg was not broken, just a nasty bruise on her leg and buttock.
Cole shook his head, knowing Barbara would be overjoyed to see her bruised buttocks mentioned in the newspaper.
We wound up winning 41-0 in a game that was decided before the halftime break and the concession stand ran out of hot dogs, forcing me to go with a bag of popcorn for my snack.
Our formidable Coach Cole Lester showed his brilliance and why I personally consider him to be the best coach in the great state of Oklahoma as he led the boys to the overpowering win, whipping the Hornets like they were a bunch of red-headed stepchildren.
Cole felt like groaning, wondering how anybody could put something like that in a newspaper. That was pretty much all Cole could handle in one sitting. He tossed the paper aside and watched as Ichabod smiled and Stub giggled while reading the story.
He turned his attention back to the scouting report on Monroe, this week’s opponent and one that had him worried. The Eagles were tough every year and even his best teams had trouble beating them. Monroe was always one of the bigger teams the Panthers played, well-coached with tough players who never quit.
Cole knew the Eagles had been looking forward to this game for a year. The previous year, Petros came from behind to beat Monroe, a loss that kept the Eagles out of the playoffs. He also knew this would be a bruising, physical game. The Eagles were not a fancy team, preferring to line up and try to run over its opponents, mixing in a few passes only on obvious passing plays.
Monroe just never had any speed and the Panthers usually came up with enough big plays to win.
The Eagles were 2-2 overall, 0-1 in district play after falling to Summerfield in the first game of district play. Summerfield defeated Monroe, 28-6. But the Eagles trailed only 7-6 going into the fourth quarter and the final touchdown came on a trick play in the final thirty seconds, another in a long line of questionable moves by the Summerfield coaches that angered the other coaches in the district.
Cole expected the Panthers’ defense to be able to shut the Eagles down, provided Monroe could not line up and run over his defense. The Panthers were much quicker, but were a lot smaller on both lines. Ichabod was practicing more stunts and blitzes on defense in preparation for the power-running attack the Panthers would face.
It was a good week of practice as the players looked sharp, except for Lucky, who was still slowed from his injuries.
Cole kept his distance from D.J. and Garrett. As a father, he wanted to take them aside and pound them. But as a coach, Cole had to get everybody back on track and playing together.
Gary was back at practice, still not at full speed, but could be used in an emergency.
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The bus trip to Monroe was one of the longest ones in district play, made longer by the narrow two-lane highway that went through the mountain ranges of southeastern Oklahoma. It was a beautiful drive, one Cole always enjoyed, if he didn’t have to make the trip in a bus. There were many scenic overlooks that gave picturesque views of the forest and the valleys, filled with pine trees and rock formations.
Lucky’s mind and body still weren’t ready for the game. All he thought about was seeing Gabby in D.J.’s arms.
He had a hard time figuring this out. She was his first crush and he did not know how to handle his feelings. Lucky decided if all girls were like that, it would be better to go through life flying solo, concentrating on sports and school.
Gabby had caught him in the hall at school and tried talking to him like nothing happened. Lucky was cordial, but had no desire to have anything to do with her.
Lucky was still sore, especially on the side where he was kicked in the ribs. He would wear rib pads during the game although Lucky doubted it would help. He wasn’t all that worried about getting hit, but hated to wear the pads as every breath produced pain from the pad rubbing up against the bruise.
He slept bad all week because of the pain, but the last two nights were worse. He had bags under his eyes and kept nodding off on the bus ride, only to be jerked awake when the bus went around a curve or hit one of the frequent potholes.
“You don’t look too good,” Happy informed him.
“Thanks,” Lucky answered, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the seat.
As they entered Monroe, everybody looked around. Most of them had been there before but you never knew what might change. Plus, for a group loaded with teenage boys, there was always the chance to spot attractive members of the opposite sex.
They cruised through downtown, hitting green at the one stoplight in town. Cole noticed the buildings were all run down and many appeared to be empty, much like most of the other small towns, victims of the residents seeking savings elsewhere.
The only sign of life was at a pool hall where several juvenile delinquents were gathered inside and on the sidewalk, smoking and drinking out of a paper sack.
“There’s the future leaders of our country,” commented Stub.
“Nope,” Cole argued. “The future leaders are riding in buses like this and getting ready to play football tonight.”
“If this place keeps shrinking it’ll be a ghost town before long,” Stub pointed out, putting his hat on and searching for the shoes that had been off his feet since they left Petros.
It was a habit Stub had been doing for so long that it was accepted by now. Not particularly liked, however, as the smell of those dogs could bring tears to a person’s eyes. The cure was to open a few windows, which was fine except when it rained. But most people still agreed a little moisture beat the smell of his feet.
Lucky had sat behind his father all these years and kept the same spot, even though he was now on the team. Most of the other players on this bus were closer to the back.
Lloyd sat next to Cole. Stub was in the seat across the aisle. Ichabod was taking care of the other bus, one most of the younger players rode in.
Lloyd was dressed much like the other coaches, wearing a black baseball hat with a “P” on the front, along with a white shirt and black pants.
Cole felt like it was quite a bargain to have Lloyd helping. He knew as much about sports as anybody and wasn’t getting paid a penny.
The bus came to a stop behind the old rock gym and the players began filing out. Like many other small schools, Monroe did not have a dressing room for the visitors so the Panthers would dress in the bleachers.
One of the Monroe assistants, a rather surly man, opened up the gym and the players made their way inside. Cole offered thanks but only received a grunt in reply. Most of the players had been here before, but those who were on their first trip, took some time to look around the gym.
Along with Petros’ gym, this was probably the toughest place to play in the southeastern part of the state, maybe even harder. The south end of the gym was filled with banners showing the success of the Eagles’ basketball teams.
Monroe had five state championship banners for the boys, three for the girls. The gym was designed so the bleachers were on top of the court. Cole liked it much better when it was empty like this. During a basketball game, every square inch of this place would be filled, making so much noise it was hard to think.
Lucky had played here twice, probably the toughest games and teams he had ever faced. In the entrance was the picture of Jessie Cora, the legendary coach at Monroe. He was now nearing 70 years old, looked even older, and showed no signs of slowing down.
Along with serving as basketball coach, Cora was also the principal and had such a power hold on the school nobody did anything without consulting with him first, even the superintendent.
One of Lucky’s best memories was a game at Monroe during Lloyd’s senior year. The Eagles were in the top five of the state, like they always were, and his brother hit a three from deep in the corner just before the buzzer sounded, ending a 73-game home winning streak for Monroe. It was the only loss all season for a Monroe team that captured another state championship.
Lucky remembered how stunned Monroe’s coach had looked, decked out in his suit and tie, looking more like a preacher or banker than a small-school coach.
Cole loved the atmosphere here, even with the gym empty. He smelled the polish on the floor along with the permanent residue from too many bags of popcorn and soft drinks. This was a hallowed place as far as he was concerned and while it was nearly impossible to win here, this place and other gyms like it had so much character and could not be replaced by any of those new state-of-the-art gyms popping up everywhere.
Many people in Petros had been trying to get a new gym for years but Cole put up enough resistance the idea would go away for a while, only to resurface after a trip to a school with a new gym and all the modern amenities.
As the backs, receivers and quarterbacks left the gym and headed to the stadium, the stands were already filling. Cole felt good about this game, believing his team was coming together.
He certainly did not expect an easy win, but figured his guys would somehow come out on top when the game ended.
Cole saw a pair of Monroe basketball players walking on the track that he recognized. They were both around 6-6, tall, thin, and athletic-looking. He wondered how Monroe always had several players who looked like that. Cole could not figure out how the Eagles were always blessed with height while the Panthers had to go with players who looked like midgets compared to Monroe’s players.
There were always rumors of recruiting, but Cole doubted that. Old Jessie was too straight and proud for that. Cole knew players wanted to play for successful programs and parents wanted their children to play at the best schools.
Petros had some talented move-ins over the years and got a good one this year in Andy. But Cole doubted Andy and his family came because of Petros’ athletic program.
As the players finished the warm-ups, the Panthers jogged back into the gym, crossing the street running parallel with the stadium and dodging the traffic.
Cole let the players get their breath and a drink. He was looking around at the players seated in the bleachers.
Lloyd came up beside him and tapped him on the shoulder.
“What’s up with Lucky?” asked Lloyd.
“What do you mean?” Cole countered.
“Look at him.”
Cole did and saw his youngest son staring in the general direction of his feet, off by himself, looking like all the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
“He’ll be okay,” Cole responded, hoping that was true.
Cole walked forward on the floor, smiling as he heard the old gym floor creak.
“It’s time to meet another goal, guys,” he stated, hearing his voice echo. “You know this is going to be a tough one. I’m not lying when I say Monroe’s gonna be big. We all know that, and also know that doesn’t matter. We’re a better team and will come out on top. That’s what matters. This is our time, guys. We need to go out there and show them what Petros football is all about.
“Everybody looks at what has happened the last two years and sees we’re only 1-3 this year, but they don’t know what we’re made of. They don’t know the pride we have, the strength and character. When we come back in this old gym at the end of the game, know you gave everything you have out on that football field.
“This is our time to shine! Do not be afraid to succeed!”
The Panthers had their pre-game prayer then crossed back across the road. It almost looked like there were more Petros fans than Monroe fans.
A spirit line stretched close to midfield. The band struck up the school song and everybody started clapping and cheering as the Panthers approached the line and then took off, bursting through the banner urging the Panthers to “Make the Eagles extinct!”
That was rather clever, Cole thought as he watched the boys explode through the banner and sprint down to the opposite goal-line.
It was a beautiful night for football. The temperature was in the low 70’s with a nice breeze blowing through the stadium.
Monroe’s players were already on the field, jogging back from the far end zone. The Eagles wore blue helmets with white Eagle logos on both sides, along with blue shirts with white numbers and white pants.
It was the same uniform Monroe had worn for years.
Derwin and Gary were captains and met Monroe’s captains at midfield for the coin toss. Derwin called “heads” and won. He told the official the Panthers wanted to defer until the second half.
Monroe’s captains elected to receive and the Panthers took the wind, choosing to defend the end nearest the gym.
Cole gathered his players around him one last time, reminding them to do their assignments and fly to the ball. The players broke the huddle and the kicking team took the field. Jeremy set the ball on the tee, waited until everybody was ready and proceeded to get the game started.
It was a high, short kick, coming down just inside the 20. The returner made it to the thirty before getting swarmed by a group of Panthers.
Petros lined up on defense, but the players were confused and had to call a time out, not the best way to start the game. Cole asked what was wrong and was told there were only ten players on the field.
“Who’s not out there?” Cole asked.
Ichabod looked around and spotted the offending person.
“Lucky, aren’t you supposed to be out there?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” Lucky answered, grabbed his helmet and started to jog out on the field.
Cole was not happy.
“Hold up,” Cole shouted. “You just stay here for right now. Kenneth, get out there.”
Kenneth strapped on his helmet and jogged out on the field to take Lucky’s place.
Lucky removed his helmet and retreated to the sideline. He felt bad, of course, but it didn’t bother him like it should.
Monroe came right at the Panthers, just as everybody expected. Using its big line and backs, the Eagles pounded away, picking up a pair of first drives before Kenneth broke into the backfield and nailed the tailback for a loss on third-and-short.
The Panthers already had two players shaken up, not bad enough to leave the game but a little woozy for a few plays. Derwin came to the sidelines sporting a cut on his arm and a bloody nose.
“You okay?” Cole wondered.
“You bet,” Derwin answered, as Doc Hardy wrapped the cut and examined his nose. “This is my kind of game.”
“Okay,” his coach responded, knowing that was true.
On the punt, Kenneth fielded the ball and nearly broke it, getting tripped by one of the last players between him and a touchdown.
Cole got the offense together and relayed the call on the sidelines. The Panthers waited for the defense to line up then took the field, getting in their usual formation. It was a simple dive play, a handoff to Skip. Lucky took the snap but turned in the wrong direction. With nobody to hand off to, Monroe’s defenders swarmed him in the backfield, throwing him to the ground for a loss of three yards.
Monroe was in its usual 4-4 defense, daring the Panthers to pass, but keeping the defensive backs a little deeper than normal to try and prevent big plays.
D.J. got the call on second down, slid through a small gap and picked up four yards, leaving the Panthers facing third-and-nine.
Cole called a play-action pass. Lucky faked a handoff to D.J. then rolled out on a bootleg. He had a huge area open in front of him but chose to force a pass to Andy, who was covered by two defenders.
The pass was nearly intercepted and would have been picked off if Andy had not turned into a defensive back and batted the ball to the ground.
Jeremy’s punt was not a thing of beauty, hitting off the side of his foot and sailing out of bounds.
Monroe took advantage of the short field and started moving down the field again, using the power running attack to pound away. The backs followed behind the big line, picking up good yardage on most plays.
Ichabod started changing the defenses, rotating linemen in and out to try and keep the players fresh and find the right combination.
On third down, needing two yards for a first down, the Eagles threw in a surprise, their own play-action pass that worked perfectly. The receiver caught the ball and rumbled down inside the three before getting knocked down.
Monroe’s fullback picked up two on first down, then bullied into the end zone on second down for the touchdown to give the Eagles an early lead.
The score got Petros’ attention and the Panthers responded. When Petros got the ball back, the Panthers slowly drove down the field, picking up first downs, one after the other.
The Panthers finally made it inside the Monroe 20. Cole sent in an option play. Lucky faked the handoff and sprinted to the corner. He was tackled by the cornerback but just before hitting the ground pitched back to D.J.
It was a terrible pitch and a poor decision as the ball sailed way behind D.J. Monroe recovered the loose ball and stopped the drive.
Cole glared at his youngest son as Lucky came off the field, but did not make any comments, not sure that would help.
Monroe came right back with the same offense. The game moved into the second quarter as the Eagles again drove the field, the huge offensive line easily moving the Panthers out of the way.
“We haven’t had anybody block us like this,” Cole pointed out. “We’re gonna have to stop them or we’ll get blown out.”
“I know,” Ichabod answered. With the ball on the Petros 22, he called time.
He was as mad as the players ever saw him. Ichabod wasn’t the type to usually show any anger, but let his feelings be known.
“That’s enough,” he yelled, pushing his glasses back up the long beak. “We’re gonna stop them right now. You defensive backs move up and give us some help. We’re gonna put an end to this!”
He put in a new set of linemen, the best available, and called for a blitz.
The Panthers caught Monroe unprepared. There were simply too many defenders than blockers and the Panthers caught the running back in the backfield.
It worked once so Ichabod kept going to it. Monroe was stubborn and kept trying to pound away, even though the holes were no longer there. The drive stalled and Monroe faced fourth-and-seven. Ichabod knew the Eagles would pass and put in his best defensive backs, sending Lucky out for the first time on defense since he failed to take the field on the first play of the game.
The Eagles sent two receivers out on the wide side and crossed them over. Lucky took the wrong receiver, leaving the flanker wide open. He caught the pass and would have scored except Skip made a diving tackle
Ichabod replaced Lucky and he came jogging to the sidelines. This time Cole was waiting for him.
“How many times do we switch on a route like that?” Cole asked.
“Always,” Lucky answered.
“Then why didn’t you do it there?”
“I thought they would throw to the split end instead of the flanker.”
“Don’t think,” Cole insisted. “Play the way you’re coached. You need to get your head straightened up or you’ll be riding the pine the rest of the game.”
Lucky walked away, not used to his father talking to him like that.
Monroe had the ball on Petros’ nine, threatening again.
Two running plays gave Monroe the ball on the two and the blitzes were no longer working. Gary came in after Kenneth was shaken up. His shoulder was still a little sore but he came up big on third down, flying up from the secondary and nailing the fullback at the line.
Gary jogged to the sideline, his shoulder hurting badly. Ichabod didn’t have anybody to put in so he sent Lucky back out. It was fourth down, only two yards to go for another touchdown.
The Panthers got a break as the quarterback bobbled the snap and was forced to turn and plunge back into the line. Derwin attacked at the snap of the ball, hitting the guard so hard he fell back three yards. Derwin saw the quarterback, reached out with one arm and grabbed the quarterback by the jersey, slowing his run. He grabbed the Monroe player with his other arm, spun him around and tossed the quarterback like a wrestler doing a belly-to-belly sufflex. The play was so amazing it took several seconds for everybody to realize what happened.
After a brief delay, everybody on Petros’ side went nuts and showed its appreciation as Derwin came off the field.
But the Panthers were not out of trouble yet as they were still on their own two.
Cole grabbed Lucky and made sure the right players were in the game.
“Run the spread offense,” Cole directed.
“Are you sure?” Lucky asked.
“Yeah, go with the spread and run a trap. We’ve gotta get the defense spread out.”
Lucky nodded, still not believing his father told him to run the spread this deep in their own territory.
The Eagles were also surprised to see receivers spread out all over the field and the quarterback lining up in the shotgun.
Petros caught the defense adjusting and D.J. picked up six yards on first down.
The Panthers stayed in the same formation, forcing the Eagles to get some of those big bodies out of the block. Petros began its own drive, reaching midfield as the half came to an end. On the final play, Lucky threw an interception, missing Andy, who was open when he tried to force a pass to Skip.
Lloyd was waiting for his younger brother just inside the door to the gymnasium. He grabbed Lucky and pulled him into the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with you?” Lloyd asked.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Lucky responded, jerking away from his brother.
“Don’t give me that. You’ve played terrible. Your mind’s off somewhere else. I’ve never seen you play like that before.”
Lucky looked back at his brother, some of the anger fading away.
“I’m fine,” he argued.
“You aren’t playing that way. Let me tell you something, okay? I’m gonna be twenty-four in a couple of months. Ever since I was a kid I looked forward to growing up so I could be an adult. But you know what?”
“What?”
“I made a mistake,” Lloyd pointed out. “This isn’t the best time of my life. The best time of my life was when I was in school at Petros. I look back now and would give anything to be in your shoes. You need to take advantage of this and relish it. You need to appreciate this and not let some girl or whatever it is steal your joy.
“None of that is worth it. Yeah, you had some things go wrong this week. But that happens to everybody. The true mark of a person isn’t how they respond when things are going well. It’s how they act when things are going bad. Dad says that all the time. You’re too strong and good of a person to let this get you down. You let yourself down and your teammates down during the first half.”
Lucky never heard his brother give such a passionate speech. The words stung, reaching deep into his heart as he realized his brother was right. He just needed to forget about Gabby, D.J. and Garrett and get on with his life.
He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. Lucky felt his body getting energized and refreshed, his concentration and excitement growing. He reached out and hugged his brother, surprising Lloyd.
“You’re right,” Lucky agreed. “It won’t happen again.”
“Good,” Lloyd countered, hugging his little brother back. “Now go out there and kick some rear.”
Cole had watched his two sons from inside the gym. As they broke up, Lucky took off his cleats and walked across the gym floor in his socks.
He had planned to have a talk with his youngest son but could tell Lucky’s attitude seemed to have changed after Lloyd got hold of him.
“I’m sorry,” Lucky said, looking at his father.
Cole nodded and patted Lucky on the shoulder pads. Lucky climbed the stairs and sat down next to Happy.
“You need to forget about the first half,” Cole advised. “Yeah, we played terrible, but we took their best shot and we’re only down by a touchdown. I guarantee you that if we play like we’re capable, we’ll be the team celebrating when the final buzzer sounds to end the game.”
He looked at Ichabod and Stub, knowing they both needed to make some adjustments. Cole turned it over to the assistants and walked over to the ice chest and got a drink. He walked to the end of the gym and leaned against the wall, looking up at all the banners. There were none for football, something Cole always noticed.
But now wasn’t the time to let them start earning any banners, Cole decided.
It was a different group of Panthers who came out for the second half. Since Petros had deferred to start the game, the Panthers would get the ball to start the third quarter.
The two teams lined up for the kickoff. It was a long, high kick that Skip fielded cleanly just inside the 10. He took off, slowly at first and sped up after seeing a small opening. He sprinted past the 30 before getting tackled at the 32.
The offense huddled on the sideline. Lucky was the last one in the huddle. He came into the huddle patting his teammates on the pads, trying to get them pumped up. He had a totally different demeanor now, more like his normal self.
“Okay, guys,” he yelled. “Let’s go score!”
The Panthers sprinted to line up. Lucky faked a dive to Skip, faked the pitch to D.J. and cut back inside the end. He ran through one arm tackle, ducked his head and ran over the safety, sending the Monroe player to the bench with a bad headache.
Lucky’s run helped energize his teammates. On the next play, D.J. flew through the middle, cut to the sidelines after clearing the linebackers and was off. He made it to the Eagles’ 35 before getting pushed out of bounds.
Cole was ready to deliver a knockout punch. He sent in one of his favorite plays, a reverse to Kenneth, who was in at flanker.
Lucky pitched back to Skip on what looked like a sweep. All eleven defenders reacted, sprinting in that direction. None of the Eagles saw it coming. Kenneth came back against the grain and took a handoff from Skip and followed behind a pair of blockers. None of the Eagles were even close.
Todd Benton, a junior left tackle for the Panthers, peeled back and knocked down two Monroe players in a block that would be replayed several times in film sessions later that week. Freddie Farmer wiped out the only other Eagle with a chance of catching Kenneth, who turned on the speed after getting in the open and never slowed down until reaching the end zone.
He turned around and looked over the field, hoping no yellow flags littered the green grass. All the flags were safely tucked away and Kenneth dropped the ball and ran to his teammates to celebrate.
Jeremy added the PAT and the game was tied, 7-7.
Monroe’s players looked like they had been caught in a storm.
After a good kick by Jeremy, the Eagles got the ball on their 28. The Panthers showed a different look on defense, going with more of a stack look to confuse the blockers.
It worked perfectly as Monroe’s linemen would pick the wrong player, leaving two players blocking one defender, freeing another to make the tackle.
The Eagles only picked up three yards on three plays and were forced to punt. The punt sailed out of bounds on Petros’ 41, giving the Panthers good field position.
“Let’s go score again,” Lucky urged his teammates. “They can’t stop us.”
Skip got the ball on a power play on first down, looked like he was going to get stopped in the backfield, but spun away and picked up three yards.
Cole followed with a trap play designed to go to Skip. But when Lucky saw the defense overplaying that side, he changed the play.
Lucky made an excellent fake to Skip, spun around and handed off to D.J., who followed behind Price House. Price wiped out the tackle and D.J. cut inside, juked a linebacker and broke into the secondary. He added six yards, coming up just short of a first down.
Lucky smiled as he saw Happy trotting out on the field, looking like a champion taking the stage. Happy raised his arms to the Petros side to get the crowd even more excited.
In practice the past week, the Panthers worked on the wishbone for short-yardage situations with Happy playing fullback.
It wasn’t a surprise the coaches sent in this formation, but when Happy relayed the call, Lucky stepped out of the huddle and looked over at the sidelines.
“Run the play,” Cole hollered.
Lucky nodded and called the play. He rushed the offense to the line and enjoyed the reaction of the defense. The Eagles came forward to crowd the line, expecting a run.
He took the snap and faked a handoff to Happy, who plowed into the line and moved it backwards. Lucky paused for a second, hiding the ball behind his back.
Anthony Hart was one of the tight ends. As the ball was snapped, he faked a block on the tackle and slowly drifted into the secondary. After he was convinced nobody was paying attention, Anthony took off down the field.
Lucky was amazed how well the fake fooled the defense. He waited for Anthony to get past the defenders then tossed him the ball. The pass was perfect to Anthony, who was a good ten yards behind any defensive back. He caught the pass in stride, never slowing.
The race was on. Anthony was not the fastest player on his team by far, and heard Monroe’s defense bearing down on him. The defensive backs started closing the distance and the fans on both sides stood and watched.
The cornerback was the first to catch Anthony, grabbing him just outside the 10-yard line. He could not bring Anthony down, though, just grabbed hold and hung on, waiting for help to arrive.
Help did show and they finally brought Anthony down at the five. While Petros’ crowd had been rather subdued in the first half, that was not the case now as a loud roar was building steam, aided by the band playing the school song.
The Panthers huddled and quickly came to the line, knowing Monroe was rattled. D.J. got the ball on a crossbuck and could have walked in for the touchdown.
Petros led for the first time and after Jeremy nailed the extra point, the score was 14-7. They had played less than half the third quarter and the Eagles were in trouble.
Monroe’s players knew the situation was getting desperate and the Eagles came out playing that way during the following drive.
They started driving for the first time in the second half, getting the blocking scheme straightened out after the earlier confusion. It was football the old-fashioned way with the two teams lining up and just hammering away at each other.
The advantage usually went to the larger team and that was the case during this drive. The Eagles slowly moved down the field, picking up three or four yards on most plays.
As Monroe crossed midfield, Ichabod continued to switch players and make adjustments.
After another first down, Ichabod hit his thigh with his clipboard, grimacing as it hurt worse than expected. He turned around and looked at the players and motioned to Lucky.
“Get out there,” Ichabod hollered. “I want you to line up as basically another linebacker. Get in there and stop them. I’m tired of this.”
Lucky nodded while fastening his chinstrap. He sprinted out on the field and took his position. Monroe was on Petros’ 37, facing second-and-four.
Monroe ran the same counter play to the tailback that had been so successful with the off-side guard pulling in front of the tailback.
Lucky read the play and sprinted into the backfield through the gap between the center and the right guard. He blew past the fullback and hit the tailback just as he received the handoff, bringing him down in the backfield and almost causing a turnover. Lucky had gotten into the backfield so fast, it left the Eagles wondering what happened. Few high school players were able to read a play and react so quickly.
The Eagles now faced third-and-long instead of the short yardage they faced earlier in the drive. But Monroe did not change anything, preferring to blast straight ahead at the Panthers.
The tailback picked up seven yards, leaving the Eagles facing fourth-and-one. As Monroe came to the line, the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. Both teams went to the sidelines as the officials moved the ball and the chains to the other end of the field.
Cole seldom interfered with the defense, usually letting Ichabod run the show. But he noticed something over the last few plays and pointed it out to Ichabod.
“The guards are getting a huge split,” he told his assistant. “Put our two quickest linemen in there and tell them to get through the gap and into the backfield.”
Ichabod couldn’t think of any linemen quick enough to do that, but did know a couple of players who could do what Cole suggested.
He gathered the players around him, got Happy to join them and relayed instructions.
“Happy, I want you and Derwin to line up in the gaps between the center and the guards,” Ichabod said. “They’ve been using really wide gaps and you should be able to get between there and cause some problems in the backfield. We need a stop here.”
The two teams took the field again. Monroe was in the same formation with the guards spread out wide from the center. The Eagles failed to notice the change in Petros’ defense or make any adjustment to the new alignment.
The quarterback took the snap, spun around and handed off to the tailback on a straight blast play. Happy and Derwin exploded into the backfield, getting through the gaps so quick none of the offensive linemen touched them.
The play was to the right side, where Happy was lined up. He met the fullback head-on, forcing the tailback to cut back to the inside to get away from the traffic jam in front of him. As soon as the tailback made the cut, Derwin was there, coming fast and hard. He blasted into the tailback, wrapped both arms around him and drove the runner back, not stopping until they both fell to the ground.
It was a huge play for the defense to stop the drive and give the ball back to the offense and the roar of the Petros crowd was evidence of that.
“Nice call,” Ichabod said, smiling at Cole.
The Panthers needed to run some clock now. Cole had them come out in the wishbone. He felt this could be more effective in this situation and wanted to see how the players reacted.
Lucky faked a handoff to Happy, then spun around and handed off to Skip. D.J. and Freddie led the way as Skip followed his blockers, gaining seven yards.
The Panthers ran the same play to the other side, getting four yards and a first down. On the next play, Happy got the ball on a handoff to the left, following behind Skip. There wasn’t much of a hole but Happy lowered his head and moved the pile backwards before spinning away and diving ahead for three yards.
Lucky faked the handoff on a power play to D.J., then kept the ball on a bootleg. He outran the end to get to the corner and sprinted ahead for eleven more yards.
Skip got the ball on a counter dive and burst ahead for five yards. D.J. took the pitch on a sweep, cut back inside and added four yards. On third and short, Happy barreled through a small hole to get the first down.
Happy got the call again, this time following D.J. and rumbling for five yards while dragging a pair of defenders with him most of the trip.
Petros’ coaches noticed the defense was concentrating solely on the run and Cole decided to make the Eagles pay.
Lucky faked a handoff to Skip, drawing the defense even closer and rolled out. He had plenty of room to run but saw Anthony open again. He tossed the ball to his tight end, who caught the pass and picked up 12 yards before slipping while trying to cut.
The Eagles were getting tired and frustrated, not knowing what they were going to get hit with next. The Panthers just made it worse, continuing to drive, running down the clock and wearing out Monroe’s players.
Skip capped off the drive, carrying it in from the 2-yard line to put the Panthers ahead by two scores. Jeremy’s conversion was good, barely missing the right crossbar.
There were just over five minutes left.
Stub walked up to Cole with a smile.
“You can stick a fork in them,” he declared. They’re done.”
“It’s they’re ‘toast’,” Ichabod corrected. “Not ‘done’.”
“Whatever.”
Monroe ran three plays, lost yardage on each one, then punted.
Petros took over at midfield and with the game well in hand, put in the substitutes.
Kenneth broke a long run on third down but a holding penalty brought it back and the Panthers punted.
Happy was put in at linebacker and made a pair of tackles. He sacked the quarterback on third down as the buzzer sounded to end the game.
His teammates swarmed him and began celebrating. It was a big relief for all the Panthers. They dispersed and offered congratulations to their opponent.
Cole knew it was big any time a team won on the road, especially against a team as solid as Monroe. It was even bigger because it improved the Panthers to 2-3 overall, 2-0 in district play.
The second-half turnaround was most impressive to Cole. A lot of that had to be contributed to Lucky, who came out in the second half and played like he was capable, nothing like the dismal first half.
Cole knew his players could have thrown in the towel at halftime, considering how poorly they played and the pounding they were taking. But the Panthers bounced back, playing good and hard, showing the potential Cole felt this group had.
He did not know what his oldest son told Lucky, but Lloyd deserved some recognition. Cole was as proud of Lloyd as any player. Lloyd made several other suggestions during the game, seeing things none of the assistants or even Cole noticed.
As he walked off the field, Cole paused and looked around, taking in the atmosphere. At a moment like this, after winning a big game and everybody happy and celebrating, Cole was glad he never quit during the summer.
The laughter and hollering from his players could be heard as he approached the gym. A Monroe fan was waiting for him by the door.
Cole did not know the man’s name. He had been visiting Cole after every game between the two schools for years. Cole could not even remember if they had been introduced. But he knew this trip would not be complete without a visit from the old man.
It looked like the old man was nearing the end of the line. His gray hair was barely visible anymore under his blue hat with the big white “M” on the front. He had a pencil mustache, thick glasses and a face that was drawn in, looking like he had lost half his body weight from the last time Cole saw him.
The blue shirt seemed to swallow him, as did his jeans. He mustered a smile and thrust out his bony hand to shake hands.
“Howdy, Coach,” the old man said, shaking Cole’s hand.
“Good to see you again,” Cole answered, smiling back.
“You boys look like you used to,” the old man stated. “At least in the second half.”
“Thank you. Our boys are getting better every week.”
“Yep,” the old man muttered, wiping away some slobber from his lower lip with the back of his right hand. “if you boys keep getting better, I expect you’ll have a chance to take down Summerfield.”
“That’s a long way down the road,” Cole pointed out. He put his hand on the old man’s back and did not like what he felt, nothing but bones. “We’re going to enjoy this one tonight then turn our attention to Forrester.”
“Yep, I expect those Bears will be awful tough but I’d say your boys are back, the way I see it.”
“Thank you,” Cole added. “Guess I better go talk to the boys. See you in basketball.”
Cole started to walk away but the old man stopped him.
“Coach, can I ask a favor?”
Cole turned around and walked back to the old man.
“You probably won’t be seeing me in basketball,” the old man added. “The doctor told me my body was ate up with the cancer. I gotta start chemo Monday and this will probably be my last game. After fifty years of never missing a game. Anyways, you’re one of the coaches I admire the most and I’d be honored if you’d sign my hat.”
The old man took off his hat, pulled a marker out of his pocket and held it out to Cole.
Cole was taken aback, not knowing what to say or do.
“I’d be honored,” Cole responded, took the hat and pen and signed his name on the bill. “But I would like you to sign mine also.”
The old man smiled like he probably hadn’t in years as Cole took off his hat and handed it to him.
“You bet,” the old man agreed, signing his name on the bill of Cole’s cap with gusto. He handed the hat back to Cole, still smiling.
Cole was suddenly hit with a thought.
“Sir, can I ask you one question before you go?” Cole asked.
“You sure can.”
“Are you a religious man?”
“Coach, I haven’t missed a church service in thirty years,” the old man answered. “I am saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and not the least bit afraid of dying because I know where I’m going.”
Cole smiled and hugged the old man.
“Hope to see you again.”
“You will,” the old man countered, “but it probably won’t be until you get to Heaven.”
Cole walked away from the old man, feeling somewhat somber now. He took off his white hat and tried to read the signature, but it was impossible to decipher. The passion the old man felt about church and going to Heaven brightened Cole and he worked up a smile while approaching his players.
They were still on a high, laughing and talking loudly, enjoying the feeling of a win. The good feeling was in the air and he was glad to be a part of it.
Cole waited for the boys to settle down before addressing them.
“We picked up an important goal out there tonight,” he emphasized. “Remember this feeling. This is what it feels like when everybody comes together and plays as a team.
“In life, just like football or any other sport, you’ll face a lot of obstacles. How you meet them tells a lot about a person. You gotta go after the obstacles and do your best to overcome them. Just like you did tonight. You didn’t quit, but tried harder and overcame. Remember that, not only tonight but the rest of your life.”
Half the season was gone. The Panthers had won the first two district games with five left. They were 2-0 in the district, but so were others. Cole sat down and looked down at his hat again, smiling in memory of the old man.
“What’s that on your hat?” Lloyd asked, sitting down by his father.
“It’s an autograph from an old friend whose name I never knew,” Cole answered, put the hat back on and wrapped his arm around his son.
Chapter 28
Cole laid his copy down to continue looking at Lance’s scouting report on Monroe. He really did not want to do so, but felt drawn to the newspaper and finally gave in to the urge. Cole grabbed the paper and thumbed through the pages, finally finding the sports.
There was a blurry picture of Skip and a couple of other players celebrating a touchdown. The caption said it was D.J., but Cole knew that was wrong.
Panthers Roar! Now Sting the Hornets! read the headline.
It was a long wait for a group of Petros players, fans, coaches and one underpaid sports writer. That cursed losing streak ended on a brilliant, colorful Friday night as our beloved Panthers put past disappointments behind.
This was the kind of dominating performance we used to expect from our boys but had not seen in way too long. Looking much like their brothers of old, the Panthers showed off their skills on offense and were quite stingy on defense as Homecoming queen Barbara Hale oversaw the festivities, not letting her fall while climbing the bleachers ruin her night. There is another story on her accident on the front page but I was greatly relieved to hear the x-rays were negative and her leg was not broken, just a nasty bruise on her leg and buttock.
Cole shook his head, knowing Barbara would be overjoyed to see her bruised buttocks mentioned in the newspaper.
We wound up winning 41-0 in a game that was decided before the halftime break and the concession stand ran out of hot dogs, forcing me to go with a bag of popcorn for my snack.
Our formidable Coach Cole Lester showed his brilliance and why I personally consider him to be the best coach in the great state of Oklahoma as he led the boys to the overpowering win, whipping the Hornets like they were a bunch of red-headed stepchildren.
Cole felt like groaning, wondering how anybody could put something like that in a newspaper. That was pretty much all Cole could handle in one sitting. He tossed the paper aside and watched as Ichabod smiled and Stub giggled while reading the story.
He turned his attention back to the scouting report on Monroe, this week’s opponent and one that had him worried. The Eagles were tough every year and even his best teams had trouble beating them. Monroe was always one of the bigger teams the Panthers played, well-coached with tough players who never quit.
Cole knew the Eagles had been looking forward to this game for a year. The previous year, Petros came from behind to beat Monroe, a loss that kept the Eagles out of the playoffs. He also knew this would be a bruising, physical game. The Eagles were not a fancy team, preferring to line up and try to run over its opponents, mixing in a few passes only on obvious passing plays.
Monroe just never had any speed and the Panthers usually came up with enough big plays to win.
The Eagles were 2-2 overall, 0-1 in district play after falling to Summerfield in the first game of district play. Summerfield defeated Monroe, 28-6. But the Eagles trailed only 7-6 going into the fourth quarter and the final touchdown came on a trick play in the final thirty seconds, another in a long line of questionable moves by the Summerfield coaches that angered the other coaches in the district.
Cole expected the Panthers’ defense to be able to shut the Eagles down, provided Monroe could not line up and run over his defense. The Panthers were much quicker, but were a lot smaller on both lines. Ichabod was practicing more stunts and blitzes on defense in preparation for the power-running attack the Panthers would face.
It was a good week of practice as the players looked sharp, except for Lucky, who was still slowed from his injuries.
Cole kept his distance from D.J. and Garrett. As a father, he wanted to take them aside and pound them. But as a coach, Cole had to get everybody back on track and playing together.
Gary was back at practice, still not at full speed, but could be used in an emergency.
---------------
The bus trip to Monroe was one of the longest ones in district play, made longer by the narrow two-lane highway that went through the mountain ranges of southeastern Oklahoma. It was a beautiful drive, one Cole always enjoyed, if he didn’t have to make the trip in a bus. There were many scenic overlooks that gave picturesque views of the forest and the valleys, filled with pine trees and rock formations.
Lucky’s mind and body still weren’t ready for the game. All he thought about was seeing Gabby in D.J.’s arms.
He had a hard time figuring this out. She was his first crush and he did not know how to handle his feelings. Lucky decided if all girls were like that, it would be better to go through life flying solo, concentrating on sports and school.
Gabby had caught him in the hall at school and tried talking to him like nothing happened. Lucky was cordial, but had no desire to have anything to do with her.
Lucky was still sore, especially on the side where he was kicked in the ribs. He would wear rib pads during the game although Lucky doubted it would help. He wasn’t all that worried about getting hit, but hated to wear the pads as every breath produced pain from the pad rubbing up against the bruise.
He slept bad all week because of the pain, but the last two nights were worse. He had bags under his eyes and kept nodding off on the bus ride, only to be jerked awake when the bus went around a curve or hit one of the frequent potholes.
“You don’t look too good,” Happy informed him.
“Thanks,” Lucky answered, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the seat.
As they entered Monroe, everybody looked around. Most of them had been there before but you never knew what might change. Plus, for a group loaded with teenage boys, there was always the chance to spot attractive members of the opposite sex.
They cruised through downtown, hitting green at the one stoplight in town. Cole noticed the buildings were all run down and many appeared to be empty, much like most of the other small towns, victims of the residents seeking savings elsewhere.
The only sign of life was at a pool hall where several juvenile delinquents were gathered inside and on the sidewalk, smoking and drinking out of a paper sack.
“There’s the future leaders of our country,” commented Stub.
“Nope,” Cole argued. “The future leaders are riding in buses like this and getting ready to play football tonight.”
“If this place keeps shrinking it’ll be a ghost town before long,” Stub pointed out, putting his hat on and searching for the shoes that had been off his feet since they left Petros.
It was a habit Stub had been doing for so long that it was accepted by now. Not particularly liked, however, as the smell of those dogs could bring tears to a person’s eyes. The cure was to open a few windows, which was fine except when it rained. But most people still agreed a little moisture beat the smell of his feet.
Lucky had sat behind his father all these years and kept the same spot, even though he was now on the team. Most of the other players on this bus were closer to the back.
Lloyd sat next to Cole. Stub was in the seat across the aisle. Ichabod was taking care of the other bus, one most of the younger players rode in.
Lloyd was dressed much like the other coaches, wearing a black baseball hat with a “P” on the front, along with a white shirt and black pants.
Cole felt like it was quite a bargain to have Lloyd helping. He knew as much about sports as anybody and wasn’t getting paid a penny.
The bus came to a stop behind the old rock gym and the players began filing out. Like many other small schools, Monroe did not have a dressing room for the visitors so the Panthers would dress in the bleachers.
One of the Monroe assistants, a rather surly man, opened up the gym and the players made their way inside. Cole offered thanks but only received a grunt in reply. Most of the players had been here before, but those who were on their first trip, took some time to look around the gym.
Along with Petros’ gym, this was probably the toughest place to play in the southeastern part of the state, maybe even harder. The south end of the gym was filled with banners showing the success of the Eagles’ basketball teams.
Monroe had five state championship banners for the boys, three for the girls. The gym was designed so the bleachers were on top of the court. Cole liked it much better when it was empty like this. During a basketball game, every square inch of this place would be filled, making so much noise it was hard to think.
Lucky had played here twice, probably the toughest games and teams he had ever faced. In the entrance was the picture of Jessie Cora, the legendary coach at Monroe. He was now nearing 70 years old, looked even older, and showed no signs of slowing down.
Along with serving as basketball coach, Cora was also the principal and had such a power hold on the school nobody did anything without consulting with him first, even the superintendent.
One of Lucky’s best memories was a game at Monroe during Lloyd’s senior year. The Eagles were in the top five of the state, like they always were, and his brother hit a three from deep in the corner just before the buzzer sounded, ending a 73-game home winning streak for Monroe. It was the only loss all season for a Monroe team that captured another state championship.
Lucky remembered how stunned Monroe’s coach had looked, decked out in his suit and tie, looking more like a preacher or banker than a small-school coach.
Cole loved the atmosphere here, even with the gym empty. He smelled the polish on the floor along with the permanent residue from too many bags of popcorn and soft drinks. This was a hallowed place as far as he was concerned and while it was nearly impossible to win here, this place and other gyms like it had so much character and could not be replaced by any of those new state-of-the-art gyms popping up everywhere.
Many people in Petros had been trying to get a new gym for years but Cole put up enough resistance the idea would go away for a while, only to resurface after a trip to a school with a new gym and all the modern amenities.
As the backs, receivers and quarterbacks left the gym and headed to the stadium, the stands were already filling. Cole felt good about this game, believing his team was coming together.
He certainly did not expect an easy win, but figured his guys would somehow come out on top when the game ended.
Cole saw a pair of Monroe basketball players walking on the track that he recognized. They were both around 6-6, tall, thin, and athletic-looking. He wondered how Monroe always had several players who looked like that. Cole could not figure out how the Eagles were always blessed with height while the Panthers had to go with players who looked like midgets compared to Monroe’s players.
There were always rumors of recruiting, but Cole doubted that. Old Jessie was too straight and proud for that. Cole knew players wanted to play for successful programs and parents wanted their children to play at the best schools.
Petros had some talented move-ins over the years and got a good one this year in Andy. But Cole doubted Andy and his family came because of Petros’ athletic program.
As the players finished the warm-ups, the Panthers jogged back into the gym, crossing the street running parallel with the stadium and dodging the traffic.
Cole let the players get their breath and a drink. He was looking around at the players seated in the bleachers.
Lloyd came up beside him and tapped him on the shoulder.
“What’s up with Lucky?” asked Lloyd.
“What do you mean?” Cole countered.
“Look at him.”
Cole did and saw his youngest son staring in the general direction of his feet, off by himself, looking like all the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
“He’ll be okay,” Cole responded, hoping that was true.
Cole walked forward on the floor, smiling as he heard the old gym floor creak.
“It’s time to meet another goal, guys,” he stated, hearing his voice echo. “You know this is going to be a tough one. I’m not lying when I say Monroe’s gonna be big. We all know that, and also know that doesn’t matter. We’re a better team and will come out on top. That’s what matters. This is our time, guys. We need to go out there and show them what Petros football is all about.
“Everybody looks at what has happened the last two years and sees we’re only 1-3 this year, but they don’t know what we’re made of. They don’t know the pride we have, the strength and character. When we come back in this old gym at the end of the game, know you gave everything you have out on that football field.
“This is our time to shine! Do not be afraid to succeed!”
The Panthers had their pre-game prayer then crossed back across the road. It almost looked like there were more Petros fans than Monroe fans.
A spirit line stretched close to midfield. The band struck up the school song and everybody started clapping and cheering as the Panthers approached the line and then took off, bursting through the banner urging the Panthers to “Make the Eagles extinct!”
That was rather clever, Cole thought as he watched the boys explode through the banner and sprint down to the opposite goal-line.
It was a beautiful night for football. The temperature was in the low 70’s with a nice breeze blowing through the stadium.
Monroe’s players were already on the field, jogging back from the far end zone. The Eagles wore blue helmets with white Eagle logos on both sides, along with blue shirts with white numbers and white pants.
It was the same uniform Monroe had worn for years.
Derwin and Gary were captains and met Monroe’s captains at midfield for the coin toss. Derwin called “heads” and won. He told the official the Panthers wanted to defer until the second half.
Monroe’s captains elected to receive and the Panthers took the wind, choosing to defend the end nearest the gym.
Cole gathered his players around him one last time, reminding them to do their assignments and fly to the ball. The players broke the huddle and the kicking team took the field. Jeremy set the ball on the tee, waited until everybody was ready and proceeded to get the game started.
It was a high, short kick, coming down just inside the 20. The returner made it to the thirty before getting swarmed by a group of Panthers.
Petros lined up on defense, but the players were confused and had to call a time out, not the best way to start the game. Cole asked what was wrong and was told there were only ten players on the field.
“Who’s not out there?” Cole asked.
Ichabod looked around and spotted the offending person.
“Lucky, aren’t you supposed to be out there?” he asked.
“Oh yeah,” Lucky answered, grabbed his helmet and started to jog out on the field.
Cole was not happy.
“Hold up,” Cole shouted. “You just stay here for right now. Kenneth, get out there.”
Kenneth strapped on his helmet and jogged out on the field to take Lucky’s place.
Lucky removed his helmet and retreated to the sideline. He felt bad, of course, but it didn’t bother him like it should.
Monroe came right at the Panthers, just as everybody expected. Using its big line and backs, the Eagles pounded away, picking up a pair of first drives before Kenneth broke into the backfield and nailed the tailback for a loss on third-and-short.
The Panthers already had two players shaken up, not bad enough to leave the game but a little woozy for a few plays. Derwin came to the sidelines sporting a cut on his arm and a bloody nose.
“You okay?” Cole wondered.
“You bet,” Derwin answered, as Doc Hardy wrapped the cut and examined his nose. “This is my kind of game.”
“Okay,” his coach responded, knowing that was true.
On the punt, Kenneth fielded the ball and nearly broke it, getting tripped by one of the last players between him and a touchdown.
Cole got the offense together and relayed the call on the sidelines. The Panthers waited for the defense to line up then took the field, getting in their usual formation. It was a simple dive play, a handoff to Skip. Lucky took the snap but turned in the wrong direction. With nobody to hand off to, Monroe’s defenders swarmed him in the backfield, throwing him to the ground for a loss of three yards.
Monroe was in its usual 4-4 defense, daring the Panthers to pass, but keeping the defensive backs a little deeper than normal to try and prevent big plays.
D.J. got the call on second down, slid through a small gap and picked up four yards, leaving the Panthers facing third-and-nine.
Cole called a play-action pass. Lucky faked a handoff to D.J. then rolled out on a bootleg. He had a huge area open in front of him but chose to force a pass to Andy, who was covered by two defenders.
The pass was nearly intercepted and would have been picked off if Andy had not turned into a defensive back and batted the ball to the ground.
Jeremy’s punt was not a thing of beauty, hitting off the side of his foot and sailing out of bounds.
Monroe took advantage of the short field and started moving down the field again, using the power running attack to pound away. The backs followed behind the big line, picking up good yardage on most plays.
Ichabod started changing the defenses, rotating linemen in and out to try and keep the players fresh and find the right combination.
On third down, needing two yards for a first down, the Eagles threw in a surprise, their own play-action pass that worked perfectly. The receiver caught the ball and rumbled down inside the three before getting knocked down.
Monroe’s fullback picked up two on first down, then bullied into the end zone on second down for the touchdown to give the Eagles an early lead.
The score got Petros’ attention and the Panthers responded. When Petros got the ball back, the Panthers slowly drove down the field, picking up first downs, one after the other.
The Panthers finally made it inside the Monroe 20. Cole sent in an option play. Lucky faked the handoff and sprinted to the corner. He was tackled by the cornerback but just before hitting the ground pitched back to D.J.
It was a terrible pitch and a poor decision as the ball sailed way behind D.J. Monroe recovered the loose ball and stopped the drive.
Cole glared at his youngest son as Lucky came off the field, but did not make any comments, not sure that would help.
Monroe came right back with the same offense. The game moved into the second quarter as the Eagles again drove the field, the huge offensive line easily moving the Panthers out of the way.
“We haven’t had anybody block us like this,” Cole pointed out. “We’re gonna have to stop them or we’ll get blown out.”
“I know,” Ichabod answered. With the ball on the Petros 22, he called time.
He was as mad as the players ever saw him. Ichabod wasn’t the type to usually show any anger, but let his feelings be known.
“That’s enough,” he yelled, pushing his glasses back up the long beak. “We’re gonna stop them right now. You defensive backs move up and give us some help. We’re gonna put an end to this!”
He put in a new set of linemen, the best available, and called for a blitz.
The Panthers caught Monroe unprepared. There were simply too many defenders than blockers and the Panthers caught the running back in the backfield.
It worked once so Ichabod kept going to it. Monroe was stubborn and kept trying to pound away, even though the holes were no longer there. The drive stalled and Monroe faced fourth-and-seven. Ichabod knew the Eagles would pass and put in his best defensive backs, sending Lucky out for the first time on defense since he failed to take the field on the first play of the game.
The Eagles sent two receivers out on the wide side and crossed them over. Lucky took the wrong receiver, leaving the flanker wide open. He caught the pass and would have scored except Skip made a diving tackle
Ichabod replaced Lucky and he came jogging to the sidelines. This time Cole was waiting for him.
“How many times do we switch on a route like that?” Cole asked.
“Always,” Lucky answered.
“Then why didn’t you do it there?”
“I thought they would throw to the split end instead of the flanker.”
“Don’t think,” Cole insisted. “Play the way you’re coached. You need to get your head straightened up or you’ll be riding the pine the rest of the game.”
Lucky walked away, not used to his father talking to him like that.
Monroe had the ball on Petros’ nine, threatening again.
Two running plays gave Monroe the ball on the two and the blitzes were no longer working. Gary came in after Kenneth was shaken up. His shoulder was still a little sore but he came up big on third down, flying up from the secondary and nailing the fullback at the line.
Gary jogged to the sideline, his shoulder hurting badly. Ichabod didn’t have anybody to put in so he sent Lucky back out. It was fourth down, only two yards to go for another touchdown.
The Panthers got a break as the quarterback bobbled the snap and was forced to turn and plunge back into the line. Derwin attacked at the snap of the ball, hitting the guard so hard he fell back three yards. Derwin saw the quarterback, reached out with one arm and grabbed the quarterback by the jersey, slowing his run. He grabbed the Monroe player with his other arm, spun him around and tossed the quarterback like a wrestler doing a belly-to-belly sufflex. The play was so amazing it took several seconds for everybody to realize what happened.
After a brief delay, everybody on Petros’ side went nuts and showed its appreciation as Derwin came off the field.
But the Panthers were not out of trouble yet as they were still on their own two.
Cole grabbed Lucky and made sure the right players were in the game.
“Run the spread offense,” Cole directed.
“Are you sure?” Lucky asked.
“Yeah, go with the spread and run a trap. We’ve gotta get the defense spread out.”
Lucky nodded, still not believing his father told him to run the spread this deep in their own territory.
The Eagles were also surprised to see receivers spread out all over the field and the quarterback lining up in the shotgun.
Petros caught the defense adjusting and D.J. picked up six yards on first down.
The Panthers stayed in the same formation, forcing the Eagles to get some of those big bodies out of the block. Petros began its own drive, reaching midfield as the half came to an end. On the final play, Lucky threw an interception, missing Andy, who was open when he tried to force a pass to Skip.
Lloyd was waiting for his younger brother just inside the door to the gymnasium. He grabbed Lucky and pulled him into the bathroom.
“What’s wrong with you?” Lloyd asked.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Lucky responded, jerking away from his brother.
“Don’t give me that. You’ve played terrible. Your mind’s off somewhere else. I’ve never seen you play like that before.”
Lucky looked back at his brother, some of the anger fading away.
“I’m fine,” he argued.
“You aren’t playing that way. Let me tell you something, okay? I’m gonna be twenty-four in a couple of months. Ever since I was a kid I looked forward to growing up so I could be an adult. But you know what?”
“What?”
“I made a mistake,” Lloyd pointed out. “This isn’t the best time of my life. The best time of my life was when I was in school at Petros. I look back now and would give anything to be in your shoes. You need to take advantage of this and relish it. You need to appreciate this and not let some girl or whatever it is steal your joy.
“None of that is worth it. Yeah, you had some things go wrong this week. But that happens to everybody. The true mark of a person isn’t how they respond when things are going well. It’s how they act when things are going bad. Dad says that all the time. You’re too strong and good of a person to let this get you down. You let yourself down and your teammates down during the first half.”
Lucky never heard his brother give such a passionate speech. The words stung, reaching deep into his heart as he realized his brother was right. He just needed to forget about Gabby, D.J. and Garrett and get on with his life.
He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. Lucky felt his body getting energized and refreshed, his concentration and excitement growing. He reached out and hugged his brother, surprising Lloyd.
“You’re right,” Lucky agreed. “It won’t happen again.”
“Good,” Lloyd countered, hugging his little brother back. “Now go out there and kick some rear.”
Cole had watched his two sons from inside the gym. As they broke up, Lucky took off his cleats and walked across the gym floor in his socks.
He had planned to have a talk with his youngest son but could tell Lucky’s attitude seemed to have changed after Lloyd got hold of him.
“I’m sorry,” Lucky said, looking at his father.
Cole nodded and patted Lucky on the shoulder pads. Lucky climbed the stairs and sat down next to Happy.
“You need to forget about the first half,” Cole advised. “Yeah, we played terrible, but we took their best shot and we’re only down by a touchdown. I guarantee you that if we play like we’re capable, we’ll be the team celebrating when the final buzzer sounds to end the game.”
He looked at Ichabod and Stub, knowing they both needed to make some adjustments. Cole turned it over to the assistants and walked over to the ice chest and got a drink. He walked to the end of the gym and leaned against the wall, looking up at all the banners. There were none for football, something Cole always noticed.
But now wasn’t the time to let them start earning any banners, Cole decided.
It was a different group of Panthers who came out for the second half. Since Petros had deferred to start the game, the Panthers would get the ball to start the third quarter.
The two teams lined up for the kickoff. It was a long, high kick that Skip fielded cleanly just inside the 10. He took off, slowly at first and sped up after seeing a small opening. He sprinted past the 30 before getting tackled at the 32.
The offense huddled on the sideline. Lucky was the last one in the huddle. He came into the huddle patting his teammates on the pads, trying to get them pumped up. He had a totally different demeanor now, more like his normal self.
“Okay, guys,” he yelled. “Let’s go score!”
The Panthers sprinted to line up. Lucky faked a dive to Skip, faked the pitch to D.J. and cut back inside the end. He ran through one arm tackle, ducked his head and ran over the safety, sending the Monroe player to the bench with a bad headache.
Lucky’s run helped energize his teammates. On the next play, D.J. flew through the middle, cut to the sidelines after clearing the linebackers and was off. He made it to the Eagles’ 35 before getting pushed out of bounds.
Cole was ready to deliver a knockout punch. He sent in one of his favorite plays, a reverse to Kenneth, who was in at flanker.
Lucky pitched back to Skip on what looked like a sweep. All eleven defenders reacted, sprinting in that direction. None of the Eagles saw it coming. Kenneth came back against the grain and took a handoff from Skip and followed behind a pair of blockers. None of the Eagles were even close.
Todd Benton, a junior left tackle for the Panthers, peeled back and knocked down two Monroe players in a block that would be replayed several times in film sessions later that week. Freddie Farmer wiped out the only other Eagle with a chance of catching Kenneth, who turned on the speed after getting in the open and never slowed down until reaching the end zone.
He turned around and looked over the field, hoping no yellow flags littered the green grass. All the flags were safely tucked away and Kenneth dropped the ball and ran to his teammates to celebrate.
Jeremy added the PAT and the game was tied, 7-7.
Monroe’s players looked like they had been caught in a storm.
After a good kick by Jeremy, the Eagles got the ball on their 28. The Panthers showed a different look on defense, going with more of a stack look to confuse the blockers.
It worked perfectly as Monroe’s linemen would pick the wrong player, leaving two players blocking one defender, freeing another to make the tackle.
The Eagles only picked up three yards on three plays and were forced to punt. The punt sailed out of bounds on Petros’ 41, giving the Panthers good field position.
“Let’s go score again,” Lucky urged his teammates. “They can’t stop us.”
Skip got the ball on a power play on first down, looked like he was going to get stopped in the backfield, but spun away and picked up three yards.
Cole followed with a trap play designed to go to Skip. But when Lucky saw the defense overplaying that side, he changed the play.
Lucky made an excellent fake to Skip, spun around and handed off to D.J., who followed behind Price House. Price wiped out the tackle and D.J. cut inside, juked a linebacker and broke into the secondary. He added six yards, coming up just short of a first down.
Lucky smiled as he saw Happy trotting out on the field, looking like a champion taking the stage. Happy raised his arms to the Petros side to get the crowd even more excited.
In practice the past week, the Panthers worked on the wishbone for short-yardage situations with Happy playing fullback.
It wasn’t a surprise the coaches sent in this formation, but when Happy relayed the call, Lucky stepped out of the huddle and looked over at the sidelines.
“Run the play,” Cole hollered.
Lucky nodded and called the play. He rushed the offense to the line and enjoyed the reaction of the defense. The Eagles came forward to crowd the line, expecting a run.
He took the snap and faked a handoff to Happy, who plowed into the line and moved it backwards. Lucky paused for a second, hiding the ball behind his back.
Anthony Hart was one of the tight ends. As the ball was snapped, he faked a block on the tackle and slowly drifted into the secondary. After he was convinced nobody was paying attention, Anthony took off down the field.
Lucky was amazed how well the fake fooled the defense. He waited for Anthony to get past the defenders then tossed him the ball. The pass was perfect to Anthony, who was a good ten yards behind any defensive back. He caught the pass in stride, never slowing.
The race was on. Anthony was not the fastest player on his team by far, and heard Monroe’s defense bearing down on him. The defensive backs started closing the distance and the fans on both sides stood and watched.
The cornerback was the first to catch Anthony, grabbing him just outside the 10-yard line. He could not bring Anthony down, though, just grabbed hold and hung on, waiting for help to arrive.
Help did show and they finally brought Anthony down at the five. While Petros’ crowd had been rather subdued in the first half, that was not the case now as a loud roar was building steam, aided by the band playing the school song.
The Panthers huddled and quickly came to the line, knowing Monroe was rattled. D.J. got the ball on a crossbuck and could have walked in for the touchdown.
Petros led for the first time and after Jeremy nailed the extra point, the score was 14-7. They had played less than half the third quarter and the Eagles were in trouble.
Monroe’s players knew the situation was getting desperate and the Eagles came out playing that way during the following drive.
They started driving for the first time in the second half, getting the blocking scheme straightened out after the earlier confusion. It was football the old-fashioned way with the two teams lining up and just hammering away at each other.
The advantage usually went to the larger team and that was the case during this drive. The Eagles slowly moved down the field, picking up three or four yards on most plays.
As Monroe crossed midfield, Ichabod continued to switch players and make adjustments.
After another first down, Ichabod hit his thigh with his clipboard, grimacing as it hurt worse than expected. He turned around and looked at the players and motioned to Lucky.
“Get out there,” Ichabod hollered. “I want you to line up as basically another linebacker. Get in there and stop them. I’m tired of this.”
Lucky nodded while fastening his chinstrap. He sprinted out on the field and took his position. Monroe was on Petros’ 37, facing second-and-four.
Monroe ran the same counter play to the tailback that had been so successful with the off-side guard pulling in front of the tailback.
Lucky read the play and sprinted into the backfield through the gap between the center and the right guard. He blew past the fullback and hit the tailback just as he received the handoff, bringing him down in the backfield and almost causing a turnover. Lucky had gotten into the backfield so fast, it left the Eagles wondering what happened. Few high school players were able to read a play and react so quickly.
The Eagles now faced third-and-long instead of the short yardage they faced earlier in the drive. But Monroe did not change anything, preferring to blast straight ahead at the Panthers.
The tailback picked up seven yards, leaving the Eagles facing fourth-and-one. As Monroe came to the line, the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter. Both teams went to the sidelines as the officials moved the ball and the chains to the other end of the field.
Cole seldom interfered with the defense, usually letting Ichabod run the show. But he noticed something over the last few plays and pointed it out to Ichabod.
“The guards are getting a huge split,” he told his assistant. “Put our two quickest linemen in there and tell them to get through the gap and into the backfield.”
Ichabod couldn’t think of any linemen quick enough to do that, but did know a couple of players who could do what Cole suggested.
He gathered the players around him, got Happy to join them and relayed instructions.
“Happy, I want you and Derwin to line up in the gaps between the center and the guards,” Ichabod said. “They’ve been using really wide gaps and you should be able to get between there and cause some problems in the backfield. We need a stop here.”
The two teams took the field again. Monroe was in the same formation with the guards spread out wide from the center. The Eagles failed to notice the change in Petros’ defense or make any adjustment to the new alignment.
The quarterback took the snap, spun around and handed off to the tailback on a straight blast play. Happy and Derwin exploded into the backfield, getting through the gaps so quick none of the offensive linemen touched them.
The play was to the right side, where Happy was lined up. He met the fullback head-on, forcing the tailback to cut back to the inside to get away from the traffic jam in front of him. As soon as the tailback made the cut, Derwin was there, coming fast and hard. He blasted into the tailback, wrapped both arms around him and drove the runner back, not stopping until they both fell to the ground.
It was a huge play for the defense to stop the drive and give the ball back to the offense and the roar of the Petros crowd was evidence of that.
“Nice call,” Ichabod said, smiling at Cole.
The Panthers needed to run some clock now. Cole had them come out in the wishbone. He felt this could be more effective in this situation and wanted to see how the players reacted.
Lucky faked a handoff to Happy, then spun around and handed off to Skip. D.J. and Freddie led the way as Skip followed his blockers, gaining seven yards.
The Panthers ran the same play to the other side, getting four yards and a first down. On the next play, Happy got the ball on a handoff to the left, following behind Skip. There wasn’t much of a hole but Happy lowered his head and moved the pile backwards before spinning away and diving ahead for three yards.
Lucky faked the handoff on a power play to D.J., then kept the ball on a bootleg. He outran the end to get to the corner and sprinted ahead for eleven more yards.
Skip got the ball on a counter dive and burst ahead for five yards. D.J. took the pitch on a sweep, cut back inside and added four yards. On third and short, Happy barreled through a small hole to get the first down.
Happy got the call again, this time following D.J. and rumbling for five yards while dragging a pair of defenders with him most of the trip.
Petros’ coaches noticed the defense was concentrating solely on the run and Cole decided to make the Eagles pay.
Lucky faked a handoff to Skip, drawing the defense even closer and rolled out. He had plenty of room to run but saw Anthony open again. He tossed the ball to his tight end, who caught the pass and picked up 12 yards before slipping while trying to cut.
The Eagles were getting tired and frustrated, not knowing what they were going to get hit with next. The Panthers just made it worse, continuing to drive, running down the clock and wearing out Monroe’s players.
Skip capped off the drive, carrying it in from the 2-yard line to put the Panthers ahead by two scores. Jeremy’s conversion was good, barely missing the right crossbar.
There were just over five minutes left.
Stub walked up to Cole with a smile.
“You can stick a fork in them,” he declared. They’re done.”
“It’s they’re ‘toast’,” Ichabod corrected. “Not ‘done’.”
“Whatever.”
Monroe ran three plays, lost yardage on each one, then punted.
Petros took over at midfield and with the game well in hand, put in the substitutes.
Kenneth broke a long run on third down but a holding penalty brought it back and the Panthers punted.
Happy was put in at linebacker and made a pair of tackles. He sacked the quarterback on third down as the buzzer sounded to end the game.
His teammates swarmed him and began celebrating. It was a big relief for all the Panthers. They dispersed and offered congratulations to their opponent.
Cole knew it was big any time a team won on the road, especially against a team as solid as Monroe. It was even bigger because it improved the Panthers to 2-3 overall, 2-0 in district play.
The second-half turnaround was most impressive to Cole. A lot of that had to be contributed to Lucky, who came out in the second half and played like he was capable, nothing like the dismal first half.
Cole knew his players could have thrown in the towel at halftime, considering how poorly they played and the pounding they were taking. But the Panthers bounced back, playing good and hard, showing the potential Cole felt this group had.
He did not know what his oldest son told Lucky, but Lloyd deserved some recognition. Cole was as proud of Lloyd as any player. Lloyd made several other suggestions during the game, seeing things none of the assistants or even Cole noticed.
As he walked off the field, Cole paused and looked around, taking in the atmosphere. At a moment like this, after winning a big game and everybody happy and celebrating, Cole was glad he never quit during the summer.
The laughter and hollering from his players could be heard as he approached the gym. A Monroe fan was waiting for him by the door.
Cole did not know the man’s name. He had been visiting Cole after every game between the two schools for years. Cole could not even remember if they had been introduced. But he knew this trip would not be complete without a visit from the old man.
It looked like the old man was nearing the end of the line. His gray hair was barely visible anymore under his blue hat with the big white “M” on the front. He had a pencil mustache, thick glasses and a face that was drawn in, looking like he had lost half his body weight from the last time Cole saw him.
The blue shirt seemed to swallow him, as did his jeans. He mustered a smile and thrust out his bony hand to shake hands.
“Howdy, Coach,” the old man said, shaking Cole’s hand.
“Good to see you again,” Cole answered, smiling back.
“You boys look like you used to,” the old man stated. “At least in the second half.”
“Thank you. Our boys are getting better every week.”
“Yep,” the old man muttered, wiping away some slobber from his lower lip with the back of his right hand. “if you boys keep getting better, I expect you’ll have a chance to take down Summerfield.”
“That’s a long way down the road,” Cole pointed out. He put his hand on the old man’s back and did not like what he felt, nothing but bones. “We’re going to enjoy this one tonight then turn our attention to Forrester.”
“Yep, I expect those Bears will be awful tough but I’d say your boys are back, the way I see it.”
“Thank you,” Cole added. “Guess I better go talk to the boys. See you in basketball.”
Cole started to walk away but the old man stopped him.
“Coach, can I ask a favor?”
Cole turned around and walked back to the old man.
“You probably won’t be seeing me in basketball,” the old man added. “The doctor told me my body was ate up with the cancer. I gotta start chemo Monday and this will probably be my last game. After fifty years of never missing a game. Anyways, you’re one of the coaches I admire the most and I’d be honored if you’d sign my hat.”
The old man took off his hat, pulled a marker out of his pocket and held it out to Cole.
Cole was taken aback, not knowing what to say or do.
“I’d be honored,” Cole responded, took the hat and pen and signed his name on the bill. “But I would like you to sign mine also.”
The old man smiled like he probably hadn’t in years as Cole took off his hat and handed it to him.
“You bet,” the old man agreed, signing his name on the bill of Cole’s cap with gusto. He handed the hat back to Cole, still smiling.
Cole was suddenly hit with a thought.
“Sir, can I ask you one question before you go?” Cole asked.
“You sure can.”
“Are you a religious man?”
“Coach, I haven’t missed a church service in thirty years,” the old man answered. “I am saved, filled with the Holy Ghost and not the least bit afraid of dying because I know where I’m going.”
Cole smiled and hugged the old man.
“Hope to see you again.”
“You will,” the old man countered, “but it probably won’t be until you get to Heaven.”
Cole walked away from the old man, feeling somewhat somber now. He took off his white hat and tried to read the signature, but it was impossible to decipher. The passion the old man felt about church and going to Heaven brightened Cole and he worked up a smile while approaching his players.
They were still on a high, laughing and talking loudly, enjoying the feeling of a win. The good feeling was in the air and he was glad to be a part of it.
Cole waited for the boys to settle down before addressing them.
“We picked up an important goal out there tonight,” he emphasized. “Remember this feeling. This is what it feels like when everybody comes together and plays as a team.
“In life, just like football or any other sport, you’ll face a lot of obstacles. How you meet them tells a lot about a person. You gotta go after the obstacles and do your best to overcome them. Just like you did tonight. You didn’t quit, but tried harder and overcame. Remember that, not only tonight but the rest of your life.”
Half the season was gone. The Panthers had won the first two district games with five left. They were 2-0 in the district, but so were others. Cole sat down and looked down at his hat again, smiling in memory of the old man.
“What’s that on your hat?” Lloyd asked, sitting down by his father.
“It’s an autograph from an old friend whose name I never knew,” Cole answered, put the hat back on and wrapped his arm around his son.
posted by Craig Hall at 4:48 AM
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