The two teammates walked down the hall peering into empty classrooms. They passed wide open doors to the math room, music room, and chemistry lab. Then they approached the social studies classroom. The door was closed tight, but Colt could hear voices coming from inside.

  He crept up to the door and spied through the window. There must have been thirty guys inside! Gunner, Keegan, Sanjay, Jamal, and the rest of the team were all sitting at desks like it was a normal class. He waved Bulldog over to sneak a look. Bulldog’s brown eyes bugged out of his head.

  Colt burst through the door. “What’s going on?”

  Gunner stood up and smiled like he had been expecting them. “I see you tracked us down.”

  “Yeah, and I don’t like what I found,” Colt said. “Looks like you’re having a secret team meeting without the captain.”

  “It’s not so secret,” Gunner said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Coach told us in the locker room to meet here instead of practice.”

  “Without Bulldog and me?”

  “Yeah, we all thought it was the best way.”

  “The best way to do what?” Colt demanded, crossing his arms.

  “To pick another captain.”

  “What are you talking about?” Colt said. “All the players voted for me in training camp.”

  “Well, maybe it’s time for another vote,” Gunner shot back.

  “Why?”

  “Because that was before we knew.”

  Colt’s blood started to boil. “Knew what?”

  “That you won’t follow Coach’s orders. That you won’t do whatever it takes to win.”

  Colt’s eyes darted around the room. He wondered if everyone felt the same way. He spotted Sanjay sitting at the back.

  “What about you, Sanjay? Are you part of this mutiny, too?”

  “I think Gunner has some good points. A captain has to lead by example, dude. I don’t think a captain who disobeys his coach is a very good example.”

  “So, that’s it? You’re just going to name someone else captain?”

  “Not exactly,” Gunner said. “Coach said we should choose a player to be a co-captain with you. We’re just about to vote.”

  “Oh, and let me guess how many candidates there are?” Colt growled.

  “Just one.” Gunner smiled thinly.

  “Yeah, I thought so.” Colt narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t surprised that Gunner was turning on him. He had already seen him play dirty. But he couldn’t believe that Keegan, Jamal, and Sanjay would stab him in the back, too.

  Gunner stood at the front of the class. “All those in favour of making me the co-captain raise your hand.”

  Every arm in the room shot up except for two. Colt and Bulldog kept their hands by their sides. They just glared.

  “So, where is Coach, anyway?” Colt asked. “If he’s behind all this, why isn’t he here?”

  “He went home with another headache,” Gunner said. “You would have known that if you had shown up to practice on time. Something that a good co-captain like me did.”

  Colt led Bulldog out the door. He was burning up inside. He was still a co-captain, but he had lost the trust of his team. Now when he gave orders in the huddle he just didn’t know who would follow them.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Bulldog.”

  “You taking the bus home?”

  “Not today.”

  “It’s a long way to your house, bro.”

  “I need the walk.”

  Colt swung his backpack over his shoulder. He worried about Coach getting another headache. It must have been a bad one for him to cancel practice. He wondered if they’d keep getting worse. Were all the hits he took as a player adding up to a constant string of headaches now?

  He wasn’t the same Coach he used to be. Colt was hurt that he would call for a vote on a co-captain. Lots of teams had co-captains, but still, Colt knew Coach must have thought he couldn’t get the job done. That he wasn’t good enough. It was hard to follow a coach who didn’t believe in you. It hurt, too, that he was siding with Gunner.

  His dad wasn’t the same dad he used to be, either. They never went to football games together anymore. His dad always said he was too busy. But Colt knew he wasn’t. He just sat around the house on the weekends watching football on TV. He never asked Colt if he wanted to watch with him, though.

  The team was different, too. Gunner had always just looked out for himself. But the rest of the guys all used to be a solid unit, on and off the field. Keegan and Sanjay and Jamal were his friends. Now they had just sat in a room and voted against him. Only Bulldog had stuck with him.

  He felt let down — by Coach, by his team, and by his dad. This wasn’t how his dad had taught him to act when he was younger. No matter how bad things got, his dad always told Colt to stand up for himself. To walk tall.

  Colt trudged on, his shoulders slouching as he neared home.

  7

  Huddle Muddle

  It was the last game of the regular season and the Fairmont Falcons were proving to be a tough flock of birds. Their offence flew down the field every time they touched the ball. But the Warriors had responded to everything they’d thrown at them.

  Colt and Bulldog watched on the sideline as Keegan led the offence on another march into Falcon territory. Three steps away Gunner stood with Sanjay, Jamal, and the other defensive players.

  “Pass it!” Colt shouted at Keegan. “Their defence won’t expect it.”

  “What do you know about their defence?” Gunner called. “You barely know our defence.”

  Colt shot Gunner a look. He didn’t like that Gunner questioned his game-smarts. And he didn’t like that he was hanging out with the other defensive players.

  On the next play Keegan threw a pass just like Colt had suggested, but the Falcon defender knocked the ball down.

  “Incomplete!” the ref called.

  “Just like I told you!” Gunner yelled. “We should have run the ball.”

  Colt kept his mouth shut as he watched the next play. Keegan handed off the ball and the running back blazed into the end zone for a touchdown. It was just as if Gunner had called the play. The Warriors now clung to a slim 21–20 lead. It was late in the fourth quarter. Colt snapped on his chinstrap ready to go in.

  The Falcons returned the kick-off to their own thirty. Their passing attack started to peck away the yards. A ten-yard slant here, a fifteen-yard hook pattern there. Sanjay and Jamal ran all over the field trying to stop the green birds. But it wasn’t working. Their receivers kept hauling in pass after pass.

  The Falcons swooped down the field and now had a first down in the red zone. It was do-or-die for the Warriors. There was under a minute to play. The winner would go to the playoffs.

  Colt raised his arm for a huddle. Bulldog, Sanjay, Jamal, and the rest of the defensive squad trudged over. They stood waiting for him to call the play.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do,” Colt said. “I think they’re going to run the ball. So, I want everyone to play up close to the line to stop them.”

  All the players except one nodded at Colt.

  “You’re dead wrong,” Gunner said. “You’ve been wrong all game. I think they’re going to pass the ball.”

  Now the players nodded at Gunner.

  “So which is it?” Sanjay asked, throwing up his hands.

  “Yeah, we can’t do both,” Bulldog said.

  Colt glared at Gunner. “Since when are you calling the defensive plays?”

  “Since I became co-captain,” Gunner said, glaring right back. “Maybe you remember the vote we took a couple days ago.”

  Colt took one big step and stuck his helmet right up in Gunner’s grille. “Well, I say they’re going to run.”

  Gunner didn’t back down. “And I say they’re going to pass.” His facemask bashed against Colt’s.

  Colt pushed him away. Gunner struck back. He shoved Colt in the chest. But Colt wasn’t going to let anyone push him around. He shoved Gunner right back. Now it was an all-out brawl. Hands turned into fists. Shoves turned into punches. Both players were swinging wildly trying to hit any body part — heads, arms, guts. It was a heavyweight bout. But instead of battling in a ring, they were fighting in the middle of the huddle!

  The referee ran over blowing his whistle. “Break it up!” He stepped between the two fighters and pushed them apart. “What do you think you guys are doing? You’re on the same team!”

  Coach shouted from the sideline, “Timeout!”

  “You’ve got thirty seconds to figure this out with your coach,” the ref said. “And I’m giving you a delay-of-game penalty, too. That means the Falcons will have the ball on your ten-yard line.”

  Colt could see Coach waving them over to the sideline. His arms were spinning so fast he looked like a propeller plane ready for take-off.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it!” Coach shouted. “Two players fighting in their own huddle? That’s crazy! Look at your hands.”

  Colt held up his fists. His knuckles dripped with blood from pounding against Gunner’s helmet. Gunner’s swollen hands were no better. The white tape on his fingers looked like it was stained with bright red ketchup.

  “I should kick both of you guys out,” Coach raged. “But this game is too important. Nothing’s going to stop us from winning. Not even you two clowns.”

  Colt and Gunner hung their heads. “Yes, Coach.”

  “The Falcons only have time for one more play,” Coach said. “I want you to be ready for a pass.”

  Colt shook his head. “But I think they’re going to run.”

  “I don’t care what you think, Colt. You made bad calls before and you’re wrong now. I’m agreeing with Gunner.”

  The sides of Gunner’s lips turned up into a big smirk.

  “Looks like Coach and I are on the same page,” Gunner gloated.

  “I want Gunner to blitz when the ball is snapped and put pressure on their quarterback,” Coach said. “Force him to make a mistake. Let’s go!”

  On the next play Colt watched the Falcons’ quarterback grab the pigskin from the centre and drop back into the pocket. His eyes darted left and right, searching for an open receiver in the end zone. Colt hated to admit it, but Coach and Gunner were right. It was going to be a pass.

  Gunner blitzed across the line of scrimmage and chased after the quarterback. Colt saw him charging with his arms over his head to block the throw. The quarterback was rattled. He had to get rid of the ball quickly before he was drilled. He tried passing high over Gunner’s outstretched arms. The pigskin sailed through the air into the end zone. But instead of falling into the hands of the Falcon receiver, it was picked off by Jamal. The Warrior safety squeezed the leather and bolted all the way to midfield before a Falcon could tackle him.

  The whistle blew. The final play of the game was over. Jamal was mobbed on the sideline by his teammates. The Warriors had held on to win, but it was no thanks to Colt. If they had followed his order the Falcons might have scored and won. Maybe he wasn’t the best player to call the defensive plays. Maybe he shouldn’t be co-captain. He didn’t know what to think. All he knew was that getting orders from both Coach and Gunner would be hard to take as they headed to the playoffs.

  8

  Gunned Down

  “We dodged a bullet.”

  Coach stood in the middle of the field at the next practice. He was surrounded by the entire Warriors team. “We almost lost that last game. We have to play better. The playoffs start next week and we’re going to have a big fight on our hands.”

  “Like the fight we had in our huddle?” Keegan kidded.

  Coach’s head whipped around. “Who said that?”

  Keegan slowly raised his hand. “I did, Coach.”

  “You think that’s funny?” he asked, pointing a finger. “You think because you’re the quarterback you can crack jokes? Let me tell you something, Mr. Quarterback. Nobody jokes about the team. No one player is bigger than the team. Not even you.”

  Keegan looked down and nodded. “Got it, Coach.”

  “Any other smart-alecky comments?” Coach asked, hands on hips.

  Only Bulldog had the courage to speak up. “I’m not trying to be smart, Coach, but we’re still not sure who’s making the calls on defence.”

  Coach’s face flushed red. “Gunner! Colt! Front and centre, now!”

  Gunner stepped out from the pack. Colt followed, but stayed a few feet away. He still didn’t trust Gunner after the brawl in the huddle.

  “You guys are the leaders of the team,” Coach said. “That doesn’t mean you have to be best buddies. I couldn’t care less if you talk to one another off the field. But it does mean you have to work together when you’re on the field. Am I making myself clear?”

  Gunner and Colt hung their heads and nodded.

  “So, here’s what we’re going to do. Since each one of you is a co-captain, you’ll split the duties.”

  “How are we going to do that, Coach?” Colt asked. “We both play defence. We’re on at the same time.”

  “Gunner, you’ll call the defensive plays in the first half of the next game. Colt, you’ll call them in the second. And I don’t want any fighting over it. Got it?”

  Gunner and Colt spoke together. “Got it, Coach.”

  Colt breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was still a co-captain.

  Coach blew his whistle. “Listen up. We had a lot of missed tackles against the Falcons. They were running right over us. That can’t happen. But I’ve got a solution.”

  “I wonder what trick Coach has up his sleeve this time?” Bulldog said under his breath.

  “It’s an old pro drill we used when I played for the Steelers,” Coach said. “It’s called running the gauntlet.”

  Colt shot a glance at Gunner. He expected him to be stoked for a hitting drill. He knew he’d want to prove that it wasn’t him missing tackles in the game. But Gunner wasn’t even listening to Coach. He was craning his neck to follow a man walking along the sideline.

  “I want everyone to form two long lines about six feet apart,” Coach said spreading his arms wide. The players lined up across from each other creating a narrow path about twenty yards long. “That’s the gauntlet. Now, I want a running back at the far end and a linebacker at this end.”

  “And then you want us to run at each other?” Bulldog asked.

  “That’s what I want,” Coach said nodding. “Colt, start us off. See if you’re worthy of being a co-captain. Tackle that running back!”

  Colt strapped on his helmet and dug in at one end of the gauntlet. The speedy halfback held a ball in his arm and waited at the other.

  “Go!” Coach shouted.

  The halfback bolted from his end and rocketed between the two lines of players. Colt ran forward from his end. He knew he had him. There was no escape for the running back. He couldn’t cut left or right. There was a human wall of players keeping him inside the gauntlet. Colt and the halfback had to keep running straight at each other. Halfway down the path Colt crouched low and crunched the halfback at the waist. The running back doubled over like a jackknife. He went down hard with a thud.

  “Where was that in the game?” Coach barked. “I want to see more of that.”

  “Let me in there,” Gunner said.

  The next running back took off from the far end of the gauntlet. Gunner charged from the near side. He held his arms out front, ready to make the tackle. Gunner was bigger and stronger than the halfback. Colt knew he’d have no trouble bringing him down. Suddenly, Gunner’s cleat got caught in the turf. He stumbled headfirst onto the grass. The running back hurdled over the face down linebacker and dashed to the end of the gauntlet where he spiked the ball to celebrate.

  “Take that, Gunner!” he shouted.

  Gunner lay flat on the field. He pounded his fist on the ground in frustration.

  A man’s voice called out, “You call yourself a football player?”

  At first, Colt thought it was Coach. But he was just standing there shaking his head. It was another man. The one who had been watching Gunner from the sideline. He had crept up close to the gauntlet and was yelling at Colt’s fallen teammate. He wore a green army jacket and was about the same age as Coach. His height, brushcut, and steely blue eyes all reminded Colt of Gunner.

  “Is that the best you’ve got?” he yelled.

  Gunner sat on the grass and stared up at the man. “No, sir.”

  “I didn’t go on all those missions just to watch you stink up your practice. That’s no way to honour a soldier who was fighting for you halfway around the world. You’re just embarrassing yourself. And me.”

  The man marched off the field, leaving two rows of dropped jaws. The players broke ranks from the gauntlet and huddled around Gunner.

  “That was harsh, man,” Jamal said.

  Bulldog nodded along with all their teammates. “Yeah, bro, you didn’t deserve that.”

  Colt reached down and helped Gunner to his feet. “What was that all about?”

  “I guess my dad is back from the army.”

  9

  Number Forty-Four

  Colt knew the real season was just beginning.

  He thought back to the earlier games of September and October. The Warriors had won every clash. The victories never came easily, though. The players always had to have one eye on the game and one eye on Coach.

  Keegan got the worst of it right from the start. After every incomplete pass Coach would yell at him. After every bad hand-off he’d let him have it during a timeout. But getting an earful must have worked. Keegan was now one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Playing defence was no picnic, either. Colt and Gunner were a two-man wrecking crew. The only problem was sometimes they swung at each other. Coach settled that once and for all. Now the two co-captains didn’t waste energy talking to one another. They saved it for hunting down running backs and sacking quarterbacks.

 

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