Chapter 8
THEY GOT THROUGH THE WEIGH-IN SATurday morning without having anyone disqualified. Ted heaved a sigh of relief and watched the boys as they warmed up. The Rebels went through their warm-ups at the other end of the field smartly and looked good in their scarlet jerseys and gold pants. They appeared to know what they were doing.
The Rebels won the toss and elected to receive the kick-off. The Raiders chose to defend the north goal, starting off with what wind there was at their backs. The kick-off was high and deep and the Raiders covered well, putting the Rebels on the twenty-two yard line for their first offensive play. Ted had expected the first down to produce a dive into the line to feel out the Raiders' strength and that's where it went. Held to a one yard gain, the Rebels tried a sweep on the second down, but Ted's corner-back turned it in and the end and a line-backer dumped it for a yard loss. The Rebels were almost certain to call a pass on third down. If they failed to pick up ten yards, they'd have to punt.
The quarterback pitched put to his flanker, who faked a sweep and threw a pass deep along the visitors' sideline. The receiver was covered and the pass fell incomplete. Ted realized suddenly that John Gale hadn't mentioned how well the Rebels were able to kick. Maybe they hadn't had to in the game Gale saw.
"Bill!"
"Yeah, coach."
"Get those backs deep! We don't know what kind of punter these guys have!"
"Right!"
Bill got the attention of his safeties and they back-pedaled until even Ted was satisfied that they were deep enough. The Rebels got a beautiful kick away, in spite of a hard rush by the Raiders' tackles. The ball spiraled in a high, lazy arc and the Rebels were all over the area when it came down. Bill's safeties let it go, apparently reluctant to risk a fumble. The ball took a bad bounce and was finally downed on the Raiders' thirty yard line. The Raiders' offensive unit went in.
Ted didn't intend to let his team throw the ball during their first series of downs. The quarterback had instructions to run two plays inside left tackle, then one inside the right tackle. The first two ought to suck the Rebel line-backers over toward their right and give the third running room.
The first play went on a short count. The line opened a good hole and Bill's blocking back exploded through it to lay a fine block on the nearest line-backer. Gregg Hansen, Bill's fullback, picked up six yards before converging defensive backs pulled him down.
The second play went on a long count. The hole was there again, but the line-backers converged faster and Gregg was stopped after two yards.
Bill sent in a replacement for the blocking back and the team set up for the third down. The hole on the right side of the line was a wide one and the blocking back knocked his line-backer into another, who was out of position. Gregg skirted the pile-up and gained nine yards to the Raider forty seven yard line.
Ted left the quarterback to his own devices. With the Rebels off balance from the long gain, it might be a good time to try a short pass, but it could look different out on the field.
Micky O'Brien, the quarterback, called an off tackle cutback. Dana Ross carried the ball into the Rebel backfield and evaded tacklers to pick up a long gain that almost turned into a touchdown. The Rebel safety caught him at their twenty-five yard line, with no other tackier within striking range.
Micky came back on the resulting first and ten with the same play. Dan showed the effects of his long run, getting nailed hard after picking his way down to the twenty, but he got up briskly.
The next play sent Roger Buckley over right tackle to the fourteen yard line. Ted paced the sideline, scenting a quick touchdown. He stiffened at the attempted sweep that followed. The Rebels went with the flow of the play and threw it for a three yard loss.
"Marston!"
"Yes, sir!"
"In for Wilcox! Tell O'Brien to stick with his power plays!"
"Yes, sir!"
Marston ran for the huddle, shouting Wilcox's name at the top of his voice. Wilcox sprinted for the sidelines, but Micky called a time out to avoid being penalized for spending too much time in the huddle.
Bill growled. "He may wish he had that time out when we get down toward the end of the half!"
Ted nodded. It was a matter of judgment. A touchdown in the next few plays would give the Raiders a big psychological edge over the Rebels. A five yard penalty, added to the three yard loss the Raiders had just suffered, could make that touchdown an idle dream by demoralizing the offense.
The next play went over left tackle to the eleven yard line. The one after that went over the same hole to the six. The next one-fourth down and two yards to go-was an off-tackle power play with two backs preceding the ball carrier through the hole. Gregg went across for the touchdown. Micky called the same play for the extra point and the Raiders went ahead, seven to zero.
The Rebels fumbled the kick-off at their own eight yard line and the Raiders recovered. Two plays later, Dana carried the ball on a cut-back for the second touchdown and then Gregg dived over left guard to pick up the extra point.
Ted shook his head. With a fourteen point lead, four minutes into the first quarter, it began to smell like a rout. He'd watch for signs that the Rebels were folding. If they were, he'd have to pull out his first string and go to his reserves. He had no intention of humiliating a team that had come through so far as a top contender.
But the Rebels found themselves on the following kick-off. There was a confused knot of players at their twelve yard line and it looked like they'd gotten another bad break. Then, suddenly, a scar let jersey broke for the sideline and raced for fifteen yards before anyone started in pursuit. The Raider safety got over-eager and the runner faked him out at the fifty yard line. From there, it was an easy jog to the goal line and six points for the Rebels.
Ted sent in the defensive unit to stop the Rebels' conversion attempt.
"They made us look like girls on that kick-off return," he remarked before he sent them onto the field. But as the kick-off specialists reached the bench area, he paused to ease their chagrin. "Don't sweat it," he said. "They're entitled to one break."
The defense poured into the Rebel backfield to smother their conversion effort before it got started. And the Raider kick-off return squad took to the field for the first time in the game.
The Rebels kicked deep. Dana, waiting at the twenty for the kick-off, had to drop back to the five to take it and he was dropped at the fifteen.
Micky returned to his brutal attack on the Rebel tackles, averaging four yards per play and grinding out another unspectacular touchdown and extra point. With half the first quarter remaining, Ted squatted on the sideline with Micky while their defense hammered at the Rebels.
"They ought to be tightening up in the middle of the line about now, Micky."
"I think so, coach. We've got some weight on them, thought. We could run through there all day, if we wanted to."
"You don't want to, do you?"
"I'd like to try some passing."
"Go ahead. Mix up your calls and give the guys some practice. They'll need it when we hit the Chiefs next week. But don't give the ball away. Eat it if you have to."
Micky grinned. "Okay, coach."
The Rebels picked up two first downs, then had to punt and Micky led his offensive unit back onto the field. The first play he called was a sweep around the left end. The Rebels reacted quickly, but Roger Buckley cut back and gained four yards to the Raiders' forty yard line.
The second play opened to look like the first. The Rebels moved faster and hemmed in the sweeping blockers, but Roger stopped short, set himself and lobbed a pass back across the field to the split end, who had drifted downfield and was wide open. Ted groaned as Stein loped down the sideline for another score. Across the field, one of the assistant coaches threw his cap on the ground and jumped up and down on it. The stands were quiet as the Raiders made the extra point to make the score twenty-eight to six.
The Rebels' offense came apart on the first down after the kick-off. They let Ted's defensive unit through and fumbled in the resulting mix-up. Ted turned to Micky.
"I'm going to give your squad a rest, Micky. It's time to use the blue squad." He raised his voice. "Blue offense! Move it!"
The second string offense took over. Tom Cord, Micky's understudy as quarterback, felt out the Rebels' line with two power plays, gaining six yards on the first and five on the second. With a first and ten, he switched to passes. Tom liked to throw the ball himself, rather than giving it to one of the other backs and he struck his receivers three times in a row, picking up twelve yards, seventeen yards and a touchdown on the three plays. He passed for the extra point to add insult to injury.
"Blue defense after the kick-off!" called Ted. "And when we get the ball next time, we'll run the white offense."
The blue defense held the Rebels better than the first string golds had. And the white offense, the kids who got to play four or five downs per game most of the year, pushed their way through the scarlet jerseys of the Rebels as if they'd been playing full time every game. Ted allowed them to increase the score to forty-two to six and the first quarter ended.
During the kick-off, he gathered the team around himself.
"I don't want any more scores," he told them. "I don't care what you have to do, but don't cross that goal line. I'll send someone in with the word when I want you to fumble. Okay?"
There was a loud chorus of protests, but the boys began to see the point and nodded. All three offensive units got to work out during the second quarter and they all moved readily against the Rebels. But invariably, about the time they got inside the Rebels' twenty yard line, they developed fumble-itis and lost the ball.
During the halftime intermission, Ted made a brief speech to the relaxed boys.
"You've turned in a good performance so far," he said. "That early touchdown and the bad break-for the Rebels-that gave us the second one right on top of it and probably knocked the heart out of those kids. They're not the lousy team they looked like in the first half. If we let ourselves get cocky enough, they could still pull this one out of the fire. I want you to start out the second half as if it were a new game. Hit hard and play it cool. Don't take chances."
He left them to their oranges and went out to the stands, where Rita waited for him.
"This is awful, Ted!"
"It's been something of a shock," he admitted. "Some of the fathers are upset."
"About what?"
"They're saying you're sending in bad plays."
"Hell, I'm not sending in any plays at all until we get inside their twenty!"
"That's what they're talking about. Every time you send in a play, the kids lose the ball on a fumble!"
Ted laughed softly. "That's the play I send in, baby."
"What do you mean?"
"We don't want to score. So when it looks like we might, I send someone in to call a fumble! Okay?"
Rita looked horrified. "Is that legal?"
Ted shrugged. "We haven't drawn a penalty for it. Of course it's legal! If you want to turn the ball over to the other side, there's no rule to stop you!"
She shook her head and her expression got soft.
"Honey?"
"Yeah?"
She hesitated. "Honey, after the game, let me go back to the van with you. You're so thoughtful you deserve your own treat." Her voice was so low that Ted had to strain to hear her.
He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Thanks, baby. You're on."
A whistle blew and it was time for the second half to start. Ted squeezed Rita's shoulder again and returned to the home team benches.
The Rebels kicked off to the Raiders. Ted watched with growing surprise as Dana got swarmed under on his own seven yard line. The gold offensive unit formed behind the ball and Micky ran them at the left tackle hole. There was no hole and Gregg went down on the eight. The next play was at the same spot. The Rebels gave, but grudgingly and the ball was spotted on the eleven. The third play went over right tackle for two more yards and Ted sent out his punter.
McDaniel's got a bad pass from center, rushed the kick and got off a high, wobbly floater. The Rebels called for a fair catch on the Raiders' thirty, where they took over with a first and ten.
"What's happening out there, Micky?" Ted asked his quarterback. "Are we letting down?"
Micky shook his head. "The Rebels came alive, coach. They aren't afraid of us now."
"Hm. Well, it looks like we'd better stick with the game plan we started the game with. Get your offense over here. I want to talk to them for a minute."
"Yes, sir."
Ted squatted in the middle of the offensive unit. "Look, guys. The Rebels spent the first half feeling us out."
There was a gust of laughter.
"They're ready to play, now. They're going to make it a football game. I'm still not interested in running up the score, but I don't want to look like the weaker team, either. Don't let down. Hit with all you've got. Understand?"
"Right, coach!" They all nodded with approval.
The Rebels passed. Their line provided protection for the quarterback and their receivers mixed their patterns well enough to complete eight passes in succession, scoring on a throw to the flat. But they failed again to convert.
The remainder of the half demanded everything the Raiders had. The gold and blue squads showed little difference in effectiveness, but the only action the boys on the white squad saw was through individual substitutions. But it was one of these boys who provided the last touchdown of the day. He went out on a deep pass pattern, baubled the ball on his fingertips for five yards before he could pull it in and ran all the way into the end zone when the defender stumbled and fell.
The final score was forty-nine to twelve. Ted shook hands with the opposing coach, surprised at the other's enthusiasm.
"Congratulations, coach!" the Rebels' coach said. "I think that's the hardest hitting team we've played all year. But I'm going to forget about the first half. As far as I'm concerned, the whole game was in the second half. You won, seven to six."
Ted laughed. "What did you do to your kids during halftime?" he asked.
"Boy! That's a secret I'm keeping for next year!" The other coach studied Ted. "You'll beat the Chiefs, coach. No problem there, unless you have an off day. But I hear you'll have to bring an armed guard when you go into the play-off. I'm glad we drew you on our schedule instead of the other Oakdale team."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Bad word out about them. Well, good luck."
Ted returned to the bench to pick up his equipment bag and Bill and Al walked off the field with him into the milling crowd of excited parents. For twenty minutes, they were pummeled and shouted at, but they managed at last to work their way through and join the women. As Ted and Rita left the Rosses and the Sharps to go to the van, John Gale and Loren Thompson caught up with them.
"Hi, John! You finally got to see one, didn't you!" Ted grinned at his spotter.
"And I'm glad I did. The Chiefs don't play until this afternoon; I'll be heading over their way pretty quick. I thought you'd be interested in Mr. Thompson's project."
"What project?" asked Ted.
Thompson nodded down at his camera case. "I'm going out to Center City to film the game between the Broncos and the Chargers. They play at two o'clock."
"How long will it take to get the film developed, Loren?"
"Normally takes about eight or ten days, coach. I've worked out special arrangements for this batch. We'll have them back by Wednesday."
"Hey! That's all right! It looks like we're going to have to know about the Broncos." Ted grabbed Thompson's hand.
"It sure does, coach, the way your kids manhandled the Rebels today."
Ted sobered. "I sure can't figure out what happened in that second half!"
"Maybe you can spot something in the film," suggested Gale.
"I hope so!"
Ted and Rita watched John and Loren out of sight, then turned and walked along the fence toward the van.