From there the Moths slowed the Digits’ forward progress, but the Digits managed to get to the Moths’ eighteen, where they were held for three downs without gaining a yard.
“Doug, think you can boot one over?” asked George.
“Why not?” replied Doug. “I can’t miss all the time.”
He kicked, and it was good. The field goal made the score 14–10, the Moths still leading.
The score remained unchanged to the middle of the fourth quarter. The Moths had possession of the ball on the Digits’ nine when Franky dropped a pitchout. Larry, plowing through like a wild buffalo, picked up the ball, carried it for eight yards, and was dropped like a sack of potatoes.
“Nice going, Larry!” Greg exclaimed, slapping him on the back.
On two plays they gained four yards. The situation looked glum.
“Swing Pass,” said George.
The play worked for twenty-one yards.
They tried it again. It went incomplete. Again they tried it, and again it went incomplete.
Third down and ten, on their forty-two.
“How much time left?” George asked the referee.
“Fifty seconds,” answered the official.
The guys stared at each other, eyes like black holes, faces smeared with dirt and sweat.
“Four Shotgun,” said George. “And it better work.”
Larry’s heart beat fast. Four Shotgun was the other play that Yancey had given him last Sunday. It called for the quarterback to stay in his regular position behind the center, and the other backfield men to line up behind the right tackle. If it worked, Doug, taking the pitchout from George, could gain substantial yardage.
They broke out of the huddle and rushed to the scrimmage line.
“Forty-six! Thirteen! Hut! Hut! Hut!”
Larry snapped the ball. George took it, spun around to his left, then pitched the ball out to Doug as he started to run behind Billy James. The fullback bolted through the hole that yawned before him like a tunnel, legs churning like pistons as they gulped up yardage. Sammy brought him down on the Moths’ fourteen.
“Thirty-eight seconds,” informed the ref.
“Let’s try it again,” said Larry anxiously.
“Why not?” exclaimed Doug, his face glistening with sweat.
They did. This time Doug carried it to the twelve-yard line, where he was smeared.
“Twelve yards from home,” said George in the huddle. “Let’s try the keeper. Larry, Greg — everybody — I’m depending on you.”
They did the job, opening up a hole wide enough for George to barrel through. Touchdown!
Doug kicked for the extra point, and it was good. 17–14, Digits.
Seconds later the game ended, the Digits jumping and cheering with the sweet taste of victory.
As Larry sprinted past the bleachers in his eagerness to get home, he heard a voice yelling to him, “Larry, wait!”
He stopped, and stared. It was his father!
“Dad!”
Next to his father stood Yancey! Both of them were smiling! He ran to them, took their extended hands.
“Nice game, son!” exclaimed Mr. Shope. “I’m sure glad I didn’t miss this one!”
“It was a great finish, Larry,” said Yancey, his face beaming.
“I know how we came out!” Larry cried. “It’s how you came out, Yancey, that I’m anxious to know about!”
“Oh. We won, too,” Yancey said, his eyes flashing. “Your father’s one of the best doggone lawyers that has ever come down the pike. Do you know that, Larry?”
Larry’s eyes danced. “I’ve always known that, Yancey,” he said.
Mr. Shope, holding Larry’s hand, squeezed it warmly.
“From now on I’m going to see to it that that word lawyers is interchangeable with fathers” he vowed. “Shall we go? Your mother promised to cook us a big dinner — win or lose.”
Matt Christopher®
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Muhammad Ali Mario Lemieux
Lance Armstrong Mark McGwire
Kobe Bryant Yao Ming
Jennifer Capriati Shaquille O'Neal
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Jackie Robinson
Jeff Gordon Alex Rodriguez
Ken Griffey Jr. Babe Ruth
Mia Hamm Curt Schilling
Tony Hawk Sammy Sosa
Ichiro Venus and Serena Williams
Derek Jeter Tiger Woods
Randy Johnson
Michael Jordan
MATT CHRISTOPHER®
Read them all!
Baseball Flyhawk Dirt Bike Runaway
Baseball Pals Dive Right In
Baseball Turnaround Double Play at Short
The Basket Counts Face-Off
Body Check Fairway Phenom
Catch That Pass! Football Fugitive
Catcher with a Glass Arm Football Nightmare
Catching Waves The Fox Steals Home
Center Court Sting Goalkeeper in Charge
Centerfield Ballhawk The Great Quarterback Switch
Challenge at Second Base Halfback Attack *
The Comeback Challenge The Hockey Machine
Comeback of the Home Run Kid Ice Magic
Cool as Ice Inline Skater
The Diamond Champs Johnny Long Legs
Dirt Bike Racer The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
Lacrosse Firestorm Slam Dunk
Line Drive to Short ** Snowboard Champ
Long-Arm Quarterback Snowboard Maverick
Long Shot for Paul Snowboard Showdown
Look Who’s Playing First Base Soccer Duel
Miracle at the Plate Soccer Halfback
Mountain Bike Mania Soccer Scoop
Nothin’ But Net Stealing Home
Penalty Shot The Submarine Pitch
Prime-Time Pitcher The Team That Couldn’t Lose
Red-Hot Hightops Tennis Ace
The Reluctant Pitcher Tight End
Roller Hockey Radicals Touchdown for Tommy
Run For It Tough to Tackle
Shoot for the Hoop Wingman on Ice
Shortstop from Tokyo The Year Mom Won the Pennant
Skateboard Renegade
Skateboard Tough
All available in paperback from Little, Brown and Company
FOOTBALL FUGITIVE
when a friend stops writing, there’s trouble brewing…
Larry would give anything to have father spend just one afternoon at the football field instead of in his law office. He takes some consolation in the letters he receives from his football hero, Yancey Foote. But then the letters stop coming. When Larry lerns why, he knows he has to sdo something-and that means convincing his father to take notice of the problem. But will his dad be willing to help?
Matt cristopher is the name young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. For a listing of all the titles, please see the last pages of this book.
* Plays linebacker on defense.
† Plays right end also on defense.
‡ Plays defensive back on defense.
§ Substitutes as tackle and guard on offense.
* Previously published as Crackerjack Halfback
** Previously published as Pressure Play