Janet interrupted Gary’s retelling of his story by asking, “You ran backwards the whole way around the Super Lap?”
“That is what you got out of my story so far, that we ran the Super Lap backwards? Really?”
She smiled at him and sipped from her wine glass before she responded, “No, I am paying attention. Go on.”
“Okay,” Gary said as he tipped his beer bottle, emptying it into his mouth.
***
Tuesday morning Gary trudged down the steps from his bedroom to the main floor. He placed his books on the dining room table and turned into the kitchen, His mother is at the stove in her robe but his father wasn’t in the basement taking a shower, he was sitting at the table under the window.
“Good morning, Gary. How’s it going?” Ron asked his son as he pushed his empty plate forward.
“Okay. Hi Mom,“ Gary said as he continued to the counter and reached for the loaf of bread. He removed a slice and placed it into the toaster. He looked at his Dad as he waited for the bread to become toast. “How are you, Dad?”
“Fine, just fine,” his father replied as he raised his cup of coffee from its saucer.
“You know, I always want the best for you, and your brother and sister, but sometimes you have to do something for yourself.”
The toaster popped and Gary turned from his Dad to place the toast onto a plate that was waiting on the counter for it. He took a knife from the butter dish beside the plate and used it to cut through the stick of butter, and he used it to spread the butter across the toast. When he was satisfied that the bread was sufficiently coated, he carried the plate to the table and sat across from his father. He scooted across the bench to the wall then raised the toast to his mouth and bit down on it. His mother slid another plate containing a fried egg, sunny side up, in front of him. She then sat beside him with a plate containing her own fried egg. Gary continued the conversation with his Dad by saying, “What do you mean?”
“Do you know what got me out of Iowa, son? Let me tell you, it was football. Football, Gary. I keep telling you that it is your way out and I expect you to go and fight for yourself. You better push yourself to start Saturday because people, college scouts, come to watch players at Homecoming Games. You want to showcase yourself and if you are not starting, I will not see you play.”
“I don’t have control over that, Dad.”
“You better take control,” Ron said as he scooted to the edge of the bench he was sitting on and rose to his feet. “I will expect a report when you get home tonight and it better be a good one. I am going to work now, honey.” He bent down and kissed his wife on her cheek.
Gary and Julie sat side-by-side finishing their breakfasts in silence. Julie completed her meal first and rose from her seat, turned to the kitchen sink with her plate and her husband’s. She turned around to face her son.
“He doesn’t mean a single thing he says,” she told him as she folded her arms in front of her.
“Yes, he does,” Gary placed his fork on his plate. “If he didn’t mean it, why did he say it?”
His mother watched him stand and step over the bench and walked out of the room.
***
Practice on Tuesdays was Offense Day meaning the eleven players on the field who scored the touchdowns and all the points, and ultimately, all of the glory, practiced the plays they were going to run against that week’s opponents. The defense simulated the defense their opponent’s might try to run against their team’s offensive unit.
Hazelwood’s offensive strategy featured a unique set-up that was devised by their offense coach, Coach Bryzinski. Coach Bryzinski was a former NFL back-up quarterback and was a huge find for the school. He was also Gary’s P. E., physical education, coach. In all football leagues: little league, high school, college, and professional, there must be seven players that lined up even with the ball as every play enfolds. That is called the line of scrimmage. The seven positions are the center, who hikes the ball, two guards that are on either side of the center, two tackles who are on either sided of the guards, and a tight end, who lines up on either side of the tackles. The final position is called the split end who lines up opposite the tight end and usually “split” away from the other lineman. That leaves the remaining four players that must be behind the ball and those position are the quarterback, the one who receives the ball from the center, and two running backs that are called fullback and halfback. Those are the three positions traditionally behind the center. They usually line up behind one another in an “I” position featuring the quarterback, then the fullback and finally, the half back or in a position in a split position with the halfback and fullback split apart behind the quarterback. The remaining position is called the flanker and is lined up on the flank of the tackle that is not next to the tight end.
In Coach Bryzinski’s offense, the formation features a triple “I” where the flanker lines up behind the quarterback, fullback, and halfback. This formation allows for a lot of deceptions of who is the ball carrier and that Hazelwood High School team excelled at it. The big star was the flanker, Paul Baker, who ran the ball and caught the ball for many touchdowns that season. The running game set up the passing game and that is where the split end, Stan Bennett ,and Gary’s friend, the quarterback, Dan Masters, added their names to Hazelwood’s sports history book.
Even though there are thirty-five players who are on the Varsity squad, there are only twenty who really play on Game Day and a handful of them play on offense and defense. On Offense Day, and again on Defense Day, the players that don’t play on Game Day make up the squad that pretend that they are the team’s opponent on Saturday. They live for Tuesday and Wednesday because it is their time to shine. After calisthenics and stretching, working with tackling dummies, and running drills, the team divides itself and separates into two groups on the practice fields. Coach Simon, the Defensive Back coach, was in charge of the opposing team, and this week it would be the McCluer Comets and he was gathering his squad. Coach Bryzinski gathered the offense.
The starting offense automatically went into a huddle in front of the extra offense teammates that were standing in a line behind them. Head Coach Stiller, who also coached the offensive lineman, stood with the line of extra players in order to watch how the plays developed and to offer critique and comments to the squad. Coach Moore, the defensive line coach, stood beside Coach Stiller. The extra defensive players stood on the sidelines and watched the scrimmage. The players who started on defense were part of the ones who stood and watched. The DB Gang, all six of them, stood together and gossiped.
“So Homecoming Dance,” Andy started the conversation as they watched Coach Simon select the group who would be the Comets.
“What about it?” Smitty prodded him as he pushed his helmet back to hang it on his forehead.
“I haven’t decided to go or not,” Gary volunteered as he watched the offense break their huddle and march up to the line of scrimmage. Coach Simon was still instructing his squad on how they were to position themselves.
“What? You got to go, Jackson,” Tim muttered. “We all have to go.”
The first play from the offense was a sweep to the far side of the field, away from them. It was a fake to the fullback and a short toss from the quarterback to the star of the show who easily broke through the defense. A whistle blew and all the players returned to their separate huddles.
“Come on guys!” Coach Still yelled at the pretenders. “You got to be tougher.”
“I don’t have a date,” Gary reported to his group.
“Neither do I!” Rick exclaimed. “And neither does Andy.”
“Yeah, I do,” Andy informed them.
“What?” Rick questioned as six heads turned toward Andy.
“No way,” Jonesy said. “I don’t believe it. Who?”
“Marie Himm,” Andy said.
“No way,” Jonesy shook his head as another whistle blew causing them to refocus on the field. They missed a play.
“Come on guys. Two plays and they are walking through you guys like butter,” Coach Stiller yelled. “We are counting on you to give them hell!”
“Marie Himm,” Rick said, unbelievably.
“Well, if you don’t have a date or have one, it doesn’t matter. We have to be together at the dance,” Smitty said. “It’s our last Homecoming Dance.”
“Not mine,” Ron said. “I am junior.”
The offense was running another play, this one was a pass play. Dan, the quarterback, faked a handoff to the fullback and the cornerback covering Stan, the split end, went to tackle the running back. Dan turned, still holding the ball, saw Stan running free and clear, and threw the ball to him for an easy completion.
“I have had it!” Coach Stiller yelled. “I need some players over here. Jackson! Come show these guys how to play!”
Gary looked at his fellow DB Backs, pulled on his helmet and said to them, “It is better to be playing then watching!”
***
Katelyn, Gary’s sister, was setting the dining room table when Gary entered their house after practice. She set the remaining plates down and hurried to him.
“Gary,” she spoke in a whisper. “Dad’s in a mood so be careful.”
“Why?” Gary asked her as he placed his jacket and two books that was his homework for the night, on the couch.
“I don’t know. But he isn’t talking. Mom tried to talk to him, but he even gave her the silent treatment,” Katelyn continued in a whisper.
“Where is he now?” Gary whispered back to her.
“In his room.”
“What are you two whispering about?” Ron’s voice interrupted them.
“Nothing, Dad,” Katelyn said, returning to the dining room table to finish setting the table.
“Well, Gary,” his Dad directed his attention to him now. Julie stepped out of the kitchen. The door to the upstairs slowly opened, too, and Chris, quietly stepped into the room. All attention was on Gary when his father asked him, “How was practice? Did you speak to your coach?”
Gary looked from his father to his sister, his brother, and finally to his mother before he answered. “Practice was great. I had fun today.”
“And did you speak to your coach?” Ron said more sternly.
“I did,” he lied. “He is going to think about it.”
To be continued…
My First Stories 