Junior Year Box Set

When we took the test, I noticed there were some physics questions we hadn’t been taught yet. I was in AP Physics this semester and would have to check to see whether those topics were covered. Otherwise, I did well. We would get our results back on Monday, and then they would customize our study plans.

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Mt. Vernon was easily our farthest destination to drive to in our conference. It was a small farm town which serviced their whole county. 83 percent of their students were from outside the city limits. We had gotten out of school early to make the trip.

Halfway to Mt. Vernon, we stopped at a VFW hall and found our booster club waiting for us. They had arranged to feed us before the game. The VFW had a buffet set up with fried chicken, fried perch, and they had a carving station with both turkey breast and beef. There was also a full salad bar, and the buffet had just about anything else you would want. I made a big salad and had them slice me off turkey and beef. For dessert, they had a make-your-own-sundae bar. I made sure every guy went to the boosters and thanked them for the meal. I didn’t remember there ever being anything like this my freshman or sophomore years.

When we arrived at the high school, our cowbells greeted us. There were four buses of students, band, and cheerleaders. We were early, so Coach let us go talk to the other students that were there. He put Moose in charge of making sure no one wandered off. I, of course, did.

I walked out onto the football field. You could see farmlands through a row of houses past the north end zone. Some of the neighbor kids had snuck out onto the field and were playing touch football. I asked if I could play. The group of 10- to 13-year-olds weren’t sure, but they let me join in. They made me play deep safety and center on offense. That was how Jeff Delahey and several of his brethren found me. The kids looked at me funny when a photographer started taking our pictures. One of them figured out who I was and whispered to the rest.

“Can you throw me a pass?” one of the brave ones asked.

“Sure, go deep.”

I spent the next few minutes tossing softballs to kids so they could catch it and dance in the end zone.

“You’re just a big kid, aren’t you?” Jeff asked.

“This is what it’s all about. This is the dream. Friday night and you’re running down the field and you score! That’s why I do this,” I said.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for your game tonight?” a reporter asked.

“Probably, but it wasn’t in me to resist playing a little football with these guys,” I said.

“But you’re supposed to be the number 1 prospect. Don’t you take this seriously?” he asked.

I looked at Jeff, and he rolled his eyes. Jeff knew I was either going to tell this guy what I really thought, or go into ‘aw shucks’ mode.

“When football stops being fun is the day I quit. Believe me, I put in plenty of effort. I get up every morning and run and lift. I review game film and practice. After that, I do additional training. Go into both locker rooms, ask every single guy, and see if you can find anyone that works harder than I do. In the off-season, I get specialized training and search out the best coaching I can find. I also eat a specialized diet and take supplements to make sure I can perform at my peak. I’m a leader and a role model. So, if I want to spend fifteen minutes playing catch …” I said, leaving what I really wanted to say to his imagination.

“I don’t think my esteemed colleague would survive a day in your shoes,” Jeff chided him. “Are you taking tonight seriously?”

“Mt. Vernon is one of the best teams in our conference. I expect a tough-fought game, and we’ll be lucky if we get out of here with the win. You gentlemen are in for a treat when you see two undefeated teams clash in what I think will go a long way in determining the conference championship.”

“You forgot to thank God,” Jeff teased me.

“God is in everything we do,” I shot back.

Moose spotted me, and the look he was giving me told me that it was time to wrap this up and get ready for the game.

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When I came in, Mike had just finished being taped. I headed to Jill’s table, which he had just vacated. As I settled in, I glanced up. A red-faced Jim stormed in and literally lifted Mike off the floor by his neck and pinned him to the wall. If it had been anyone else, I would have separated them, but Jim could have lifted both Mike and me off the floor without a problem, and Mike wasn’t my favorite person.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Jim roared.

Jill looked at me.

“Shouldn’t you do something?”

“I think Jim has it under control,” I told her.

In the meantime, Mike had turned a dark shade of red and struggled to get free.

“You might want to set him down so he can answer you,” I suggested.

Jim turned to look at me, and I just held up my hands to let him know I wouldn’t get involved. Unfortunately, the coaches must have heard the commotion, because both Coach Hope and Coach Zoon burst into the room.

“Break it up!” Coach Hope bellowed.