Junior Year Box Set

Phase 4: Sport-specific activity, noncontact drills. Higher resistance weight training with a spotter. If tolerated without return of symptoms over a 24-hour period proceed to:

Phase 5: Full-contact training drills and intense aerobic activity. If tolerated without return of symptoms over a 24-hour period proceed to:

Phase 6:

Return to full activities without restrictions.

 

It was pretty much what Mr. Hasting had told me. I would have to check in with the training staff. They did give me something for my headache, and Mr. Hasting took me back to the game. Mt. Vernon wasn’t equipped for our fan base, so it was standing-room only. I was still feeling a little light-headed, so I was escorted to the team bench. The crowd soon spotted me and roared while they rang those damned cowbells.

I looked up at the scoreboard and saw we were leading 21–10 at the start of the third quarter. Trent Buchannan, my replacement, seemed to have gotten over his jitters from earlier this year. Coach Diamond focused on running the option, and with Ty carrying the bulk of the load, we moved the football. Milo Bauer, a freshman, had been inserted at right tackle, and Neil Presley was put in at Jim’s position.

On defense, Moose took over for Coach Zoon and put Jake in to play linebacker. With his speed, he was quick to pursue the ball, but he didn’t have the instincts Tim or Mike had. Yuri took over the defensive play-calling. We were lucky Mt. Vernon hadn’t shown a potent offense. They’d won all their games via their defense and causing turnovers. Ty was perceptive and knew how to hang onto the football.

In the second half, Mt. Vernon kicked three field goals to make the final score 21–19. You could point to a game each season where your team came together. Last year it was the Springfield game when we beat a team we probably shouldn’t have. This was that game for us this year. I could see the pride and exhaustion my guys had as they came off the field. They had won a game, on the road, against a conference opponent that was undefeated. They were put at a disadvantage when three potential D1 teammates were taken away from them just before the game. I had never been prouder of them than I was right at that moment.

◊◊◊

On the bus ride back, Jim and I were required to sit up front with the coaches, including Coach Zoon. Mike had refused to get on the bus. His parents took him home after a heated conversation with Coach Hope. Jim and I were ordered not to talk about what happened to our teammates. There was to be a meeting when we got back to the school.

My head started to throb again, so I took some of the painkillers they’d given me at the ER, kicked back, and fell asleep.

◊◊◊

When we got home, my dad met us, and Jim’s parents were there. Someone must have called them. Coach Zoon led us into the Lincoln Field House and into one of the coaches’ conference rooms.

“Where are your parents?” I asked Coach Zoon.

He just gave me a dirty look.

“Are you okay?” Dad asked.

“I just got my brain rattled. If it all goes well, I’ll be back playing next week,” I said, handing him my concussion protocol.

“Where’s Mom?” I asked.

“Did you really want her to be here?” Dad asked.

“Good call,” I said, and then Coach Hope entered the room.

“Before we get started, I have never had anything like this happen. I needed the bus ride back to come up with a plan that didn’t include me just removing you all from the football team. Luckily for you, I’ve had a chance to calm down. I think it’s best to first find out what actually happened. I want to start with Jim.”

“Last weekend we went to the University of Georgia on a recruiting visit. While I was gone, something happened to my girlfriend Piper. When I got back, I could tell something was wrong. She acted distant and didn’t want to talk about her weekend, so I asked around. I found out she’d gone to a party Saturday night. Everyone gave me vague answers when I asked what had occurred.

“I cornered one of my teammates on the bus ride to the game, and he told me Mike had done something. I called Piper and confronted her with it, and she admitted that Mike had put his hands on her and tried to get her to go out with him,” Jim said.

He was getting mad again. Jim’s dad reached over and grabbed his arm, and they stared at each other for a moment. Jim bowed his head.