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Chapter 8: Twelve Men on the Field




      "This section is reserved for the band," warns the director as Blaine hobbles on crutches up the four steps to the nearest section of the home stands. "But we'd be delighted to have the team captain as our musical supporter for the second half."

"Beats being an athletic supporter, I guess," Blaine winces as he plops onto the first bench he comes to.


__________



     Blaine had tried to stay away from LaMonte Field for the next to the last game of the season, but he couldn't resist tuning in on WAWZ, the Zaraphath Pillar of Fire station. He scowled with Watchung Hills' first touchdown, cursed with a late first quarter field goal, and clicked off the radio as the Warriors were driving down the field early in the second quarter.

"Karma, can you take me up to the field?" he was mortified to beg into the telephone.

"Yes if you'll tell me what's going on."

She arrived ten minutes later in the Charchiemobile, an old Pontiac station wagon with bat wings along it's long white sides.

      "Hold my shoulders and fall back onto the seat," she instructed after he had made his way on crutches down the Reed driveway.

"Gee thanks," he muttered, plopping onto the bench seat and using his arms to pull in useless legs.

"Now before we go anywhere, you're going to tell me what's wrong!" she commanded, scooting over next to him and determinedly looking up into his frowning face.

"Doc says it's just fatigue," he blurted, a single tear beading at the corner of his right eye where he hoped she wouldn't see it.

"Did you get your bell rung?"

"Never, I do all the ringing out there."

"Tell me or we're missing the rest of the game!"

"I don't know, maybe six or seven times this year."

"Then maybe your legs know something that thick head of yours doesn't," she said with a small smile as she scooted back and turned the key.

"Smartass," was his only reply, but he said it with a quick glance into her dark eyes and a little smile of his own.


__________



      "Knock it off!" Blaine yells as the band blasts the school fight song. "It's blocking our play calling."

The band director frowns, thrusting his outfacing hands down to stop the music. He strides over and sits by Blaine on the front bench.

"What's wrong with Victory March, young man?"

"Nothing," Blaine explains, "but when you blare it during our offensive huddle they can't hear the plays being called."

"When would you suggest we play it?"

"Start when Watchung has the ball and they get into a huddle, stop after the snap."

      The Warriors start their first possession of the third quarter on their own thirty-three-yard line after a Bound Brook punt.

"DAH, DAH-DAH, DAH-DAH, DAH-DAH..." toot the horns as the huddle forms and the Watchung quarterback tries to whisper a play to the ten other guys leaning in to hear.

"BUM-BUM, BUM-BUM-BUM, BUM-BUM, BUM-BUM..." blast the tubas and baritones as the Warriors break the huddle and line up on the ball.

"WHEW-WHEW-WHEW-WHEW-WHEW-WHEW-WHEW..."  join in the winds as the quarterback calls out the cadence and two offensive linemen jump across the line before the ball is snapped.

"False start!" calls the line judge circling his fists in front of his chest. "Five-yard penalty and repeat first down."

     "WHEW, WHEW-WHEW, WHEW-WHEW, WHEW-WHEW..." whisks in as the quarterback calls the next play.

"DAH-DAH, DAH-DAH-DAH, DAH-DAH, DAH-DAH..." drums as he has to repeat the call several times so everyone in the huddle can hear.

"BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM-BUM..." blares as he signals for the snap and the referee throws up a yellow flag.

"Dead ball foul, delay of game!" he calls crossing arms across chest. "Five yards and still first down."

      "BUM, BUM-BUM, BUM-BUM, BUM-BUM..." begins again as the quarterback shouts the next play to the befuddled huddle.

"WHEW-WHEW, WHEW-WHEW-WHEW, WHEW-WHEW, WHEW-WHEW..." whispers in as Fas tells the defensive huddle "he called a draw play, forget the pass and break it up!"

"DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH-DAH..." trumpets across the field as the quarterback takes the snap, pretends to drop back to pass, and bumps into the fullback as Fas slams into them both.

The ball pops loose and Paul Perini's there to scoop it up and race twenty-three yards for a touchdown.

"Holy shit!" Blaine exclaims as the Bound Brook fans erupt with cheers. "Who knew the band was part of the team?"

On cue, the musicians, color guard, and cheerleaders all sing it out: 

     Three cheers for our red and white, 
     they're gonna give a helluva fight, 
     when we yell we yell like hell, 
     hoorah for Bound Brook, 
     hoorah for Bound Brook, 
     hoorah for Bound Brook High."
Box Score: Bound Brook 18, Watchung Hills 17



1Q
2Q
3Q
4Q
Total
Watchung Hills (6-2)
10
7
0
0
17
Crusaders (7-0-1) 
0
0
12
6
18






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