Tough to Tackle Read Free Page A

field
Sept. 25
Apollos vs. Starbirds
School field
Flyers vs. Argonauts
Town field
Oct. 2
Apollos vs. Argonauts
Town field
Flyers vs. Starbirds
School field
Oct. 9
Apollos vs. Flyers
Town field
Starbirds vs. Argonauts
School field
Oct. 16
Apollos vs. Starbirds
Town field
Flyers vs. Argonauts
School field
Oct. 23
Apollos vs. Argonauts
School field
Flyers vs. Starbirds
Town field
Roster
Number
Name
Position
77
Boots Raymond
RT
65
Richie Powell
RG
80
Pete Ellis
RE
50
Ralph Patone
C
76
Vic Walker
LT
61
Neil Dekay
LG
84
Eddie Baker
LE
48
Leo Conway
FB, ML°
22
Jackie Preston
RHB, RF°
21
Duck Farrell
LHB, LF°
10
Bud Davis
QB, S°
88
Dale Robin
RE, LE
62
Mike Brink
RG, LG
75
Tony Alo
RT, LT
33
Dick Buckley
RHB, LHB
    °ML = middle linebacker.
    RF = right flanker. LF = left flanker.
    S = safety.
    “Wow!” cried Boots. “September eighteenth! That’s this Saturday!”
    The team worked on running plays and passes. Coach Higgins had to leave early, so Coach Dekay stayed with them the rest of
     the time. He put them through a tough blocking exercise, concentrating on the guards and tackles.
    Boots had thought that Coach Dekay was quite a mild man, but now that Coach Higgins wasn’t there the assistant coach showed
     how tough he really was.
    “C’mon, Richie! Hold out your arms! Drive! Drive!”
    He didn’t show any favoritism. He yelled at almost everyone, including Boots.
    “Boots, you’re telegraphing your moves! Keep your head steady and your eyes on the man in front of you! And hit with your
     full body, not just a shoulder!”
    Boots tightened his mouth. He realized he had been glancing to the right and left of the man in front of him, looking for
     the best way to charge through after the ball carrier. Doing that would give his move away, all right. Telegraphing it, as
     Coach Dekay had put it.
    On the next play he didn’t move his eyes or his head a single inch. He stood like a statue facing Tony Alo, and from the corners
     of his eyes he was able to see on either side of him.
    The Apollos practiced again on Thursday. Coach Higgins was there but Boots still gotchewed out by Coach Dekay for not holding his head steady.
    I don’t know why I’m staying on the team
, thought Boots sourly.
All he does is chew me out
.
    The only satisfaction Boots got out of it was that Coach Dekay chewed out all the other linemen, too. He didn’t miss any of
     them.
    “I’ve got some sad news for you guys,” said Bo Higgins after practice was over.
    “What is it?” asked Boots.
    “No practice tomorrow.”
    “Sad? You call that sad? That’s the best news I’ve heard this week!”
    “Hooray!” shouted the guys.
    “I love practice, though,” confessed Bud on their way home. “I can play football every minute every hour every day.”
    “That’s because you’re quarterback,”grunted Boots. “You wouldn’t say that if you played tackle or guard.”
    “I think I would.”
    “I would, too,” said Duck. “I played guard last year and I loved it. I loved to break through and hit the quarterback. It
     was a real challenge.”
    “Oh, yeah?” said Boots. “Then why aren’t you playing on the line this year?”
    “Because Coach Higgins asked me to play in the backfield. Heck, I’d play any position he wants me to.”
    Boots didn’t know whether Duck was giving him a line of baloney or what.
    The game with the Flyers started at one-thirty sharp. The Flyers won the toss and elected to receive. Leo Conway kicked off
     and a Flyer caught the ball on the twenty and carried it up the field to the thirty-two.
    Mark Sawyer, the Flyers’ left tackle, played opposite Boots. He was a couple ofinches shorter than Boots but big around the chest and shoulders. Every time the ball snapped, Mark rammed his helmeted head
     into Boots. The Flyers picked up two first downs on runs at Boots’s side before the Apollo tackle got wise to Mark.
    The next time the ball was snapped Boots sidestepped Mark, pushed him aside and plunged through the