The Team That Couldn't Lose by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316095365
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

On Monday, just before practice, Phil and Mr. Quigley were standing at the sidelines looking at a sheet of paper in Phil’s hand. Phil motioned Chip and Danny over. “I received a new play again today,” he said. “And the letter was stamped twelve o’clock Saturday.”

8

It was another complicated play.

“I’m not sure whether we ought to keep learning these new plays,” Phil said to Mr. Quigley undecidedly. “It bothers me to teach them and not know who’s sending them.”

Mr. Quigley shrugged. “Well, we’re winning, aren’t we?” he said, and chuckled.

“Sure,” said Chip. “And as long as someone sends us the plays and we can learn them, let’s use them.”

Danny grinned. “That’s the way I’d feel about it too,” he said. “If somebody wants to help us, good for him!”

Halfway through their practice session, Chip looked over to the sidelines for Jasper McFall. The grumpy old man wasn’t around.

Suddenly an idea occurred to him. After practice, while Chip and Splash were walking home together, Chip explained what he had in mind. “If Mr. McFall remembers those plays, maybe it’s someone who played with him who’s sending them to us. If he can remember those plays, he should remember who played with him, shouldn’t he?”

“He should,” agreed Splash.

They found Jasper McFall raking up leaves in his backyard.

“Well, well, look who’s here!” the old man said. His eyes bounced from one boy to the other like Ping-Pong balls. “The Cayugan champions. The worst team in the league and winning all the games. I’ve never seen the likes of it in my seventy-five years. Come to help me rake up the leaves, did you?”

Chip smiled nervously. “We could, if you’d like,” he said. “But we came for something else, Mr. McFall.”

“I figured you did.” A crooked smile broke over Mr. McFall’s weathered face. “Something about those new plays?”

“Yes. We’re trying to find out who’s sending them to us. Since you said it’s not you, we think it could be someone who played on the high school team when you did. Can you remember the names of the guys you played with, Mr. McFall?”

“Well, now, let me think.” Mr. McFall scratched the stubble of beard on his chin. “Got a good memory, should be able to. The two halfbacks were Ken Strong and Mike Podack. Fullback was . . . let’s see . . . Galloping Jim Fox.”

Chip’s eyes brightened. “Just a minute, Mr. McFall. Can you get a pencil and paper and write those names down for us?”

“Sure can,” said Mr. McFall. Then he yelled toward the house, “Minnie! Bring out a paper and pencil!”

A moment later the back door opened and a woman wearing a blue apron over a yellow dress poked her head out. “What’re you yelling your head off about, Jasper?”

“Bring me a paper and pencil!” Mr. McFall yelled again. “Us men’ve got something real important to talk about.”

She disappeared into the house and returned with paper and pencil, grumbling about why didn’t he go after them himself. While Mr. McFall named his football teammates, Chip wrote their names and the positions they had played.

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