Touchdown Triumph, page 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
CHAPTER 1
ANOTHER NEW TOWN
CHAPTER 2
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
CHAPTER 3
PRACTICE
CHAPTER 4
GAME TIME!
CHAPTER 5
MAKING FRIENDS
CHAPTER 6
BAD NEWS
CHAPTER 7
MEMORIES
CHAPTER 8
A TOUGH OPPONENT
CHAPTER 9
ONE LAST SHOT
CHAPTER 10
THE FINAL GAME
Author Bio
Illustrator Bio
Glossary
Discussion Questions
Writing Prompts
Football Dictionary
4 New Books
The Fun Doesn't Stop Here!
Copyright
Back Cover
CHAPTER 1
ANOTHER NEW TOWN
Oliver Jeffries sat slumped in the backseat of his parents’ car. His long, lean legs were propped up, knees pressing into the seat in front of him. A pair of headphones blasted bass-thumping hip-hop music that his mom often told him would “rattle a screw loose someday.”
Oliver looked out the window just as the vehicle passed a large sign on the side of the road. It read: WELCOME TO JACKSON! HOME OF THE FIGHTING BULLDOGS!
Oliver sighed. Another new house in another forgettable town, he thought.
Oliver was no stranger to new towns. His dad was in the Army, which meant their family was often relocated. They had lived in six different places in the past four years. This time it was Jackson, Colorado. By now, Oliver was used to moving around, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed it.
They drove through a nice neighborhood of two-story homes. Towering trees lined the streets, casting afternoon shadows on the lawns. They pulled up next to the curb in front of a yellow house with white trim. A red FOR SALE sign was posted in the front yard with a SOLD sign plastered over it.
Oliver clicked off his music. Even though it was silent now, his ears were still humming.
“Home sweet home,” Mom said, opening her door.
“Again,” Oliver added under his breath.
Next to him, Oliver’s seven-year-old sister, Addie, was ready to burst. “I can’t wait to pick out my bedroom!” she said, her nose pressed against the window.
“Knock yourself out,” Oliver muttered as they all climbed out of the car and headed inside.
The empty house was more spacious than their last home. More wood floors and less carpeting. The last place they’d lived had had green-and-yellow patterned wallpaper in the kitchen — a color combination that had made Oliver want to puke. Thankfully, this kitchen was neither green nor yellow.
Addie ran around the house like she was on a treasure hunt. Finally, she happily cried, “I found it! I want this room!” Her words echoed through the empty house.
Dad stepped up behind Oliver and placed one of his massive hands on Oliver’s shoulder. He wore a gray shirt that read ARMY in black letters across the chest. “The moving truck should be here later this afternoon with the rest of our things,” he said.
“I guess I should find my new bedroom then, huh?” Oliver said. He shoved his hands into his sweatshirt pockets and began to walk away.
“Son?” Dad’s voice, usually booming and loud, had softened.
Oliver turned around. “Yeah?”
“I know how much you dislike moving,” Dad said, “but this time it’s going to be different.”
“Really?” Oliver asked.
Dad nodded. “Promise.”
Oliver wanted more than anything for that to be true, but he wasn’t sure he could believe it. After all, Oliver had been let down before, having to leave places he thought of as home.
“Now, what do you say we find the best place in town to get a meat lover’s pizza?” Dad asked, a grin creeping across his face.
Oliver nodded. “Sounds good, Dad,” he said. But as he wandered off to explore his new house, Oliver couldn’t help but wonder just how long he would call this place home.
CHAPTER 2
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
The following Monday was Oliver’s first day at Jackson Middle School. He knew the drill — head down, don’t talk to anyone, don’t draw attention to yourself.
He had been through the same experience many times. Because his family moved around so much, Oliver never really made friends. It just made it that much harder to say goodbye when he had to move again.
He thought about what his dad had told him the day they’d arrived in Jackson, about how this time would be different.
Maybe he’s right, Oliver thought. Maybe we’ll be here for a while. It wouldn’t be terrible. Jackson seems like an okay town so far.
Oliver walked through the school halls, his head lowered, hands gripping the straps of his backpack. He found the glass door that led to the main office and walked inside. An older woman with wavy black hair and a kind smile sat behind a desk. Her nameplate read Ms. March.
A boy about Oliver’s age, lean and muscular with close-cropped dark hair, sat in a metal chair against the wall.
“Good morning,” Ms. March said. “You must be Oliver Jeffries.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Oliver replied.
“Welcome to Jackson Middle School, Oliver,” she said as she plucked a blue folder from a pile on her desk. “This is your class schedule, as well as some information about our school programs. Fall sports are just getting underway, so there’s still time to register.” She handed Oliver the folder.
“Thank you,” Oliver said quietly.
The boy who was seated in the office stood up then.
“Oliver, this is Andy Kingbird,” Ms. March said. “He’ll show you to your first class this morning.”
Andy held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Oliver,” he said with a smile.
“You too,” said Oliver, shaking his hand.
The two boys exited the office. The halls were beginning to swell with kids arriving for the day. Oliver and Andy joined the crowd.
“’Sup, Andy,” a tall boy standing at his locker called. He was wearing a T-shirt with the words Jackson Bulldogs Football on the front. “Ready for practice today?”
“You know it, Tristan,” Andy replied. The two boys bumped fists.
As they walked down the hall, Oliver noticed that many of the kids greeted Andy. He seemed quite popular.
They stopped at Oliver’s locker before continuing on to his first class, which was geography. As they walked down the hall, Andy asked, “So, did you play football at your old school, Ollie?”
Oliver was surprised. People rarely called him Ollie. And certainly not people he had just met.
“Uh, yeah. At one of my schools,” Oliver said.
“What position did you play?” Andy asked.
“Wide receiver,” Oliver replied.
“Cool,” Andy said with a nod. “I’m the Bulldogs’ quarterback. You should sign up for the team. It’s a no-cut sport.”
“Maybe,” Oliver said. “I’ll think about it.”
Normally, Oliver would have said no immediately. But Andy was a nice guy, and playing football again could be fun. It had been a while since Oliver had caught a pass, scored a touchdown, or heard the crowd cheering.
It had been forever since he’d felt like part of a team.
“Here you go,” Andy said, stopping and pointing to a door. “Mr. Erickson’s geography class.”
“Thanks,” Oliver said.
Once more, Andy offered his hand to Oliver. “I gotta get to Mr. Dahl’s English class,” Andy said. “See you around, Ollie. Maybe on the field?”
“Yeah,” Ollie said, shaking his hand. “Maybe.”
Then Andy dashed off down the hall, leaving Oliver on his own once more.
CHAPTER 3
PRACTICE
The next day, Oliver walked onto the football field, helmet in hand. He had given serious thought to Andy’s suggestion to join the team the day before. After speaking with his parents about it, he’d decided to take a chance and sign up for the team.
“Ollie! You came!” Andy shouted. He threw his arms up in the air.
Oliver gave him a brief, nervous wave and walked toward a squat, muscular man who looked like he must be the coach.
The man was wearing a windbreaker, a ball cap, and a whistle around his neck, and he held a clipboard. Oliver was feeling uncomfortable. Since he hadn’t played in a while, his shoulder pads were a bit too small. He wore an old pair of padded pants and cleats that felt tight around his toes.
“Hi, Coach,” Oliver said, walking up to him. “I’m Oliver Jeffries. I just moved to Jackson, and I’d like to play for the Bulldogs.”
“Welcome, Oliver! I’m Coach Barton,” the man said. “I spoke with your dad last night. We’re happy to have you join us.”
Then Coach Barton blew his whistle and waved his arms at the team to bring it in. The team, including Oliver, circled up around him.
“We’ve got a new player joining us today,” Coach Barton said. He looked across the circle at Oliver, who held up his hand shyly.
“How ’bout it, team?” Coach Barton said. “Let’s give Oliver Jeffries a big Bulldo gs’ welcome.”
In response, the team barked in unison three times.
“All right! Our season starts Friday, and we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Coach said. “Let’s have a good, strong practice! One, two, three …”
“Bulldogs!” the team shouted.
Andy led the offense onto the field, where they lined up to run plays. Oliver sat on the sideline and watched as the team ran through their playbook.
Whether he was handing the ball off to Tristan, the team’s starting running back, or passing down the field to Chen Liu, one of the wide receivers, Andy seemed confident.
“Jeffries!” Coach Barton yelled. “Jump in at wide receiver and run a post route.”
“Yes, sir!” Oliver called. He latched the chinstrap of his helmet and jogged onto the field. Taking his place, he let out a deep breath and waited for the snap.
“Hut hut!” Andy shouted. “Hut … hike!”
Oliver broke downfield, running as fast as he could. When he’d gone twenty yards, he cut right. He looked back over his shoulder. Andy had already thrown the ball. It was arcing right toward Oliver. He threw his hands forward and snatched the ball out of the air.
Coach Barton blew his whistle and started clapping. “Nicely done!” he shouted. “Let’s see what else the new kid can do.”
As Oliver jogged back to the line, Tristan said, “Sweet catch, Ollie.”
Chen added, “Great footwork, man.”
“Thanks, guys,” Oliver said. Though he tried his best to stay cool, a grin crept across Oliver’s face.
* * *
That night, after Oliver had showered and eaten, he sat on the floor of his room, surrounded by boxes. He never really unpacked when he moved to a new house. It just meant more work when his family had to move again.
Not this time, Oliver thought. He reached for the nearest box and cracked it open.
CHAPTER 4
GAME TIME!
That Friday, the Bulldogs had their first game at home against a team called the Henderson Gators. The wooden bleachers on either side of the field were packed with fans. As Oliver stood on the sideline, he spotted his parents and sister in the crowd. Addie waved wildly when she saw him.
The Bulldogs won the coin toss and took the kickoff. A surge of adrenaline coursed through Oliver’s veins as he, Andy, and the rest of the offense took the field.
“Sweep left on three!” Andy called.
The players all lined up. Oliver and Chen’s job on this play was to block for Tristan and give him a hole near the left sideline.
Andy pitched the ball to Tristan, who quickly darted up the field. A Gators’ defender rushed toward him. Oliver lowered his shoulder and blocked the defender, giving Tristan room to run another fifteen yards.
“Nice block!” Tristan hollered. He slapped Oliver on the helmet as they jogged into the huddle together.
Next up was another running play up the middle and a quick pass to the team’s tight end, a boy named Jonathan. It went off without a hitch.
Back in the huddle, Andy said, “Crossing route on three. I’m looking for you, Ollie.”
Oliver sized up the defense. There was a large hole in the middle of the field. Perfect, he thought. It’ll be a breeze to cut in toward the middle for a crossing route.
“Hut … hut! Hike!” Andy yelled.
Oliver cut across the field, his cleats chewing up grass. He saw Chen, who was mirroring his actions on the other side.
Chen and Oliver cut toward one another, and their shoulder pads were just inches from colliding. The defense was caught off guard, and Oliver found himself wide open. Andy zipped a bullet of a pass, and Oliver caught it and found the end zone easily.
The nearest referee threw his hands in the air and blew his whistle. “Touchdown!”
The crowd cheered wildly. A few fans even started barking like bulldogs.
The Bulldogs scored six points for the touchdown and one for the extra point. The score was now Bulldogs 7, Gators 0.
The Gators fought back, driving the ball forward before the Bulldogs’ defense stopped them cold in their tracks. They were forced to kick a field goal, which earned them three points, bringing the score to 7–3.
Over the course of the game, Oliver caught several more passes, including a second touchdown. The Gators began to cover him with two of their defensive players, which left either Chen or Jonathan open. Andy took advantage of that and kept finding the open player.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, the Bulldogs had easily won by a score of 35–10.
CHAPTER 5
MAKING FRIENDS
Their win against the Gators was not by chance. The Bulldogs were a strong team, and over the next few weeks, they won three more games. Oliver had been playing really well and had scored at least one touchdown in each game.
The entire school was talking about the undefeated Bulldogs. Signs painted in the school colors — red and black — hung in the hallways. Some of them even had Oliver’s name. They said things like, #89 JEFFRIES 4 PRESIDENT! and TD OLLIE!
Man, this is wild, Oliver thought as he walked through the halls one afternoon before practice. Usually my classmates don’t even know my name.
But even with an undefeated record, the team knew they couldn’t afford to get cocky.
The biggest challenge of the season was approaching. The Bulldogs were about to take on the Greenville Hurricanes, their biggest rival. Every year, the game between the two teams drew a lot of attention. The stands were sure to be filled. The Bulldogs were starting to feel the pressure.
That evening, after a tough practice, the Bulldogs trudged to the locker room in silence. As they dressed and gathered their things, Andy said, “We should do something fun. Relax a little. Who wants to go miniature golfing?”
“I’m in,” Tristan said, shedding his shoulder pads.
“Let’s do it,” Chen agreed.
A handful of other players nodded in agreement. Oliver nodded too. Why not? he thought.
Putting Edge Miniature Golf wasn’t far from school. After calling their parents to ask for permission, some of the guys rode their bikes over. Oliver walked there with a group, hanging toward the back of the crowd.
Once everyone arrived and paid, they were all given putters and multi-colored golf balls.
“Ollie! You’re in our group!” Andy shouted, waving Oliver over to the first hole, where he, Tristan, and Chen waited.
Families and couples played on holes that featured windmills, pirate ships, and waterfalls.
Andy had been right. This was just what they needed. After working so hard, it felt great to get out and have fun.
With each hole, Oliver found himself laughing more and more. At one point, he and Chen began dueling with their putters, like two swordsmen engaged in battle.
The eighteenth hole was a large bulldog statue with a ramp leading to its mouth. The ball came out … the other end.
When it was Oliver’s turn, Tristan said, “I bet ten bucks that Ollie can’t sink his putt through the bulldog’s mouth in just one shot.”
Oliver laughed and said, “You’re on.”
Andy said, “All right, Ollie. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Oliver stood over his ball. He swung the putter hard, knocking the ball up the ramp. It bounced off the bulldog’s nose, sailing through the air and nearly hitting Andy, who ducked out of the way.
“Whoa!” he shouted. “Are you trying to knock me out, Ollie?”
The whole group burst out in laughter, and Oliver was beaming inside and out. It feels great to have friends, he thought.
The boys had finished their round of golf and were about to head their separate ways when Oliver said, “Hey! Who wants pizza?” He didn’t want the fun to end just yet.
“Yeah,” Andy said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Great idea, Ollie.”
CHAPTER 6
BAD NEWS
Oliver was on cloud nine. He was also stuffed with pizza.
After hitting Gordon’s Pizzeria, Oliver had split from the guys to walk home. The sun was setting, and the autumn temperature had dipped, making him shiver a little. Oliver didn’t care, though. He couldn’t believe how well things were going. His family was staying put. He’d made friends he enjoyed spending time with. And he was playing on an undefeated football team.
