Chapter 23

I launched the ball, watching it spiral toward Hunter as he cut between two defenders. The pass was high and outside, forcing him to extend fully while Calvin tried to knock it away. Hunter snagged it with his fingertips, tucking it against his body as he hit the ground.

“Nice catch,” I said as he jogged back.

Hunter flipped the ball to Coach Holloway. “Thanks.”

He’d picked the right day to be on. Today was our last practice before they assigned starters and we started practicing for real. I was pretty sure they already had made the list but didn’t know if what we did today would factor into it or not, but it couldn’t hurt to play well.

Hunter had been kind of hot and cold, so he needed to show them he was able to do what he needed to do.

“Alright, one more set!” Coach Holloway called out.

Hunter had stopped over by Kenneth on the sideline, pointing at the defense and saying something. He’d been going over regularly since we talked the previous week, asking questions about things he could have done differently or changes he could have made.

I called the next play, taking the snap from Tyrell.

Wayne ran a simple curl route, wide open in the middle of the field. I put the ball right in his chest, but it bounced off his hands and hit the turf.

“Come on, Wayne,” Mickey groaned.

“My bad, my bad,” Wayne said, shaking his head.

The next play, Elijah ran a deep post route. I know if he were in my position, he’d just skip over me, even if I was open, but I couldn’t think like that. I wanted us to win. In practice, in games, it didn’t matter. I threw it high, making him leap for it with Peter right on his hip. Elijah pulled it down with both hands, a genuinely impressive catch.

Instead of celebrating, Elijah whipped the ball at Wayne’s feet.

“That’s how you catch a ball,” Elijah said. “Maybe you should go back to playing in middle school, where dropping passes doesn’t matter.”

Wayne’s face flushed red, but he didn’t respond.

“Last play!” Coach called out.

Hunter lined up on the right side with Calvin covering him tightly. At the snap, Hunter exploded off the line, selling an inside move before cutting to the corner. Calvin stayed with him step for step. I put the ball just over Hunter’s outside shoulder, where only he could get it.

It was one of the things Moreno had Coach Holloway working with me on. Not just passing to the player, but being more accurate with my passes. Putting it in the right spot. Hunter twisted his body, snatching it out of the air while keeping both feet inbounds.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Mickey shouted.

Coach Holloway blew his whistle. “Everyone circle up at the fifty!”

Players started jogging toward midfield from various parts of the field. I walked over with Mickey and Miguel, noticing Hunter positioning himself between our group and where Elijah, Jake, and Aidan clustered together.

Kenneth handed Coach Holloway a clipboard as about thirty players formed a loose semicircle.

“First off, I want to thank everyone for coming out and giving their best effort these last few weeks. I know this has been a challenge for a lot of you and seven-on-seven football is different from what you’re used to. Without a line and with so much more coverage, it’s critical everyone works together as a more cohesive unit. That’s going to decide who wins and loses. Now, we only have twenty-one spots available. We’ve made our decisions based on performance, attitude, and how well you work with others.”

He paused for a minute to let it sink in. When he started again, he looked directly at Elijah.

“I know this doesn’t have the prestige or importance of our regular season, but this team will still represent Wheaton High School,” he continued. “When you wear that uniform to tournaments, you’re not just playing for yourselves. You’re playing for your teammates, your school, and your community. This isn’t about individual glory.”

He waited another beat, still staring at Elijah.

“Okay. Let’s start with the offensive roster. Blake will be our starting quarterback with Tyrell at center. The starting receivers will be Hunter, Miguel, Miles, Mickey, and Jerry.”

He said my name the same way as Tyrell’s, as if it was a given. Elijah and Jake were both off the list, and it was clear from the look on both of their faces that they noticed it too, and were pissed.

“On the bench, receivers will be Elijah, Jake, Jamal, and Wayne, with Gabriel as our backup quarterback.”

“Why are scrubs starting and I’m on the bench?” Elijah said, not quite under his breath but not directly to Coach either.

Coach Holloway stopped mid-sentence. “Do you have a problem with the roster decisions?”

Elijah opened his mouth, then caught Coach’s look and closed it again, shaking his head.

“Anyone else?” Coach asked, looking to Jake and Aidan.

Jake followed Elijah’s lead, staying quiet. Aidan just shook his head and looked away.

“Good. Because positions were earned through performance and teamwork.” Coach emphasized the last word, again staring directly at Elijah. “If you can’t work as part of a unit, you won’t play. It’s that simple. Now! Moving on to defense. Starting defenders will be Casey, Ernest, Allen, Calvin, Wilbur, Don, and Peter. The substitutes will be Aidan and Malcolm. If I didn’t call your name, I’m sorry but you didn’t make the team. Thank you for trying out. Keep working hard, and we’ll see you next season.”

Jordan didn’t wait for any final words. He turned and stormed off toward the field house, not even bothering to conceal his fury. Several other players followed more slowly.

“For those who made it, Kenneth will handle practice schedules and tournament information. The practice schedule will continue as it has been, starting Monday after school. Don’t be late.”