Chapter 69

I called Charlie Stoner before school started on Monday to see if he could find out what the holdup was on Gage’s driver’s license was.

“I’ll call my guy at the DVM and get back with you today. One other thing I need to tell you before you hear rumors and start asking questions “DRB Corporation has invested in the T-shirt shop downtown. They’re opening up three more shops in Texas and we’ve put up the money for the expansion.”

“WOW! Thanks Charlie. I’ll leave all of that to you and Mom. Will Bonnie and I still get T-shirts each month?”

“Yes you will and the more you pass out, the more sales you’ll generate.”

Our outdoor practice session today was cut short by heavy rains, so we moved into the gym to walk-through our plays indoors.

Ben, Em, Bonnie, Molly, Brandy and I were at the martial arts studio just minutes after school was out. Marilinn and Garrick fitted each of us with protective gear — groin, hands, shin-instep, head, chest, and forearms would be protected as Garrick started the slow process of first teaching me to make contact on all the moves we had previously faked as we run through the practice routines.

For now, we were using the protective gear that belongs to the studio. They would help each of us pick out our personal gear later and place the order now to have when we began full contact sparring in a week or so. Garrick did furnish us with a new mouthpiece to keep as our own.

While he and I slowly walked our way through the practice routines in the same order as we had been training, we began to make light contact on our strikes and kicks, in order for me to learn my range on offense and my blocking reactions on defense. I was excited and I knew this part of our training would be the most important for us to get it right.

As we slowly made our way through each rep, each action and reaction, the others were practice sparring alongside us. Bonnie was sparring with Marilinn and I could hear her constantly praising my sister. I had a feeling she and Gage had been engaging in more than sexual moves in their spare time.

Brandy proved to be the more aggressive of the girls though and Garrick stopped long enough to move her over to spar with Marilinn and Bonnie moved over to spar with Molly.

“Brandy since you have more than a light touch to your sparring moves, you’ll learn very fast to react and block Marilinn’s offensive moves, and she’ll teach you to counter to her moves as well. Today you’re a student, but you’ll learn that Marilinn is not only your instructor, she is your opponent during these sessions. Be prepared to be challenged when you aggressively go on the offensive!”

Brandy proved to be just as tough minded at this as she is in whatever she undertakes. “Rick and I have been practice sparring a lot since we learned to do the offensive and defensive repetitions in sequence. Though we haven’t been contact sparring before now, I want to learn to do this part well so I’ll be the best I can be at Taekwondo. I want Marilinn to show me how it’s done and teach me to be as good as she is. If I get knocked on my butt a few times in the process, I’ll learn from it and use what I’ve learned in my next session!”

That set the tone for our first session of contact sparring. Garrick and Marilinn upped the level of contact and brought out a higher level of defensive reactions in each of us.

They worked with us for over an hour and a half, with us switching sparring partners back and forth until we had each practiced with the others, including both instructors.

After we had finished and they were preparing for their Monday night class, the six of us moved over into a corner and kept repeating the moves and blocks we had been taught in our first session of contact sparring. Before we left, Marilinn placed our orders for complete sets of Adidas Taekwondo sparring gear for each of us.

Ben, Em and Molly were still at our house when Gage and Marc came over after work. Bonnie had sent them a text to come over with sparring gear so we could practice again with Gage helping us.

This time, we paired off boy/girl as we worked with our girls under Gage’s tutelage. His teaching style is even more aggressive than his mom and dad uses and by the time we had just about worn ourselves down, we were even more excited and determined about learning the art of self defense.

The rains came again Tuesday and Wednesday and though the six of us went to the studio each afternoon to get an extreme martial arts workout, we didn’t get any outdoor football practice in this week before the game.

On Thursday the rains let up and though the skies were cloudy, we had some sun. The temperatures were in the mid thirties with more rain predicted later this afternoon.

“Okay men, we’ve walked the field from end to end and we can tell you now, it’s going to be a soggy mess out there. We’re going back to our bread and butter today. We’ll run very little spread offense, so you linemen get your boots on and take over the line of scrimmage. Dalton, Bolden, Toro — we’ll be expecting a lot from you three today. Just hang onto the ball and play your game. Your teammates and your fans will expect big things of you. They’ve come to believe in you men, so don’t let them down. The Grizzlies have always run the spread offense and they’ll try it here today. Be ready for anything they throw at you. Play like Mavericks and don’t let them take your undefeated season away from you. You’ve worked hard for this game, now go out there and make it happen for your team, your school and your hometown.” Coach Miller spoke to us before the game.

I had never worn the receiver gloves during a game, though I had worn them in practice many times trying to get used to them with the ball in my hand. Today I wore a pair of the new Under Armour Receiver gloves for the first time. Coach Chad had given them to me when he gave me a pair of black high-top Under Armour football shoes with long, bright orange cleats. He even laced them and tied the shoes for me so they wouldn’t come loose during the game. These shoes were even lighter than the ones I had been wearing and though they felt good on my ankles and my feet, I felt like I had taken my racing tires off and put some mud-grip tires on, they were so big.

We were dressed out in our crimson jerseys and and white pants and we were ready to play when we ran onto the field to warm up fifteen minutes before the game started.

Ben had a practice ball in his hands and he wore a pair of the gloves too during warmup. He threw some easy passes to Toro, to the other receivers, and me. The first one I caught wearing my new gloves, I fell in love with them. It was like the ball stuck to my hands as soon as it hit and the feeling was awesome even as cold and wet as it is today.

The Grizzlies won the toss and elected to defer until the second half.

“Outlaw, you’re awful quiet today. Are you alright?” Coach Clark came over and spoke to me just before we took the field.

“I’m alright, Coach. I’m just anxious to get out on this muddy field and win this last game.”

“Just play like you’ve played all season and you’ll lead your gang to another victory, Outlaw! You need to be ready, they’ll probably kick it deep, so if you do receive the ball in play, you’ll have to run the entire length of the field to get past them,” he told me then gave me a push when I nodded and turned to run out onto the field.

When I ran toward the end zone, Ben and Toro were there at the goal line waiting for me. They held out their glove covered fists and I stuck both fists out to bump with them.

“Give those Grizzlies hell, Outlaw. Throw ‘em to the ground and ride ‘em all the way to the other end like they’re bucking bulls!” Toro told me just as the whistle blew.

Toro ran up to the twenty and Ben hung back near the ten as the ball sailed low right toward me on a line-drive kick with no hang time. My heart was racing when I saw this. I just knew I’d get a good return before their cover guys could hem me in.

We were at our thirty when the first wave of their players came at me. Toro hit the first one and Ben took out the next man. I saw a hole and headed right toward it just as another player closed in front of me. Before I could cut back, Martine came flying past me and hit that man. Jimi was running beside him and hit the closest defender to me. When I cut back away from Jimi’s block I saw an opening.

Kicking hard through the opening between two defenders I hit the sideline with only their kicker between me and the goal line. I ran right toward him and he squatted like a Sumo Wrestler, with his legs wide and his arms open. Just before I hit him, I cut hard to my right and felt those long cleats dig into the soft turf, then catch hold. I kicked hard and ran straight toward the ref in the end zone.

He was grinning when I handed him the ball. “Outlaw, the sports writers from Dallas, Houston and San Antonio were asking us before the game if we thought the wet playing field would affect your style of running. I told them to get ‘em a good seat and watch — rain or shine, there’s not a man in Texas who can catch you or stop you on the football field.”

“Thanks, Ref. I wasn’t sure of myself at first; I’m just glad I had a lot of good blocking on that one.”

“Outlaw, they couldn’t have caught you had you been out here by yourself!” he told me just as Ben, Jimi, Martine and the rest of the gang caught up to me.

“Man, Outlaw — that was some kickoff return! You had mud and grass flying up behind you like you were spinning your wheels!” Jimi told me.

Ben slapped my shoulder pads then bumped fists with me. “Just when I think you’ve shown us all there is to see about you, you come up with a kickoff return like that one. Just wait until we see that on film!”

The gang and I were still bumping fists and slapping fives as we ran to the sidelines.

“Outlaw, do you feel better now?” Coach Clark asked when he grabbed me.

“I sure do, Coach. I wasn’t sure about this wet field or these new shoes when I first went out there.”

“Son, don’t ever, ever doubt yourself again. Just relax and let your natural instinct as a runner take over. I can hardly wait to see you on film during that return!”

Coach Miller grabbed me by my shoulder pads and lifted me off the ground as he laughed and pulled me close.

“I guess that showed the sports world and the Grizzlies just how good you really are. That was some kickoff return “you Ol’ Outlaw!”

“Thanks, Coach. I don’t remember doing anything different today. Everything just seemed to open up for me out there and I ran right through them.”

“No, Son. It didn’t just open up for you ... you created those openings and ran through them. There’s not a man alive who could have followed you on that run. You’re the best natural talent I have ever seen and you just keep getting better! Now get over there, get a drink and catch your breath. We’ll have the ball back in a few plays and you have me expecting even bigger things from you on this muddy field now.”

LaRussa kicked the ball into their end zone and their return guy took a knee. Our defense was on the line of scrimmage before they could even line up. They ran two off tackle plays then hit on a ten yard screen pass for a first down. From there, they went three and out when their quarterback slipped and fell on third and three.

When they punted, the kick was short and one of our guys took it at our forty yard line on a fair catch. By the time our special team members were off the field, we were lined up and waiting for the refs to set the ball and start the clock.

Ben had the play called, then checked off at the last second when he yelled, “Alamo, Alamo 2 2“ which meant the same play, only to the left on two. We caught them stuck in the mud with their defense shifted to our right. We ran our first sweep around left end with Morgan, Harlan and Wilson pulling and Toro leading the way. I ran for twenty seven yards before they gang tackled me. I skidded belly-down through the sideline with mud, water and grass splashing up in my face as the tacklers rode me into the ground.

When I stood up, I had mud and grass in my mouth, on my face, inside my helmet and hanging all over my face mask. I felt like I even had my jock strap full, I was so wet and muddy.

We ran the same play again to the left on the next down and made nine yards. On second and one, Ben faked a pitch to me and hit Toro over the middle for five yards.

The next play was off right tackle behind Riggler and Morgan, for eleven more yards and a first down. The next play was a sweep to the right my favorite play. I followed Morgan, Wilson and Toro down to the five yard line, then twisted free of a tackler to fall across the goal line for another TD.

After the extra point, our special team was on the field for the kickoff and the defense was lined up waiting to run onto the field. I heard Bateman’s loud voice yelling at them as they gathered on the sideline. “This is our last game of the season, men. Let’s shut ‘em out!”

We went to the dressing room at halftime with a twenty-eight to zip score.

“You young men are less than an hour away from finishing the season undefeated. Don’t let them come back on you. Play with everything you have inside you. Play like a bunch of wild Mavericks. Show this crowd and Texas what it’s like to be a part of The Dalton Gang!” Coach Miller yelled at us just before we took the field for the second half.

There wasn’t a one of us, subs included who wore a clean uniform. We looked like we had been wallowing in a pig pen. We came out on the field to start the second half and the roar of the hometown crowd made me want to play even harder.

It seemed that no matter what the Grizzlies tried, our defense had an answer for them, and that answer was no!

We ran the ball the entire second half, with the second string offense and defense taking over at the start of the fourth quarter. Each time they came off the field, the rest of the team encouraged them and praised them for their play.

When the game was over our Masonville, Texas eighth grade Maverick team was undefeated!

We won our last game by the score of 56 to 0 on a cold, wet day in November.

We were muddy, wet and cold, but we were celebrating not only today’s victory, we were celebrating the fact that our team had met the challenge of an undefeated season.

Coach Miller gave us another post-game talk, but kept it brief. Then he dismissed us for the day. He told us to report back here on Wednesday at our regular time for what would be our final team meeting of the year.

We were told to come prepared to clean out our lockers on Wednesday!

He also told us he’d have some good news for us at that time which would keep us from being too let down now that our season was over.

When we’d showered and dressed in warm clothes, we walked out of the dressing room to see the largest crowd ever, waiting for us. Mr. Sam Rutherford, our school Superintendent was the first to step out and greet each of us. He informed us that there was a pep rally and a banquet prepared for us in the school gym. His wife was with him and she hugged each of the team members as they filed by. Karen Doll was there and she stepped out to give me a hug and a whisper promise of some pussy.

The parents and family members of all the team members were present and we celebrated with them as we made our way to the gym.

Brandy was locked onto my arm as I walked with her, Mom and Dusty, Bonnie and Molly with Gage and Marc. Billie was with Heath as we entered the basketball arena to the sound of music.

Our parents and friends took seats in the stands as our team was escorted to the center of the basketball court where there was a small stage set up with microphones and speakers.

Mr. Dave Canty, the owner of WMAV Radio was the first to greet me, then each of the team members as we were ushered over to the rows of folding chairs in front of the stage. Cameras were flashing from everywhere in the stands and out on the gym floor.

The reporters and cameramen from Dallas Morning News who had been at our Clarkton game were here taking pictures and asking questions of anyone who would stop and talk.

Mr. Rutherford took the stage and introduced Coach Miller, Coach Clark, Coach Chadwick and Coach Patterson congratulating them and our team on an undefeated season.

He let Coach Miller come to the microphone and introduce the Maverick team members. As he called our name, each of us stood and pumped our fists into the air to the applause and yells from the crowd gathered in the stands. This little ceremony didn’t last long and they announced that there would be a formal awards ceremony scheduled for early December.

There was a cafeteria style food service set up with serving lines on either side to let the team, coaches, families and fans load up on BBQ with all the trimmings.

I finally had a chance to talk to Mom and Dusty as we stood off to the side away from all the others. Mom pointed to Coach Miller and Mr. Rutherford as they walked our way. The photographers and the reporters were following them. There were two more men and a young woman with them, but I didn’t recognized any of them as they walked over to where we stood.

Mr. Rutherford stepped up to shake hands with Mom and Dusty then turned to look at me, “Rick, I want you, your mom and Dusty to meet Robert McKinley and his daughter, Erin. They’re with Texas High School Sports Magazine and they’ve come here to meet you and the team. Since we have Thanksgiving coming up this next week, they’ve asked permission to attend our school the entire first week in December to do a feature story on you and our eighth grade Mavericks.”

Mr. McKinley and his daughter, Erin shook hands with Mom and Dusty, then turned to me.

“Rick Dalton, it is my pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve read each and every story written about you this season. Erin suggested we do a feature story on you for our January, 2015 special edition. I hope you’ll agree to let us follow you around as you go about your normal daily routine at school,” he said as he continued to shake my hand while the cameras flashed in our faces from both sides.

He turned to his daughter and I did too. She’s taller and even more slender than Priscilla and I could tell she keeps her slim, taut body in good shape. She has very little makeup on and her auburn hair is short and brushed back on the sides. She has a few freckles across her nose and when she smiled at me, her face lit up. “Outlaw, it is truly an honor to meet you. Like my father, I have read and re-read each and every article I could find that’s been written about you. I was the one who approached father about us coming here to do this special edition for our magazine.

“By the way, I was told by my mother not to come home without an Outlaw T-shirt for her!”

“Thanks to both of you for wanting to do an article on our team, and me too. I’m sure you’ll find out that I’m just a boy who happens to play on a very special football team. Some of the stuff that’s been written about me is a bit exaggerated.”

I looked at Mom and Dusty and both of them were smiling. Mom had tears in her eyes and I knew she loved this sort of stuff. I looked over at Coach Miller and wished he would come stand beside me. I felt like I was out of bounds with these people crowding in so close.

“Rick, if we can bother you for just a few minutes more, we’d like to get some photos of you with your family, your coaches and also your team members. If you’ll agree, we’ll do this quickly and let you get back to your celebration,” Mr. McKinley told me.

“Sure, let’s do this while we’re all here together. I’d like to have Mrs. R and her niece, Ms. Karen Doll, come over to stand beside Mr. Rutherford and me if they will. They’ve all been very supportive of our team and me too,” I told him and looked past him to see Karen Doll and her Aunt Sheila smiling at me.

Mrs. R walked straight for me with her arms out. I was shocked since I had never really met her — She did give each of the team members a light hug today though and I had seen her many times in the past. She’s a tall woman like her niece Karen and she’s got some high hard breasts too. She made a point to get her points across when we hugged. “Outlaw, you are such a handsome young gentleman. Thank you for including me in this. Sam seems to forget about me at times like this,” she whispered as she pressed herself against me from her thighs to her super firm, super-sized breasts.

I didn’t know how to respond, so I just gave her a fast, tight hug that pulled her body even closer to mine.

Karen was next to reach out to me for a hug and I really was shocked by this. We had never even touched in public and she made our first time a good one too. Though it didn’t last long, she whispered to me, “If you like older women, I know someone who absolutely worships you and would be thrilled to show you up close and personal, just how much she adores and idolizes you.”

“Really?” I whispered hoping no one heard me with all the noise around us in the gym.

“Yes, really. Want some?”

“Hell Yes!” I whispered and she was smiling when I backed up to stand between her and Mrs. R. My adrenalin was pumping through me like jet fuel and my balls were already swelling they were so full.

They had us pose with our backs against the end wall of the gym and no one but me knew that I had a hand cupping each cheek of my butt as we smiled while they took lots of pictures with different cameras.

Mom and Dusty were next to stand with me and have our pictures made. I stood between them as the cameras flashed. I looked over to see Bonnie and Brandy smiling at us.

Mom waved Bonnie over to stand with us for another three shots. Then Mom waved to Billie and Molly for them to come have their pics made too.

When they were through, I waved Brandy over.

“You have to get some pics of me with my girl. This is Brandy Crenshaw,” I told them and saw them write her name down as the photographers snapped pic after pic. I couldn’t blame them, Brandy was wearing a red miniskirt with white, thigh-high hose and a red, open front sweater over her white top that fit her like skin. I knew when they asked her to kiss my cheek they were going to get some panty shots of my girl as she stood on her toes and stretched up to kiss my cheek.

They finally got around to taking team photos, and not only did they take group photos, they took individual shots too. When they were taking mine, I noticed Brandy and Erin McKinley standing face to face, talking and smiling, glancing my way now and then as they talked. If I knew my girl, she was up to her usual shenanigans.

When they had taken the group, individual, and team photos as the photographers walked among the crowd of Maverick players’ families and friends taking photos, writing down names and next of kin as they did.

It seemed that no matter where I went around the crowded hardwood floor, this one photographer followed me taking shot after shot. I saw Brandy talking to Mrs. R and Karen Doll, and I walked over to stand beside Brandy. This same photographer was right next to us, taking more closeup shots.

Erin McKinley walked over to speak with the photographer and they laughed as they looked right at me. The young photographer was wearing a black ball cap and wore black rimmed glasses. He had a bulky, turtleneck sweater on and loose jeans.

He motioned for Erin to step over next to us and have her picture made. They laughed again as she hurried over. I was standing in the middle, with Mrs. R on my right. Mrs. R was turned toward me and her right breast was as hard as a statue pressing against my arm. Brandy was on my other side and she pressed her breast against my arm as they moved in to squeeze me between them.

“Your turn,” Erin told the young photographer and walked over to take the camera.

Erin reached up to take the photographer’s ball cap off his head and we were all surprised to see the long dark hair fall to his waist.

“That’s a girl!” Brandy whispered just as Erin spoke.

“This is my younger sister, Jean. She’s just completed her professional photography classes and she’s our newest special assignment photographer. She’s still a tomboy and she hates girly clothes,” Erin told us.

Brandy reached out and grabbed Jean by her hand and pulled her over between herself and me. As soon as she turned toward me with her breast against my arm, I knew there was nothing underneath that bulky sweater but a nice pair of firm naked breasts.

“You had me fooled,” I told her as I turned my head and looked back at her.

“I love dressing down as a boy when I can get away with it,” she said.

“You sure had me fooled too. I can tell there’s a nice hard girl’s body hidden beneath your disguise now that I’m closer,” Brandy told her.

“Thanks, Brandy. I’d never be brave enough to wear that sexy outfit you have on. My butt’s too big for one thing,” she whispered.

“My guy has a butt that’s even larger and harder than yours and I’ve developed a fetish for hard butts on girls and my guy especially,” Brandy told her just as Erin returned Jean’s camera to her.

“Brandy, I’m intrigued by your suggestive remark. I’d love to know more about that fetish of yours,” Jean leaned close to Brandy and whispered.

“Write your cell number down and I’ll text you.”

I looked up to see another of the men I had noticed earlier. He was walking straight toward us with his hand out.

“Rick Dalton, I’m Greg Harvey and I’m glad I finally get to meet you face to face. I’m with the Dallas Morning News and I wrote the article on you after your game with the Stratford Cowboys.”

“Thanks, Mr. Harvey. It’s good to meet you too. We enjoyed reading your article.

“This is my girlfriend, Brandy. This beautiful lady here is Mrs. Sam Rutherford and over here is her niece, Ms. Karen Doll — she’s Superintendent Rutherford’s secretary.

“Over here, if you haven’t met them yet, is Erin and Jean McKinley with Texas High School Sports Magazine,” I told him still shaking his hand as I pointed out the others, introducing them as I did.

He shook hands with each of them then turned back to me, “Rick, I won’t take you away from your lovely friends. I just wanted to tell you that I’ve asked Superintendent Rutherford for permission to attend school tomorrow and do another writeup on you and your team for one of our special weekend sports editions. I’m pretty sure we have your story lined up to come out the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”

“Sure, if you have Mr. Rutherford’s permission, we’ll be glad to meet with you.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow then. Enjoy your evening and congratulations again on a special season.”

Mrs. R was still standing with her body pressed against my right side. She put her hand on my back just above my waistband and ran her fingers up and down my spine. She slid her hand from side to side as she pressed her fingers into the swell of my lower back.

“Rick, Karen and I are going to suggest that Sam allow you and your team members to be excused from classes tomorrow morning so you’ll have plenty of time to spend with the news reporters,” she told me and let her hand slide down to cup my butt cheek again.

“Thanks, Mrs. R. I hope to see you again very soon.”

She leaned close and whispered, “Karen gave me your cell number and told me you and Brandy were very discrete and, well ... Outlaw — you and Brandy excite me like I have never experienced since I was your age. I’d like very much to call or text both of you from my cell phone; that is if I knew I’d never be exposed for corrupting teenagers.”

“You can text either of us anytime. You excite me, Mrs. R, I love bold mature women. Just be ready, Brandy and I are up for anything. We may just corrupt you!” I whispered then backed away to speak aloud.

“Mrs. R, thank you again for yours, Ms. Karen’s and Mr. Rutherford’s support for our team. Brandy and I would love to make it up to you in a special way if we could,” I told her aloud.

Brandy leaned close to me and whispered, “What was all that about?”

“Karen and her aunt have some goodies cooking for us.”

“You mean Mrs...”

“Yep and wait until you feel her body.”

“Wait until you feel what’s underneath Jean’s bulky clothes too.”

“I know, I felt her hard body when she pressed her breast against me.”

“I sent Erin and Jean a text with yours and my cell numbers.”

“Mrs. R is supposed to text me. We’ll have her number too. This must be her now, I don’t recognize the number,” I told her as my phone buzzed and we looked at the screen.

‘T-Y outlaw. luv my nu name no 1 ever call me Mrs R. I c Brandy nxt 2 u so f-n sxy’

“Wave to her, Rick and hand me your phone. I love that pretty woman already,” Brandy told me, reaching for my phone. She showed me the text before she sent it.