Chapter 43

Jared pared down the list of 12 questions to 5 and submitted them to the site producer as he went into locker room. The list was: 1. of Boge Hollins, Do you think there is a level of Division 1 where this team might embarrass itself?

2. of Brian Faraday, Leading the nation in scoring, does that make going to this bowl game more pressure packed for you, knowing you have to come up big for the team to win?

3. of Oksana Cushman, This team depended on you to leave your defense in good field position, do you think teams tried harder to get to you than if you were a male punter and did that somehow work to an advantage, forcing teams out of normal coverage?

4. of Marvin Hudson, Being a first year Quarterback, you seemed to rely on the kicking team once you got inside the 30 yard line. If faced with a large deficit to overcome could you rely on your arm and running game?

5. of Scott Claxton, Last year you were the punter, part-time place kicker and didn't seem to excel at anything. Now, you'll probably get at least honorable mention All American consideration in the defensive backfield and play in a bowl game. What's your secret?

They had set up folding chairs for the team to sit as a group in one shot. Players were milling around waiting for some cue to get seated and be ready for the live TV cameras. As soon as Coach walked into the room they quieted down and looked to him for direction.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, why don't we all get settled into the shot so these guys can check their lights and whatnot while we talk. I think you all know by now that our opponent will be Florida International, when Frank Corcoran tells us as a group that we drew them, act surprised and happy. We'll work out 3 times a week for the next 2 weeks. Here's how we work the Holiday. After the workout on the 24th, there is no mandatory workout until Monday the 30th. However, someone will be here from noon til 4 Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you want to come in and work. I expect you all here on Monday the 30th at 3pm. It will be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the week before and then starting on Sunday the 13th we'll begin our regular game prep. That gives us an extra day to travel and visit the stadium on Wednesday. We'll hold our final practices and work-outs there, inside the dome, to get accustomed to the surface, the lighting, and all that. I'll submit my 60 man travel roster to the NCAA but alumni will make sure that ALL of you go and be part of this. I'm going to need 6 of you to work with the media on practice days. I know who I want and I'll see them after we get done here today. I'll post exact work out days and times after our first one TUESDAY morning at 9:00 a.m. Do we all have that? Monday at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. and you'll get a time schedule then. But Wednesday and Friday will be practice days. Working out and studying, keeping the mind and body in shape." Coach said as he paced in front of the rowed players.

A man in headsets with clipboards came up with a director wearing the same equipment and directed Jared towards his chair and lit the big lights to get a final reading on light meters.

"We're going to open with a shot of the whole team and then pan left to right across the group until we get to Coach Winslow. Frank will have a short talk with Coach and then he'll tell you who you're playing. Applause, applause, applause, as we pan over the group and then Frank will ask Coach a couple questions and then we have 5 questions for individual players. Keep your answers concise and to the point and do your best to be interesting. The questions have all been approved by Coach Winslow so we are good to go." He said as he put a hand to his ear to center his earpiece.

"I'm told they are in commercial and when they return we will be live here. They pushed you up one spot; we have a tech issue at another site. LET'S HAVE LIGHTS, keep your eye in the camera's red light if you want to look at your audience. 10 seconds...

And in 5-4-3-", at which point he no longer vocalized the count but held up two fingers, then one and music played in the background as the red light came on.

"We are in wintery Vermont to welcome New England Ag and Tech to their first bowl bid..." Began Frank Corcoran as he opened the segment and everything went as planned. The questions and answers revealed nothing new to the avid fan of the team but gave a better picture of the co-ed team to college football fans across the country. The whole production was over on 8 minutes and 30 seconds including a one minute highlight reel that the team could barely see on the 12 inch monitor they provided.

Once the director swung his arm over the group and chopped down saying " ... and we are, OUT!", it was over and everyone seemed to be relieved.

"I want all 3 ladies, Whiskey, Marv, and Gerry to discuss how we'll handle media for daily practice recaps. We'll talk in the Coach's room in 5, OK?" Jared spoke out over the group before they broke up and were dismissed.

Jared spoke with a few assistants and other coaches and then went to the Coach's Room to wait for the 6. They each straggled in and when Gerry Granahan, the last, came in Jared asked him to close the door.

"Gerry looked around and then at Coach and said, "We're busted!", looking a bit panicked.

"Calm down. None of you are here for a dressing down, or even a reprimand, but you all know why you're here, I'm thinking. I didn't want any inter-player relationships because they can be a cancer, but each of you handled it smartly and never made a public thing about being couples. If I didn't already know that I had 3 little romances on my hands here, Dean Crawford just told me about them." Jared began, leaving each of the 6 with a shocked look on their face.

"We think ESPN wanted to ask questions about at least one of the three couples in here and the Dean and myself made sure it didn't happen. If it had, it may have unfairly validated some of the rumors we fought off earlier in the year. We didn't want that. Listen, I can't help it, nor can I blame any of you for nature taking its course when 2 people become attracted to each other. Luckily, you haven't made a public thing of it and if we can keep it that way up through the bowl game and then over the off season you can let things develop as they may." Coach continued.

"Coach, I told you up front what was going on and didn't try to keep a..." Marv started to say.

"That doesn't make it any better than any other situation Marv! The one thing you don't realize is that break-ups happen, fights happen, and jealousies happen. Marv goes out with June and they break up because June isn't happy even though Marv is. June takes up with another team member and Marv is unhappy and it affects his play and does what he can, even if it's subconsciously, to make the other person hurt. Just UNDERSTAND WHAT can happen! If a barnacle grows on this ship, I WILL cut it off. I don't care how important a member of the team he or she is. So, KEEP YOUR FEELINGS IN CHECK ... AND PRIVATE!" He warned them.

"Coach, I'm really sorry about all of this, I..." Gerry began.

"Don't apologize. I told you all that you weren't here for a dressing down or reprimand and it may have sounded that way, but I just want you to understand MY situation, what I have to do when it becomes a problem. Be smart, don't wear your heart on your sleeve. I don't want any public displays of affection in uniform. Are there any more questions?" Coach said, holding his temper as he promised himself.

"No Sir." Was the answer from each.

"Just remember, I knew all of you were couples, the Dean knew all of you were couples, and ESPN or somebody will keep trying to find something they can write a story about, so just be smart. Remember Bill Clinton when he had his hands caught in the cookie jar, DENY, DENY, DENY! I will not speak publicly or in the locker room about the situation. It does not exist. Also, be aware! There are people who think having co-ed football teams is the first step at destroying college football and they want it stopped. They want reasons. We have to make as little of a deal about this as not to draw attention. There are goody two-shoes who would like nothing better than to save the world by getting you 3 girls out of the locker room. NOW, are we clear? Dismissed." Jared said as he got up and held the door open for each of them to file out, shaking their hands as they left.

Up until the first actual pre-game practice on the 13th there would be no deep study of Florida International. Jared believed there was such a thing as over preparation and he wanted to avoid it. The workouts would be mostly staying in game shape and as weather permitted, light scrimmages and drills. These would aim at keeping the team loose and ready to slip into game mode.

June Bokue had hoped to get home for an extended time over the Thanksgiving break to see family and face her boyfriend. Even though she wouldn't actually play in the Bowl game, she wanted to keep the team schedule to support her teammates. She would fly out the morning before Thanksgiving and be back Sunday night, even though classes didn't resume until Wednesday. She had been on again and off again with Tucker Gurney all through High School, but in their senior year they got serious. As time grew closer to leave for their respective colleges they spent more and more time together and with that, lots more intimacy. Sex had always been a fun recreation for June as she toyed with guys that flirted with her perky personality in hopes at getting a shot at her tight and tiny little body. When she would have an interested chaser hooked, she always found a reason to break off with Tucker so she could play with a clear conscience. In the end her feelings for him always won out, no matter how good the sex was with her new beau. As her plane descended into Salt Lake City that day before Thanksgiving she dreamt of the first time she had put Tucker on hold to seek the wild oats she might sow.

It was her first stray from Tucker, the senior captain of the football team had asked her out repeatedly just as she was finishing her junior year. She hated breaking off with Tucker for the summer, but his family's cherry grove and business kept him almost too busy to see her every summer. His parents were growing older and that business would be his someday. Using the excuse, she "didn't want to be tied down" as he worked away the summer and while she and her family traveled to potential college campus' over the summer, she felt it best they cool their relationship. She was sexually curious and they had only delved into heavy petting and a failed attempt at real sex.

June knew the senior boy was off to college and would forget her after the summer and she had heard from certain cheerleaders that Buddy Firestone was not only the star running back with the scholarship to Notre Dame, he was also able to handle himself at the local Lovers Lane. If she and Buddy hit it off it might also be a chance to get to the better parties over the summer. She knew what virtue she had left would be gone after dating Buddy and her sexual curiosity was what she wanted to satisfy. The way he asked her out, the tone of his voice, the look in his eyes, left little doubt as to WHY he was interested in her.