Tackle Without a Team Read online

  The coach listened to it all, and when the tape ended he stared at Scott, dumbfounded. “Well, I’ll be darned!” he said. “You did all this by yourself? This … this detective work?”

  Scott shrugged. “Well, the tape recorder belongs to Jerilea Townsend. I borrowed it from her, and my mom sewed a pocket inside my jersey so I could get at it easily. I was afraid, at first, that it might get crushed if I was hit by somebody. But it’s okay. Anyway, it was the only way I could prove I was innocent. The funny part of it is, I thought it was Rick Seaver who was framing me. I was sure it was him for a couple of reasons — until Bill Lowry spoke up.”

  “Guess he cooked his own goose, didn’t he?” the coach said, shaking his head sadly.

  Scott nodded. “He sure did. At the same time, he got me off the hook.”

  Coach Dresso handed the tape recorder back to him and extended his hand. “That’s not all,” he said. “You’re back on the team, too. That is, if you’re willing to play with us again.”

  “Oh, you bet I am!” Scott cried. “What about Bill?”

  The coach shrugged. “I’ll have to talk to him,” he said. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”

  Scott sat in the car like a robot, picturing the look on his father’s face when Scott told him the good news.

  “Want me to come in with you?” Coach Dresso asked as he stopped the car in front of Scott’s house. “To help smooth things over?”

  “Thanks, but I think I can handle it, Coach,” Scott said, trying hard to hide his excitement. “See you later!”

  He slammed the car door, then ran up to the house.

  “It’s over with!” he said to his father, the first person he saw after he closed the front door behind him. “I got the guy who framed me!”

  His father stared at him, silent.

  “It was Bill Lowry!” Scott said excitedly. “The right guard for the Greyhawks!”

  “You have proof?”

  “You bet!” Scott took the tape recorder out of his pocket. “It’s all on this,” he said. “Jerilea Townsend let me borrow it. I caught Bill cold.”

  “I don’t believe it!” his father whispered.

  His mother and sisters came in from another room. They stood behind Mr. Kramer, gaping at Scott as if he had just appeared from another planet.

  “He stole Kear’s wallet, too?” Mr. Kramer asked.

  “Yes. He figured people would think I stole the money to buy more pot.” Scott’s eyes watered. “I — I’ve got a team again!” he cried.

  “Scott, I’m sorry I doubted you,” his father said quietly. “I really am. Will you forgive me?”

  Scott looked at him and smiled. “Of course, Dad,” he said and gave his father a tight hug.

  That evening Scott called up Jerilea and invited her for a yogurt at Dan’s Yogurt Shoppe. He was anxious to tell her the news, too. They met there at seven-thirty.

  “Here you go,” he said, returning the tape recorder to her. “It worked.”

  Jerilea’s eyes widened. “You caught the crook?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Who was it? Anybody I know?”

  Scott nodded. “Bill Lowry.”

  “Bill Lowry? Oh, no! Who’d ever dream he’d do a thing like that?”

  “I didn’t,” Scott said. “I was sure it was someone else. It was lucky for me that he spoke up when he did — before I ran out of tape!”

  When Scott got back home, he had barely sat down when he got a phone call.

  “Hi, Scott,” said a familiar voice.

  “Kear?”

  “Yeah. I just wanted to say … I’m sorry. For not believing you, I mean. I wanted to, but …”

  “Forget it, man,” Scott said. “It’s all over with. And we’re pals again, right?”

  “Right!”

  “Hey, do you know what happened to Bill?” Scott asked.

  “No. I guess we won’t find out until the game on Saturday,” Kear said. “I sure wouldn’t want to be in Bill’s shoes.”

  “Yeah, you wouldn’t. Don’t forget — I was for a while!” Scott said.

  When Saturday rolled around, Scott found himself feeling more anxious than excited about the game against the Royals. He wasn’t sure how Rick and the other guys would feel about his being a Greyhawk again. At least he knew Kear was on his side.

  The moment he reached the park, he spotted Rick and Sid Seaver eyeing him. His heart pounded as he went directly toward them and stretched out his hand.

  “Hi, Rick. Hi, Sid,” he said. “I’m sorry…”

  “That’s okay,” Rick interrupted. “You had your reasons. Glad to have you back, Scott.”

  “Thanks,” Scott said.

  Every other member of the team shook his hand, too, and welcomed him back. Everyone but Bill, that is. Bill was nowhere to be seen.

  “I had a private talk with Bill,” Coach Dresso explained to Scott as the rest of the team warmed up. “After I told him about the tape, he confessed. Then he said I picked on him too much. I told him I didn’t criticize him any more than I did the other players. And the criticism was meant to be constructive, to help him to do better the next time.”

  “Is he off the team?” Scott asked.

  “Of course. I booted you off, didn’t I? And this time I had real proof. I couldn’t give him just a slap on the hands.”

  Somehow, despite the suffering Scott had endured since that marijuana had been found in his duffel bag, he felt sorry for Bill. Scott knew what it was like to be a man without a team. But he understood the coach’s decision. Unlike Coach Zacks, Coach Dresso played by the rules, and that was why Scott preferred being on his team. But maybe, he thought wryly, Bill would like to be a Cougar!

  “Hey, just like old times!” Kear said as he and Scott ran out on the field together.

  “Yeah!” Scott replied, feeling like shouting out loud — shouting something crazy — so that the whole world would know how good he felt. But he restrained himself and just said, “Man! It sure is good to be a Greyhawk again!”

  MATT

  CHRISTOPHER

  The #1 Sports Writer for Kids

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  Tackle Without a Team

  When Scott Kramer is kicked off the football team for possession of marijuana, he knows he’s been framed. But his older, brother was arrested for the same crime a few years earlier, so it’s hard for the coach and Scott’s parents to believe him. The case against him seems airtight, but Scott is determined to prove his innocence. He just needs to find the answer to one question: who would want to see his name dragged through the mud?

  Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. A resident of South Carolina, he is the author of many books, among them The Return of the Home Run Kid. For a listing of all his titles and information on joining the Matt Christopher Fan Club, turn to the last page of this book.