The Team That Couldn't Lose Read Online Free

new voice in the huddle. “Phil wants us to use Play Two!”
    It was a substitute. Another player ran off the field.
    Chip smiled. “Okay. Play Two. Let’s go!”
    This time, the play didn’t click. Hans Lodder’s man had gotten past him and was about to tackle Chip. Luckily, Chip managed
     to twist out of his grasp, got a nice block from Jim Kolar, and went galloping down the field for the Cayugans’ second touchdown.
    The kick for an extra point wasn’t good, and Chip’s spirits sank again. They trailed the Duckbills 14-13. A tie, at least,
     would’ve been better.
    But the game wasn’t over yet. In the fourth quarter, with two and a half minutes to go, Spence booted a field goal from the
     Duckbills’ fourteen. It was good! The fans went wild again.
    The game ended with the Duckbills on the Cayugans’ four-yard line: Cayugans 16, Duckbills 14.
    Once again the Cayugans jumped for joy, laughing and shouting. Danny Livermore joined in the hilarity.
    Then Splash looked around for the coach. “Hey,” he said, “where’s Phil?”
    Chip and the others looked around, too. Phil was nowhere in sight.
    “Guess he’s gone,” said Chip. “How do you like that? He didn’t even give us a chance to congratulate him.”

6
    C hip turned to Danny. “Did Phil say anything to you, Danny?” he asked.
    The manager of the undefeated Cayugans looked at Chip with his mouth open and his large eyes staring perplexedly.
    “Well, just before the game was over, he wanted me to put all the balls into the bag,” Danny replied. “Then, right after the
     game, he took the ball that was used in the game, stuck it in the bag, and ran to his car as if his house was on fire. I don’t
     know why he left so suddenly.”
    “Did you ask him?” Splash asked.
    “Yes. I said, ‘Why are you leaving so soon, Phil?’ He said he had to get home.”
    “That’s all he said?”
    “That’s all.”
    What was troubling Phil? Chip wondered. He wouldn’t have run off so quickly, without even congratulating his team, if something
     wasn’t troubling him, would he?
    “It must’ve been something very important,” Danny said. “He wouldn’t run off for no good reason.” His eyes brightened as he
     turned to Chip. “Chip, those catches you made were the sensational moments of the game!”
    Chip smiled. “Thanks, Danny. But Splash deserves a lot of the credit. He threw those passes.”
    “I know. They were right on target, too.” Danny turned to the left halfback, whose dark hair was matted down from sweat. “Just
     like they were supposed to be.”
    Chip, Splash, Spencer, and Danny started to walk home together. The boys discussed Phil and the plays he had used in their
     two games. No matter how you looked at it, it was those special plays that had won the games for the Cayugans. They were difficult
     plays — a lot more difficult than any of those Mr. Kash had taught them. Yet Phil and Mr. Quigley had drilled the Cayugans
     until they had learned the plays well enough to pull them off successfully.
    “I think Phil’s been holding out on us,” said Chip. “I think he knows more about football than we figured. Or even Mr. Kash
     figured.”
    “I think he does, too,” said Splash. “He probably figured out those plays himself. Boy, they worked beautifully.”
    “Why should he have held out on us?” Spencer asked wonderingly. “Why didn’t he tell Mr. Kash about those plays?”
    “Phil isn’t that kind of guy,” said Danny mildly. “He keeps a lot of things to himself. Maybe he thought he would’ve embarrassed
     Mr. Kash if he had suggested any plays to him.”
    “That could be,” agreed Chip. “Phil wouldn’t do a thing that might make a guy think he’s awfully smart or something.”
    On Monday, Phil had a new play he taught the boys. He called it Play Three. Chip and the other guys thought it was odd to
     give the plays such simple names. The whole idea of learning a brand-new play each week seemed strange, too.