Top Wing Read Online Free Page B

that there wasn’t an opening between Steve and the goal. Sure enough,
     Steve kept it moving, passing it to Jack. Jack tried to get off a kick toward the goal, but the ball got into a tangle of
     Cottoneer defense-men. When it bobbled free, it was right in front of Dana.
    The Anchors’ right wing didn’t hesitate. He booted it. Hard.
    Goal!
    A cheer went up from the stands.
    The scoreboard now read Cottoneers 2, Anchors 1.
    But the clock was still running. There was no time to waste on congratulations if the Anchors were going to win.
    They hurried upfield to get ready for the kick. As Dana jogged by Benton to get into position, Benton suddenly doubled over
     in a fit of coughing. Concerned,Dana stopped and thumped Benton lightly on the back.
    “Hey, are you okay?” he said.
    Benton shook off Dana’s arm abruptly and stood up. He glared at Dana and sneered, “Lot you care!” Then he stalked off to his
     place on the field.
    Stunned, Dana almost didn’t hear the ref’s whistle signaling the kickoff. Then he didn’t have time to think because the ball
     was in play.
    The kick was short but high in the air. It landed smack in the middle of the Cottoneers’ forward line. They were so set to
     rush forward, it took them by surprise. That gave the Anchors a chance to press their defense.
    The ball rolled around, booted and bumped by several players before Lance got hold of it. He had stayed away from the scramble
     and had been in the clear.
    Lance dribbled it toward the Cottoneers’ goal for a few feet before passing it to Jack.
    But Jack didn’t get far with it before a Cottoneer halfback moved in on him.
    Dana had run down beside Jack and was open on his right side.
    “Over here!” called Dana.
    By now, two more Cottoneers were approaching Jack. The Anchor midfielder had to get rid of the ball. He passed it over to
     Dana on his right side.
    The pass was high. Dana trapped it with his chest. He let it drop to his feet, then dribbled it away from the swarm in the
     middle of the field.
    He was a few feet in from the touchline, looking around for an open Anchor receiver downfield.
    From the corner of his left eye, he saw a Cottoneer come sweeping toward him with determination. Dana could almost hear the
     enemy’s thoughts: Nothing was going to stop him from stealing the ball!
    The Anchor wing swiveled to avoid the steal — but another Cottoneer appeared out of nowhere between him and the touchline.
     A fast-moving foot in a green stocking snagged the ball away. The happy Cottoneer then booted it in the other direction, toward
     the Anchors’ goal.
    But the ball didn’t get more than five feet before Benton was on top of it. He trapped it with the inside of his left foot.
    Benton couldn’t move with it. A Cottoneer lurking to his blind side rushed over and went for the ball.
    “Bent! Here!” Dana shouted.
    The distance between them was just about ten feet — and it was clear now.
    Dana waved furiously. All Benton had to do was boot the ball to him. He had a good chance to send it way down toward the goal.
    And time was running out.
    But Benton acted as though he hadn’t even heard Dana. He passed the ball in the other direction.
    Abe was the only one of the Anchors with a chance to grab it. He nearly had it when a Cottoneer rushed in front of him. The
     ball bounced off the defender’s thigh and hurtled toward Tucker.
    There was a hurried scramble for the ball. So many players were all over each other, Dana expected to hear a penalty called
     any second.
    But the Cottoneer offense managed to shake it loose and move it toward the Anchors’ goal.
    Once again, the Anchors’ defense had to dig in.
    They did their best and ended up blocking two goal kicks from the penalty area. But Cottoneer captain Russ Anderson couldn’t
     be kept down. Time and again he broke away from the pack. He was all by himself, just ten yards from the goal line when the
     ball was passed to him.
    It looked as though there was no