It was baggy and long. He clapped his hands and said, “Let’s go,” but he wasn’t feeling confident. He could see his parents and Larry sitting in the bleachers with several other adults. Many of the kids from the teams who hadn’t made the play-offs were here, too. And the Rabbits were all on the other side of the field, watching with some of the Panthers. This crowd was far bigger than at any of the Bobcats’ previous games. More people to watch him mess up. Tune it out, Ben thought. Focus on stopping Loop and Alex. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. When the game began, Ben could tell that his coach had been right. The Falcons quickly moved the ball toward the Bobcats’ goal, with Loop and Alex controlling most of the action. When Erin finally knocked the ball out of bounds, Loop raced to the sideline for a corner kick. Ben raised his hands and let out his breath, ready to catch the ball or dive at it. Alex was crouched in front of the goal, and players from both teams were packed in tight.
