The noise suddenly silenced a locker room full of worried murmurs. Taking one look at his teammates’ faces, Ronde burst out, “What in the world was that?” as he flung his hands wide. “Was that football? I don’t think so!” Kids were looking at one another guiltily. “It’s not just one or two of us. It’s all of us!” Ronde went on. He couldn’t contain his feelings. Ronde half-expected Coach Wheeler or one of the other coaches to grab him, to stop him. But the whole locker room stayed still and silent. Ronde, the captain of the Eagle defense, had the floor. “We may be talented,” he said, “but if we keep playing stupid, we’re gonna get beat!” He might have been one of the smaller players on the field, but no one had a bigger heart. “Defense!” he shouted. “When you hit somebody, you’ve got to put them on the ground! Receivers, you got a route to run? Three steps and cut? Then count one, two, three! If you add a step or cut too quick, the ball’s not gonna be there for you.
