tired.
His father was standing over him, gazing at him fondly. “I'm real proud of you, Junior,” he said, crouching and putting his head next to Bryce's. A fatherly arm came around Bryce's shoulder. “It doesn't matter so much who won. You played your heart out. It was a beautiful thing to see.”
They hugged, and Bryce felt the tears coming. They came and came. He hadn't cried like this since … since third grade.
Finally, he wiped the tears away and stood up. “I've got to go shake hands,” he told his dad. “Wait for me, okay?”
“Sure thing,” his dad said, releasing him with a smile.
Bryce went over and lined up with his team; “Good game,” they told each of the elated Hornets in turn.
“Good game,” Bryce told Renny, stopping to grab his hand. “Really good game*”
“You, too,” Renny said with a smile. “Ice-cream sundaes later, remember?”
“Uh-huh,” Bryce said, managing to smile back.
Coach Hickey gathered the Yellow Jackets around him. “You boys have been the best team I've ever coached,” he said. “I'm sorry we didn't win, but I'm not sorry we played the way we did today. We lost to a great effort by a very good team. That's soccer for you. But you can all hold your heads up. And I've got a trophy for each one of you when we have the team picnic next week.”
The team managed a cheer, then gave each other high fives for the season they'd had — a first-place finish and a great play-off.
A main with a big camera came up to Bryce. “Hey, Number Ten, I want you for a photograph for the
Crestmont Herald.
Come on over here.”
He led Bryce over to where Renny was standing. “The two of you, pose together with the ball between you. That's it,” the photographer said. “Now, kind of growl at each other. That's it….”
He snapped the picture, and both boys cracked up.
Then the commissioner of the soccer league got on the sound system. “It's time to present the championship and MVP trophies,” he announced.
First, the big team trophy was given to Coach Mc-Master, who handed it to Bill Kelly of Kelly's Plumbing, the team's sponsor. “This'll be featured in our big display window!” Mr. Kelly crowed^ holding the trophy over his head to cheers from the crowd.
“And now, it's time for the Most Valuable Player award,” the commissioner announced. “This year, we had a tough decision to make….”
Bryce stood there frozen, hanging on the commissioner's every word.
“But there was only one trophy to give out, so we couldn't split the awards Therefore, the trophy goes to… Renny Harding of the league champions, Kelly's Plumbing Blue Hornets!”
It took Bryce a second to recover; then he began clapping and cheering, leading the applause for Renny, who looked as if he was going to faint while receiving the trophy. The kid is really stunned; Bryce realized. He can't believe he got it.
Bryce had figured Renny would get the award. After all, he was the best player on the winning team! and that was how MVPs got chosen. Bryce didn't feel hurt by it. The pain of losing the game had been much worse.
Renny was coming toward him with the trophy. “Bryce,” he said. “You should really have won this. I don't know why —”
“Cut it out,” Bryce said. “You deserve it. You guys won. That's life.”
“Hey, you two!”
Bryce and Renny turned. Coach Harrelson nodded at them. “Yeah; you two guys. Let me congratulate both of you.”
He shook each of their hands, then turned to Renny. “Listen, young fella, I hope I'll be seeing you at the tryouts for the JV team next season. I suspect you'd do quite well as my center striker.”
“Are you kidding me?” Renny gasped. “I mean, thankyou.”
Now Bryce was
really
hurt. The coach's words had been like daggers going through his gut. He'd practically promised Renny that he'd start at center striker!
There went Bryce's last hope. He'd lost out to Renny where it really counted.
“And as for you, young man.” The coach
His father was standing over him, gazing at him fondly. “I'm real proud of you, Junior,” he said, crouching and putting his head next to Bryce's. A fatherly arm came around Bryce's shoulder. “It doesn't matter so much who won. You played your heart out. It was a beautiful thing to see.”
They hugged, and Bryce felt the tears coming. They came and came. He hadn't cried like this since … since third grade.
Finally, he wiped the tears away and stood up. “I've got to go shake hands,” he told his dad. “Wait for me, okay?”
“Sure thing,” his dad said, releasing him with a smile.
Bryce went over and lined up with his team; “Good game,” they told each of the elated Hornets in turn.
“Good game,” Bryce told Renny, stopping to grab his hand. “Really good game*”
“You, too,” Renny said with a smile. “Ice-cream sundaes later, remember?”
“Uh-huh,” Bryce said, managing to smile back.
Coach Hickey gathered the Yellow Jackets around him. “You boys have been the best team I've ever coached,” he said. “I'm sorry we didn't win, but I'm not sorry we played the way we did today. We lost to a great effort by a very good team. That's soccer for you. But you can all hold your heads up. And I've got a trophy for each one of you when we have the team picnic next week.”
The team managed a cheer, then gave each other high fives for the season they'd had — a first-place finish and a great play-off.
A main with a big camera came up to Bryce. “Hey, Number Ten, I want you for a photograph for the
Crestmont Herald.
Come on over here.”
He led Bryce over to where Renny was standing. “The two of you, pose together with the ball between you. That's it,” the photographer said. “Now, kind of growl at each other. That's it….”
He snapped the picture, and both boys cracked up.
Then the commissioner of the soccer league got on the sound system. “It's time to present the championship and MVP trophies,” he announced.
First, the big team trophy was given to Coach Mc-Master, who handed it to Bill Kelly of Kelly's Plumbing, the team's sponsor. “This'll be featured in our big display window!” Mr. Kelly crowed^ holding the trophy over his head to cheers from the crowd.
“And now, it's time for the Most Valuable Player award,” the commissioner announced. “This year, we had a tough decision to make….”
Bryce stood there frozen, hanging on the commissioner's every word.
“But there was only one trophy to give out, so we couldn't split the awards Therefore, the trophy goes to… Renny Harding of the league champions, Kelly's Plumbing Blue Hornets!”
It took Bryce a second to recover; then he began clapping and cheering, leading the applause for Renny, who looked as if he was going to faint while receiving the trophy. The kid is really stunned; Bryce realized. He can't believe he got it.
Bryce had figured Renny would get the award. After all, he was the best player on the winning team! and that was how MVPs got chosen. Bryce didn't feel hurt by it. The pain of losing the game had been much worse.
Renny was coming toward him with the trophy. “Bryce,” he said. “You should really have won this. I don't know why —”
“Cut it out,” Bryce said. “You deserve it. You guys won. That's life.”
“Hey, you two!”
Bryce and Renny turned. Coach Harrelson nodded at them. “Yeah; you two guys. Let me congratulate both of you.”
He shook each of their hands, then turned to Renny. “Listen, young fella, I hope I'll be seeing you at the tryouts for the JV team next season. I suspect you'd do quite well as my center striker.”
“Are you kidding me?” Renny gasped. “I mean, thankyou.”
Now Bryce was
really
hurt. The coach's words had been like daggers going through his gut. He'd practically promised Renny that he'd start at center striker!
There went Bryce's last hope. He'd lost out to Renny where it really counted.
“And as for you, young man.” The coach
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