Chapter 53

“Don’t try to tell me that was an easy play!” hollered Tyler to the crowd. “If anyone here ever wants to try catching a Steve Hammer bullet pass, I’ll help set it up for you!”

Finally, Coach Watkins asked Steve to come to the front and say a few words. Steve grinned and waved as the fans once again sounded their approval. He gathered his thoughts for a few seconds and then began.

“When I came to Sparta last summer, my goal was simply to get to play football on a regular team. I never had that chance before. I’ve played a lot with friends of my father’s, and other service kids, but never in a real game with uniforms and equipment,” admitted Steve as he considered his past. “Eventually, I came to realize that I was really hoping to find here was something entirely different. I wanted a hometown, a place I can tell people that I’m from. I wanted to be able to know kids, teachers, and parents. I wanted to be a normal kid with a normal life. I especially wanted to make some f