"Late in the fourth quarter, Neely and Silo got the team together by the bench and told us that after the game we were running back to the locker room, locking the door, and not coming out until the crowd was gone."
"And we did. We waited in there for a long time," Neely said. "It took an hour just to settle down."
The door opened behind them as one group of locals left while another trooped in.
"And y'all never talked about it?" Mal asked.
"No. We agreed to bury it," Neely said.
"Until now?"
"I guess. Rake's dead, it doesn't matter anymore."
"Why was it such a secret?"
"We were afraid there'd be trouble," Paul said. "We hated Rake, but he was still Rake. He'd punched a player, and not just anybody. Neely's nose was still bleeding after the game."
"And we were so emotional," Neely said. "I think all fifty of us were crying when the game was over. We'd just pulled off a miracle, against impossible odds.With no coaches.Nothing but sheer guts. Just a bunch of kids who'd survived under enormous pressure. We decided it would be our secret. Silo went around the room, looked every player in the eyes and demanded a vow of silence."
"Said he'd kill anyone who ever told," Paul said with chuckle.
Mal skillfully poured a pint of molasses over his next target. "That's a good story. I figured as much."
Paul said, "The odd part is that the coaches never talked about it either. Rabbit kept his mouth shut.Total silence."
Chomp, chomp, then, "We sorta figured it out," Mal said."Knew something bad happened at halftime. Neely couldn't pass, then wordleaked that he was wearing a cast the next week at school. Figured he hit something. Figured it might've been Rake. Lots of rumors over the years, which, as you know, ain't hard to find in Messina."
"I've never heard anyone talk about it," Paul said.
A pull on the coffee.NeitherNeely nor Paul were eating or drinking. "Remember that Tugdale kid, from out near Black Rock?A year or two behind you boys."