Mason found himself swept up in all the excitement and razzmatazz of the pre-game entertainment. He watched as the cheerleaders took the field enthusiastically waving their pompoms to the accompaniment of the school band. Much to his surprise, he was enjoying himself, and the game hadn’t even begun.
Even though he’d seen a number of professional and college games on TV, he was still surprised at the many stoppages in play.
Number 82 seemed to be on the field for most of the game, Mason had to restrain himself from leaping up every time Parker was tackled. He could have sworn several of them were late hits. Mason’s cup of joy overflowed when Parker scored a touchdown in the third quarter. Even the ebullient announcer seemed to increase his level of excitement when he announced Parker’s ac
