Chapter 32

It was just after three-thirty when they parked at Cedar Creek High School. Zach had changed back into his uniform and then stared out the window for the last part of the ride. The two days had been stressful and exhausting but there hadn’t been any time to even think about being tired. For the first time, now that there was some slack in the schedule, he realized how sore and worn down he felt.

“Are you okay in there?” Beth asked as she knocked on the side of Zach’s head.

“All of a sudden I can hardly move,” Zach said. “It feels so good just sitting still.”

“Well, you better snap out of it,” she said. “You’ve been on a pretty good roll but there’s one more thing you have to do.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “I’ll be okay when I get inside. I don’t think I should go in the front door. Should we try the door by the snack bar?”

“It locks,” she said. “But I can go in and open it from the inside and let you in. Not that I see the point.”

“What do you mean?” Zach asked.

“What are you going to do?” she asked. “Pretend you’ve been sitting at the snack bar for the past three hours?”

“I guess you’re right,” Zach said. “I just don’t want to make a big scene at the main door.”

“I’m sure wrestlers have been coming and going all day,” she said.

The entered together through the front door and weren’t even noticed, just as Beth predicted. They immediately heard the sounds of the consolations rounds being wrestled in the gym. Hopefully, Zach thought, Crisfield was too busy coaching to even notice I was gone. “I better go in and see what’s up,” he said.

It turned out that the consolation finals were winding up. When Zach walked into the gym he saw George Prince wrestling for third place with several teammates sitting near the mat cheering him on. Betterton came over to meet Zach as soon as he saw him. “Did you make it to the concert in time?” he asked.

“Yeah, just barely,” Zach said. “We rocked the house. Has Coach been looking for me?”

“He asked Mark where you were a few times,” Betterton said. “Mark told him you kept going outside to run, I think. Don’t worry about it.”

“How many do we have in the finals?” Zach asked.

“Me, Salisbury, you, Mark and Mendez,” Betterton said. “Not bad.”

“I feel like I could go to sleep,” Zach said. “I need to go roll around.”

“I’ll go with you,” Betterton said. “Let’s walk by and tell Mark you’re here so he can stop worrying.”

Prince’s match ended just about the time that they caught up with Easton. Coach Crisfield glared at Zach from across the mat when he caught sight of him. They were too far apart to speak but Crisfield mouthed the words “Where were you?” and spread his arms.

“Don’t go over there,” Betterton said without moving his lips. “Nothing good will happen. Just keep walking.”

~~~

At four-fifteen the twenty-eight finalists gathered in the locker room to prepare for their introduction to the crowd. Zach had spent the previous forty-five minutes warming up and hiding from his coach. Crisfield had also come to the locker room but Zach knew he wouldn’t dress down his wrestler in front of everybody, especially just before the district finals.

“Nervous?” Easton asked.

“Very,” said Zach.

“It’s just like any other match once you get out there,” Easton said. “Coach was looking for you, but I guess you know that. He asked me if it looked like you were out getting high all that time.”

“What did you say?” Zach asked.

“I just laughed and told him you were fine,” Easton said.

“Thanks,” Zach said. “But it isn’t so funny to me.”

“You lived a double life this weekend,” Betterton said after wandering over.

“Yeah, thanks to a lot of help from you guys,” Zach answered. “But I wish Crisfield hadn’t asked if I was getting high. What do I have to do to please that guy?”

“You got away with murder this weekend,” Betterton said. “Just leave it be before he starts asking too many questions. Once he sees you on the mat he’ll be okay.”

“The way they introduce us is way cool,” Easton said. “Did you ever think you’d get this far?” Easton asked Zach.

“I really can’t believe I’m in the finals,” Zach said. “I never thought I’d be lining up with you guys like this.”

“Me neither,” Easton said. “No offense, but I didn’t think you had it in you. You showed everybody what you’re made of, Zach. Whatever happens today won’t change that. You’re Wrestler of the Year as far as I’m concerned.”

~~~

While waiting to be introduced Zach tried to find his mother in the seats but it was too dark. The only light in the gym was from the spotlights that were trained on each wrestler as he was introduced. He knew his mother was out there somewhere. He wanted to make her proud.

“And the other finalist, a junior from Chapel Forge Township High School, with a record of nineteen wins and nine losses, Zach Bowie!”

With that, Zach walked slowly to the center of the mat to shake hands with Luis Sanibel. Zach had knocked off the second and third-seeded wrestlers. Now it was time for him to take on the top seed.

~~~

Since Easton was wrestling in the 160-pound final, neither Crisfield nor Hancock was around during the last few minutes before Zach would wrestle. He didn’t mind. He knew everything he needed to know about his opponent. Even though he was the underdog based on seeding, Zach felt he should win. He had pinned Sanibel the year before. All four of Sanibel’s points in his victory over Zach earlier in the season came as a result of Zach’s mistakes. If he wrestled more patiently and thought his moves through before committing to them, as Hancock was always saying, he knew he could win.

~~~

The talk in their corner of the mat prior to the match was all wrestling, much to Zach’s relief. If he was going to have to explain where he’d been all afternoon he preferred to do it later. “I looked over my notes from the last time you had this guy,” Crisfield said. “He rolled you on that half nelson, and then he backed out when you were too high. Make sure you don’t do that again and you’ve got a shot at winning.”

Zach nodded. “I’ll be smarter this time,” he said. He walked out to the center of the mat and wrapped the red band around his ankle when the referee handed it to him. He and Sanibel shook hands quickly and then the match was on.

Remembering that he scored quickly in the last match, Zach started the match looking for a basic leg takedown. Halfway through the first period he took a deep shot near the center and stood up with Sanibel’s leg. Before Sanibel had a chance to counter Zach neatly tripped the other leg and covered for a 2-0 lead. Although he gave up an escape in the waning seconds of the first period Zach looked to be in good shape with a 2-1 lead.

He began the second period on top as a result of Sanibel’s choice. Zach was able to control his opponent’s body but kept drifting around front looking for some way to put Sanibel directly on his back. Coach Crisfield frantically waved his arms, signaling Zach to try for something safer. Zach had already forgotten about his plan to wrestle with caution but after he was reminded he moved back behind his opponent.

Feeling like he was firmly in command, Zach took Sanibel’s arm and lunged to the side, looking for a quick tilt. He realized that he had committed to using his bad hand only after it was too late. His grip gave out before he could expose Sanibel’s back, and his own hips began to slide down towards the mat. Seizing a golden opportunity, Sanibel stepped over and took Zach’s head and arm. Besides scoring a reversal, he held Zach on his back long enough for two back points. Just as he had done a few weeks earlier, Sanibel had scored only after Zach made a tactical mistake. Crisfield slumped in his chair but Hancock tried to settle Zach down. “You’re Fine. Don’t look for shortcuts!” he yelled. He had to scream his to be heard over the Parkdale fans that were cheering and stamping their feet in support of their wrestler.

Going into the third period Zach trailed 5-2. Starting from the bottom position, Zach first looked for the Peterson Roll. It wasn’t there so he tried a standup. When Sanibel stopped that as well he tried for the Peterson again. After that failed he was able to stand up but Sanibel ran him out of bounds with no change in position. He felt his energy draining away as he tried to settle himself down for one last attack.

Hancock yelled at Zach and pointed to the clock. Zach nodded while adjusting his headgear. When the match resumed Zach’s sense of urgency had been restored. He hit a perfect switch, earning him a reversal that was worth two points. With a minute left he trailed by a single point. He applied a tight-waist grip and then chopped at Sanibel’s arm, ignored the pain it caused in his hand. After a few hardy shoves Sanibel was on his stomach.

By then there were fewer than thirty seconds left. Sanibel was obviously tired and looked like he hoped to survive the match through passive resistance. Zach moved steadily up towards Sanibel’s head and labored for a few seconds until he was able to slip his own arm across the back of Sanibel’s neck. Hancock was yelling at Zach to hurry but nobody was more aware of the ticking clock than Zach was. He moved out to the side so that he was perpendicular to his opponent and then began driving into him. Seconds later Sanibel was on his back. Zach’s eyes were on the clock when the referee began counting. With nine seconds left he knew there was enough time to earn the decisive back points. When the buzzer sounded Zach leaped to his feet with both arms raised even before the referee signaled for the points. “Yeah!” he shouted as loudly as he could. Crisfield tried to quiet him down by gesturing but Zach responded by shouting again. He had come from behind to beat the top seed and win the district title, and he was going to celebrate in whatever way he wanted to.

Later, when he climbed to the top of the podium to accept his medal, Zach thought about how everybody from both his lives had pulled together when it seemed like he had lost his way. It turned out that he had more friends than he realized. Maybe it had always been that way, he was beginning to think. Fauquier, Jeanine and even Mark Easton had done more than he could have hoped for on his behalf.

None of it would have happened if it hadn’t been for Beth though. Even before he left the podium he knew that except for his mother, who had always been there for him, Beth had become the most important person in his life. With any luck both of these special people were together somewhere in that gym watching him. All he had to do was find them. Suddenly everything else seemed unimportant.

THE END