Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2006 00:53:37 +0000
From: Jacob Latson <jacob_latson@hotmail.com>
Subject: Washington Academy14

Disclaimer:

This story will describe the life of Robert David Mathews from his time as a
teenager, through prep school, and into military service.  If stories
involving sex between consenting teenagers, including both straight sex and
gay sex, offends you, go back to the Archives and pick a different story for
your reading pleasure.
There has been minimal research for this story therefore, names, places,
dates are mostly fictitious and similarities to real life are coincidental.
Some companies and organizations mentioned actually exist, but references to
the activities, policies, programs and procedures are fictitious. I was not
a SEAL and have limited knowledge of the force.  I am writing this story
from imagination and a little research, not from personal experience.

My editor, Bill, is a dedicated friend.  His improvements in my writing
style are greatly appreciated.

Feedback is appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com


Washington Academy Chapter 14 Sex and Football


It was the middle of October when Robbie called Lisa Watson on the
telephone.  His ribs had healed faster than expected by the doctors, and he
was interested in some female companionship.  Of the six girls that had
given him their names and phone numbers, Lisa was the cutest, and he hoped
that she would remember him.

Lisa was thrilled when Robbie called her on her cell phone, and left her
girlfriends to talk to Robbie in private.  She quickly accepted Robbie's
offer for a Saturday evening date that would include dinner at The Outback
Restaurant and a movie at the mall.  She gave Robbie directions to her home
on Peninsular Drive and hoped that she would be able to convince Robbie to
forget about the movie and have sex instead.  When the call ended, she
excitedly told her girlfriends about the date with the cute blonde from the
Academy.  All of her girlfriends were jealous, and begged her to "fix them
up" with some of the other cute cadets.

Drew was surprised when Robbie admitted that he had a date for Saturday
night after another Friday night football victory.  The football team was
undefeated, and all of the cadets were celebrating on Saturday night by
going out for supper and then to the mall.

"I hope you have protection!" Drew teased Robbie when they were alone.
"That girl did everything but pull down your pants when she was here, and
I'd bet my left nut that you get laid tonight!"

Robbie just grinned and gave his Big Brother a "high five" before displaying
the package of lubricated condoms that he had purchased on a previous trip
to town.  The Academy discretely provided regular condoms outside the
Infirmary, but most of the cadets liked the lubricated brands that could be
easily purchased downtown or in the malls.

When Robbie returned to his dorm room after his date, Trip and Tracker were
waiting for him.  They had just announced a "pecker check" when Drew and
Keith joined the fun.

"You've got pecker tracks on the front of your Dockers!" Drew teased Robbie.
  "Either she fucked your brains out or she just teased you and made you
shoot in your pants!  Fess Up!"

Robbie looked around the dorm room and saw that all of his roommates were
watching and listening to the teasing.  He didn't want to lose his chances
of more sex with the cute girl by telling the truth about her horniness, and
tried to get away from the probing questions.

"Don't ask, don't tell!" Robbie said to his friends.  "Mr. Benson said that
to the coaches and Mr. Brown when the subject of sex came up.  I'm gonna
take a shower now!"

Drew saw that the room was filled with other cadets who wanted to hear the
intimate details of Robbie's date, and decided to cut his Little Brother
some slack.  He correctly guessed that Robbie would tell him the details
when they were alone, just like he did after hot dates that he had with
girls from Traverse City.  He decided to wait until they were alone.

After Robbie finished his shower, he put on boxers and a T-shirt and went to
talk to Drew.  He was pleased that only Drew and Keith were in the room and
decided to trust both of them by describing the intimate details of his hot
date.

"I told you that she was hot for your body!" Drew said to Robbie after
hearing about the date with Lisa Watson.  "I told Keith that I bet you got
laid tonight, but I didn't think she'd blow you while you were driving!  It
sounds like that Blazer is a 'bedroom on wheels'!  I hope you can fix some
of us up with her girlfriends!"

Robbie told Drew and Keith that Lisa had some horny girlfriends who wanted
to party with some of the cadets, and that she wanted them to go to a party
the next weekend.  He asked his two buddies to keep quiet about the details
of his hot date, and told them that he wanted to include Trip and Tracker in
the party plans.

Robbie's friendship with Lisa led to many dates for him and his cadet
buddies over the next few weeks.  The biggest surprise was when Lisa took
him to a party at the mansion owned by the parents of one of her close
friends.  The parents were home, but allowed the teenagers complete use of
their family room, bar, and two bedrooms.  Robbie and Lisa were enjoying the
party when Richmond Adams came in with a cute girl.

Robbie went up and said "Hi" to Richmond, and saw a look in Richmond's eyes
that could only be described as "lust".  The two couples spent most of the
evening together, and Robbie was pleased that Richmond avoided the alcohol,
along with Lisa and Julie.  For some reason, Julie and Richmond got into a
big argument, and Julie left the party with a girlfriend.  When Robbie
decided he needed to leave to get back to the Academy, Richmond asked for a
ride home.  Robbie had hoped to fuck Lisa, but she had admitted that she was
"on the rag" and had promised him a blowjob after the party.

"Rich is a good friend of mine," Lisa said to Robbie.  "He's upset about the
argument with Julie, so let's give him a ride home.  I'll make it up to you
on our next date, I promise!"

Robbie drove Lisa home and gave her a kiss goodnight on the front porch.  He
was disappointed that he didn't get his blowjob and resigned himself to
whacking off when he got back to the campus.

"I'm sorry if I messed up your fuck session with Lisa," Richmond said to
Robbie after they dropped Lisa off.  "She's a friend of mine, and we don't
have any secrets.  She told me that she's been blowing and fucking you ever
since your first date with her, and I know you would've scored if you'd left
me at the party.  I owe you a big favor!"

Robbie was surprised that Lisa had told Richmond about their sexual
escapades, but listened when Rich told him that Lisa was very selective
about who she had sex with.

"Lisa and I went steady last year, but we both moved on," Rich said to
Robbie during the trip to his home.  "My house is the next driveway on the
left."

Robbie drove up the long winding driveway and up to the front of a huge home
that must have cost a fortune.  All of the homes on Peninsular Drive were
expensive, but the ones with frontage on Traverse Bay were worth millions of
dollars.

"Can you come in for a couple of minutes?" Rich asked Robbie.  "My parents
are home and they told me to introduce you if you were ever in the
neighborhood.  I know you want to get back to the Academy, but this will
only take a couple of minutes."

Robbie knew that the home that his aunt and uncle owned in Grosse Pointe had
cost over 2 million dollars, but this home was much larger, and the location
would increase the value exponentially.

"Mom, Dad, this is Robbie Mathews, the guy I've told you about from the
Washington Academy," Rich said to introduce Robbie to his parents.

Robbie was impressed by the furnishings in the luxury home and knew that the
family had to be VERY wealthy.  He was polite in meeting Richmond's parents
and agreed to sit down in the library room to talk for a few minutes.  He
noticed that Mr. Adams was having a cocktail and smoking a cigar, and
decided to make small talk with the distinguished man.

"My uncle likes cigars too," Robbie said.  "I gave him some Monte Christo's
for his birthday, and he really liked them."

"How in the world did you get Monte Christo cigars?" Mr. Adams asked Robbie.
  "Those are my favorites, but my source dried up about two years ago!  I
know that they're illegal because they're made in Cuba, but I'd give
anything to have just one to savor with a glass of fine brandy!"

Robbie laughed and said that his source was confidential, but he told Mr.
Adams that he'd try to get a couple of cigars for him.  He refused to accept
the $100 bill that Mr. Adams offered for just one cigar, and hoped that he
would be able to get Trip's dad to send more cigars from Canada.

"My dad really likes you!" Rich said when he got Robbie away from his
parents and up to his room.  "He's got major bucks from his real estate
business, but he'd go nuts if you can get him a cigar.  His birthday's next
month, and I can never think of anything to give him for a present."

"I can't promise anything, but I might be able to get some cigars for you to
give him," Robbie said to Rich.  "Your room is awesome!"

"Not as awesome as you are!" Rich said.

Robbie was shocked when Rich leaned forward and kissed him on the lips!  At
first he didn't know what to do, but his hormones kicked in and he returned
the passionate kiss.

"I'm sorry for doing that!" Rich said to Robbie.  "I've had the hots for you
ever since I met you at the Academy, but I shouldn't have brought you up
here!  Please don't say anything about this, or my cover will be blown!"

"When I first met you at the Academy, I got some vibes from your eyes,"
Robbie admitted.  "I won't blow your cover if you don't blow mine!"

"I'm bi-sexual," Rich admitted to Robbie.  "Everyone knows about Julie being
my girlfriend, but my boyfriend and I are very discrete.  My boyfriend and I
think that you're 'drop dead cute', and we'd both like to get in your pants.
  I know that you're a martial arts expert, but I'm glad that I'm not on the
floor dying right now after kissing you."

"I don't hurt my friends!" Robbie replied.  "You're a handsome stud, and I
have to be honest in admitting that I'd like to spend some intimate time
with you in the future.  If you give me your cell phone number, I'll call
you sometime.  They don't allow us to use cell phones on the campus, but I
can still call you from the pay phones."

"When the football season is over, I'd like you to come here and spend the
weekend with me," Rich said.  "Please don't say no right now!  Think about
it and call me!"

Robbie left the huge mansion and headed back to the campus.  He was confused
about his own sexuality, and decided not to tell Drew or any of his friends
about the kiss with Richmond or the proposed weekend visit.

Robbie was thrilled when Dr. Miller allowed him to return to the football
team on a restricted basis, and he worked hard to get back in shape.

When November arrived, Drew noticed a difference in Robbie's behavior.  He
wondered what had happened to cause the change in Robbie's personality, and
confided in Guy Stephens that he was worried about his Little Brother.

Guy Stephens had talked to David and Marie Mathews around the middle of
October, and had been alerted to watch for behavioral changes in their
nephew.  He contacted Dr. Linda Miller and told her that Robbie had lost
both of his parents in a terrible automobile accident in the month of
November, and had experienced emotional problems each year during that time.

Robbie was pissed that he was scheduled to talk to a psychiatrist, Dr.
George Mathis, in Traverse City.  He intentionally missed the first
appointment and was placed on detention for a week.  His behavior
deteriorated until Drew couldn't stand it anymore.

Robbie was furious that he was ordered to serve detention, as he headed back
to his dorm to cover his stripes with duct tape.  When he got to his dorm
room, he found both coaches, Drew, Tracker, Trip and Keith waiting for him.
He was angry and was ready to attack the first person that said a word to
him, but was afraid of the superior strength of the two coaches along with
Drew and Keith.

"Sit down, Robbie" Guy Stephens said.  "We want to talk to you."

Robbie was surprised at the way Mr. Stephens had just talked to him.  It
sounded more like a request than an order, and he had expected his coach to
give him a direct order instead of a polite request.

"We're your friends, not the enemy!" Derrick Harmon said when Robbie sat
down on his bunk.  "You know that Guy and I are good friends of your aunt
and uncle, and we've talked to them."

"You had no right to talk to them about me!" Robbie blurted out.  He was
pissed and stood up to leave the room, but was quickly stopped by a direct
order to sit back down.

"Robbie, you're my Little Brother, and I really love you and care about
you," Drew said.  "We understand that every November you have problems
coping with life, and we want to help you through it.  I asked Mr. Stephens
to get involved when you started acting differently, and he told me the root
cause of the problem.  Losing your parents had to affect you in ways that I
can't understand because mine are still alive, but you need help in coping
with your loss."

"LEAVE MY PARENTS OUT OF THIS!" Robbie demanded.  "JUST LEAVE ME THE FUCK
ALONE!"

"Remember when I told you to leave me alone after being embarrassed in the
swimming pool?" Trip asked.  "You told me that I was your buddy, and that
you and Tracker weren't going to leave me alone!  You two guys talked to me
and helped me calm down.  That was the day that I realized that I have two
fantastic friends who won't abandon me when times get tough."

"Everyone has 'baggage' that affects the way they think and act," Guy
Stephens said.  "You've seen how Derrick and I can snap when we get angry,
and that's a result of our SEAL training.  We can't change the past, but we
can learn to modify our behavior to live a good life."

"None of us are experts in behavior," Derrick added.  "You had a meeting
with Dr. Mathis that you refused to attend, and that was a big mistake.  We
want you back on the football team, but detention means no sports and no
passes to leave the campus.  The only reason we're here right now is to
prove our friendship and intervene when we saw your behavior change
dramatically.  Friends don't let friends self destruct!"

Robbie broke down crying.  In the past he was always able to talk to Aunt
Marie about the loss of his parents, and she'd always helped him through the
month of their deaths.  He felt helpless.

Drew sat down next to Robbie and hugged his Little Brother.  He held Robbie
close and tried to comfort him while listening to the sobs.  Keith, Tracker
and Trip all surrounded Robbie and tried to help Drew comfort their upset
friend.

After Robbie calmed down, Guy Stephens said, "I've made another appointment
with Dr. Mathis for you in about an hour.  I'll drive you there and ask you
to be open and honest with him when you talk.  I know you have a scrapbook
of pictures that were taken when you were a small boy, and Dr. Mathis wants
you to bring it to his office."

Robbie was surprised to hear that Mr. Stephens knew about his scrapbook.
He'd kept it hidden in his locker, but Aunt Marie must have told Mr.
Stephens that Robbie always pulled it out during the month of November to
look at the pictures.

"Can I drive him to the appointment?" Drew asked.

"Not this time," Guy Stephens replied.  "Because he's on detention, the
Security Forces won't let him leave the campus without a member of the
staff.  Why don't you guys help him get cleaned up while Derrick and I
confirm the appointment and get a pass for him."

"I'm sorry for being a jerk," Robbie said to Guy Stephens when they left the
campus for the trip to Dr. Mathis' office in Traverse City.  "I apologized
to Drew and the other guys, and thanked them for not giving up on me.  I
feel guilty for not remembering my real parents, and I guess it just boils
over each November."

"That's the kind of thing you need to talk to Dr. Mathis about," Guy
Stephens replied.  "You're a terrific young man and a great cadet, but you
need to get control of this issue before you self destruct.  We'll all help
you cope in any way that we can, but the best way to help yourself is to be
honest with Dr. Mathis."

It was a painful experience for Robbie to talk to a stranger about the loss
of his parents, but he opened up after meeting Dr. Mathis.  When the session
ended, Robbie was exhausted, and very surprised that they had been talking
for almost two hours.

George Mathis had attended the George Washington Academy before getting his
Doctorate in Clinical Psychiatry from Northwestern University, and he
provided his expert services on a pro-bono basis to cadets and staff
members.  When he first got the request from Dr. Linda Miller to talk to
Robert Mathews, he incorrectly guessed that the young teen was having
problems after being shot during Hell Week or after the football injuries.
He had talked to David and Marie Mathews and learned about the tragic
accident that had killed both of Robbie's parents, and revised his approach
to get the boy to talk openly.  The key was the scrapbook.  He sat with
Robbie and talked about each picture to try and pull out memories of his
parents so the boy could remember his mother and father and deal with his
loss.

"I'm sorry for making you wait that long," Robbie said to Guy Stephens.  "I
didn't realize how long Dr. Mathis and I were talking."

"I worked on some new plays for the football team and made a few phone
calls," Guy Stephens replied.  "I hope you feel better after your first
session with Dr. Mathis."

"We looked at some of the pictures in my scrapbook," Robbie said softly.
"He asked me questions about each picture, and I was surprised how much I
remembered.  We only talked about the pictures on the first page and it took
almost two hours.  I didn't think that talking to someone could make me
tired, but I'm worn out."

"I want you to skip the football practice today and get some rest," Guy
Stephens said.  "When's your next appointment with George?"

"Day after tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.", Robbie replied.  "Thanks for taking me
today and excusing me from practice.  Please don't kick me off the football
team."

"After you go to the next appointment, I'll cancel the detention," Guy
Stephens said.  "As long as you work with George you'll be back to normal
status and can attend football practices.  Derrick thinks you could be ready
to play if we get into the playoffs so don't screw up."

Everyone noticed the improvement in Robbie's attitude and behavior after
seeing Dr. Mathis.  Their friend was back to being himself, pulling pranks
and having fun with his cadet buddies.

There was a big celebration after the football team won their last regular
football game of the season by a score of 35 to 14.  Robbie was allowed to
play during part of the 4th quarter, and was thrilled that he was back to
active status on the team.  The Eagles won all 10 games and were League
Champions.  They were the defending State Champions, and were favored to
repeat in the State Finals at the Silverdome in Pontiac.

Guy Stephens was in his office when Vincent Brown knocked and asked to come
in.  Guy liked his boss, and wondered why Vince was being so formal instead
of just walking in.

"I just got another phone call about you," Vince said to Guy.  "Texas Tech
wants to interview you for a head coaching position.  You've made quite a
name for yourself around the country and I really don't want to lose you,
but I won't stop you from interviewing if you need to move on."

"Vince, you've always been a close friend to me," Guy began.  "I know I
could make more money if I took a college coaching job, but I'm not ready to
leave the Academy and my home here in Michigan.  Whenever I go to one of the
other schools in this state, I see the students and how they behave.
College coaches have drugs and alcohol problems with their players, not to
mention trying to keep their players out of jail.  Sue and I are happy where
we live, and we're trying to get custody of my son Eric.  I won't turn down
a raise if you offer me one, but I don't want to interview for any college
job."

"That's what I was hoping to hear," Vince said.  "You've done a great job in
recruiting coaches like Terry Pahls to improve all of our athletic teams,
and the Board of Directors wants you to stay.  We can't offer you 2 or 3
million dollars like the major colleges, but you and your staff will be
getting nice bonuses next month along with some sizeable salary increases."

"Thanks, Vince," Guy said to his boss.  "If you get any more calls, just
tell them that I'm not interested in leaving here and won't waste my time or
theirs."

Robbie was excited when the football team buses arrived in Gaylord for the
Regional Playoff game against the Rogers City Cardinals.  The football field
was in terrible condition and a snowstorm had turned the field to mud.  He
knew that his aunt and uncle would be at the game, and he hoped that the
Eagles would win and move to the next level of competition.

WTCM, Channel 12 from Traverse City, was broadcasting the game on local
television, and two seasoned commentators were giving the pre-game
information about the two talented teams.  Bernie Thomas was the lead
commentator, and he began the broadcast by saying, "We welcome our
television audience to the Regional Playoffs pitting the Cardinals of Rogers
City High School against the Eagles of the George Washington Academy.  The
Eagles are the defending State Champions and are favored to win this game
and repeat as State Champions, but they'll have to play this game under
nasty conditions."

"The playing field is worn out after being used by two different high
schools, and the recent snowfall has turned the field to mud," Bernie Thomas
stated.  "Andrew Anderson is the top quarterback in the state and might have
to rely on his running instead of passing with the snow still falling.
David Benson's a power runner who's headed for Notre Dame next fall to play
football for the Fighting Irish, and we expect this to be a low scoring game
where Benson carries the football and hopes for a repeat State Championship
for the Eagles."

"This is it!" Guy Stephens said to his players in the locker room.  "I know
you guys can win the game tonight if you follow the game plans and execute!
The field's a mess, but that will affect the Cardinals just like it does us,
so we'll have to concentrate on our running game to control the ball and
keep their offense on the sidelines.  Win or lose, I remind you that we
represent the finest prep school in the nation!  "LET'S GO KICK ASS!"  He
led his team out of the locker room and out on the playing field to the
sounds of the Academy Band playing their Fight Song and their cheering fans.

The football game was everything that the audience could ask for in
excitement.  When the first half of the game ended, the score was tied 14 to
14.  The two teams headed for the locker rooms and the commentators broke
for a commercial before giving the first half statistics.

"Andrew Anderson had a great first half, but the Eagles defense is having
trouble stopping the running attack of Marvin Jacobs who scored two
touchdowns," George Martin said.  "Anderson connected with Justin Chambers
for the first score of the game, and the talented David Benson pushed two
tacklers into the end zone for the other score.
The Eagles linemen are lighter and are having trouble getting traction to
stop the running attack of the Cardinals.  The snow is coming down heavier
now, and the field conditions are getting worse by the minute.  I don't
expect either team to be able to pass the ball effectively in the second
half, so hang on for a battle of the ground games of these two fine teams."

During a time out in the middle of the 4th Quarter, the two announcers
summarized the game highlights after the Cardinals scored another touchdown.

"The Cardinals now lead by a score of 28 to 21," Bernie Thomas announced.
"It's difficult for us to broadcast this game effectively, mainly because
all of the uniforms of the players are covered in mud.  We apologize for the
confusion in identifying the players, but we have to rely on the numbers on
their helmets, and we can barely see the field with the heavy snowfall.  The
Eagles will have to come from behind to pull this game out, or they'll be
home in December watching the State Championship game."

Justin Chambers and David Benson were both injured, and the Academy coaches
had to rely on other players to win the game in the final minutes of the 4th
quarter.

"Andrew Anderson is orchestrating a comeback with his passing and running
abilities," Bernie Thomas announced.  "Robert Mathews has been moved from
defensive back to wide receiver due to the ankle sprain of Justin Chambers,
and Mathews caught two important passes to keep the Eagles drive alive."

"We couldn't ask for a more exciting climax to this playoff game that what
we have right now!" George Martin announced.  "The Eagles have used their
last time out to stop the clock with six seconds left in the game, and they
have a first down on the Cardinals' ten yard line.  Guy Stephens is talking
to his offense, and it all comes down to this one play!  The Eagles need a
touchdown and an extra point to send this game into overtime, or a two point
conversion to win the game!"

"Anderson is in the shotgun formation and takes the snap!" Bernie Thomas
announced.  "He's got a receiver open in the end zone!  The game clock
expires, and this is the last play of the game!"

"He throws a bullet to his receiver!" George Martin announced.  "THE PASS IS
DROPPED!  OH MY GOD!"

"ROBERT MATHEWS WAS WIDE OPEN IN THE END ZONE, BUT HE COULDN'T BRING THE
PASS IN!  THE CARDINALS WIN BY A SCORE OF 28 TO 21!" Bernie Thomas added.

"I feel sorry for Robert Mathews right now!" George Martin said.  "He's just
a freshman, and just dropped the pass that could have won the game for the
Eagles.  There will be no repeat for the Eagles football team, with them
losing this mud battle to the Rogers City Cardinals with a final score of 28
to 21!  Congratulations to the Rogers City Cardinals for this important
victory!"

"OH GOD, NO!" David Mathews exclaimed when he saw Robbie drop the important
pass.  "I know he's devastated!"

Robbie couldn't believe that he didn't catch the pass from Drew.  He hung
his head in shame and tried to fight back the tears.  He was afraid to face
his teammates after losing the game for them by dropping the pass, and
prayed for a way to leave the stadium to die.

"Get up Little Brother!" Drew said when he ran up to Robbie.

"I can't go to the locker room!" Robbie sobbed.  "The guys will all hate me!
  I fucked up!"

"CAN THAT SHIT!" Drew yelled to Robbie while hugging him.  "You're a cadet,
and you're gonna get a lesson in how we handle defeat!  You played a great
game and scored a touchdown earlier in the game, so don't you even think
that anyone will be mad at you for dropping that pass!  The fucking ball was
wet and covered in mud!"

"I had my hands wrong!" Robbie admitted.  "I should have caught it!"

"Come on!" Drew said while pulling Robbie towards the other players on the
field.  "Our teammates will show you how cadets handle losing a game!"

"Tough luck!"

"Nice try!"

"Good Game!"

Robbie was shocked by the way his teammates talked to him after dropping the
pass.  He expected the players to bitch at him and blame him for the loss,
but Drew was right.  His teammates didn't hate him or blame him for the
loss, and seemed genuine in their positive comments.

When the players got into the locker room, Guy Stephens addressed his
players.  "There's only one reason that we lost the game tonight!" Guy
Stephens said.

Robbie expected the coach to blame him for dropping the pass, but he was
dead wrong.

"We lost the game because we let the Cardinals score 28 points!" Guy
Stephens yelled.  "We played 10 other games this season, and we never let
the opponent score more than 14 points in a single game!  I haven't heard
one of you blame Mathews for dropping that pass, and I'm proud of you for
acting like CADETS!  We win as a TEAM, and we lose as a TEAM!  If there's
any blame for this loss, IT'S MINE!  The field was terrible and we needed
different shoes to get traction in the slop!  This was the last game for
some of you, and I'm sorry that we had to end your high school football
careers with a loss, but I'm still proud of you for what you accomplished
this season.  There are 10 other teams in our conference that'd give
anything to have won our League Championship, so let's celebrate a great
season instead of dwelling on a loss!  Hit the showers and let's head back
to the campus!"

When Robbie was showering next to Drew, he was still bothered from dropping
the pass.  He had hoped to be on a State Championship team, but had lost
that chance for himself and his teammates.

Drew could tell that Robbie was still brewing about dropping the pass.  He
knew he had to do something to help his Little Brother out of his funky
mood.

"When we beat the Chargers, our entire team was on top of the world," Drew
began.  "Now we understand what real life is like.  Richard Nixon was the
President of the United States, the most prestigious job in the world, and
then lost everything.  He said that he never realized how big the Grand
Canyon was until he walked down to the floor and looked back up.  You might
think that you just lost everything, and are sitting on the floor of the
Grand Canyon, but you're wrong!  We stumbled tonight, but we didn't fall to
the bottom.  We're still up high, and together we'll climb up and enjoy life
together."

"Thanks Drew," Robbie said.  "I still feel that I'm a failure, but I'll try
to work harder next year in practice."

While the players were stripping off their muddy uniforms and showering, Guy
Stephens and Derrick Harmon left the locker room to talk to the reporters
and parents waiting outside.  They had locked the door to talk to their
players after the loss, and didn't want the reporters bothering their boys.

"Is Robbie okay?" David Mathews asked his two friends and coaches after the
formal interviews with the reporters.  He was concerned about the November
problems with his boy and the added impact of the dropped pass.

"Sometimes we learn more from our failures than our successes," Derrick said
to David.  "This loss proves that we're not invincible, and should help our
teams focus on the basics in the future. Robbie's upset, but the team hasn't
blamed him for losing the game tonight. It's sad for the seniors, but
they'll face worse losses than a high school football game during their
adult lives."

The future would prove that Derrick Harmon's comments would come true for
many of the cadets.



Comments are appreciated to Jacob_latson@hotmail.com