All of a sudden, his offense belonged to McCloud and a 5-3½, 150-pound junior tailback, Jerome Smith. It didn’t look promising, and Roosevelt [High School] trailed 23-0 by halftime. Benson had gone to a no-huddle offense, and because Swain had only 15 legitimate varsity players, his team was quickly gassed. The players couldn’t keep up. In the press box, Lomax had been shouting, “We’re not lined up right! What are we thinking?!” And it got worse. In the second half, the players quit trying. The holes were gaping. Benson would score, and Roosevelt’s players would refuse to get into three-point stances for the extra point. The final score was 59-0, and all Swain could say afterward by way of encouragement was, “I love you unconditionally, and it doesn’t matter if you win or lose.” He wondered what he’d gotten himself into. And as he was walking toward the bus, he couldn’t help noticing a tiny toddler scurrying up to Smith, his new 16-year-old starting tailback.

“Daddy!” the little girl said. “Good game, Daddy.”