CHAPTER 166

I made it through the crowd at the stadium and found my seat. Green shirts surrounded me, but a few rows back red covered a larger section. I was glad I didn’t recognize anyone. Van made coming here easier, but I knew the gossip spread about me was nothing good. The excitement today was at a higher level than the previous matches. Television crews were here. Van mentioned ESPN was televising the match on one of their many stations. For U.S. Rugby League, this was the main event.

I jumped up and down at the first kick when Van caught the ball and started the attack down field. After their fifth tackle, The Slam ended up with a one-point drop goal. Seattle’s team, The Tide, came back with a try and successful conversion totaling six points.

No one in the stadium stayed in their seats for long. The intensity of the match was brutal. Van didn’t get up for several minutes after a particularly nasty hit, but Joel finally helped him gain his feet and they resumed play. At the half, The Slam