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himself for all those hours spent working out in the gym, working his body until the overworked muscles beneath felt like solid steel.  Roy could hear the Wildcats’ coach screaming at the defense and the crowds above cheering with wild abandon.  Roy gritted his teeth and pushed his body forward, the echo of Coach Harmon’s motto reverberating through his mind.  He stumbled across the end zone and a roar erupted from the Panthers’ side of the stadium.  The referee yelled, “Touchdown!”
    Jake and the rest of the team shouted with unbound joy, rushing toward their hero still crouched in the endzone.  The Lakeview cheerleaders bounced happily about the field shouted in unison with the ecstatic spectators.  Carly happened to glance in Coach Harmon’s direction and noticed his content expression.  Carly wasn’t surprised at his aloof stance.  She knew that the only time Harmon would show any real satisfaction would be when the Panthers won the state championship, just like they had done last year and the year before that.  If they won against the Cleveland Harris High School Highlanders next week, they would definitely be guaranteed a spot in the state playoffs.  That was Harmon’s ultimate goal.  Jake ran up to Carly and lifted her up, then set her back down and gave her a big hug.  His powerful body was pressed hard against hers, and she could feel his sweat permeating her clothes.  She took a deep breath and took in the smell of his sweaty, masculine odor that strangely pleased her senses.  He kissed her forehead before releasing his hold on her, then jogged toward the locker rooms where a hoard of screaming spectators stood on the sidelines shouting.  Before Roy and Jake could escape inside the locker room, however, Chasity Morgan stopped them for an interview.  Chasity was a reporter for the Clanton Chronicle, and she rarely missed out on an opportunity to interview a high school football player.  She was always able to catch the star players for an exclusive interview before they were able to slip away.  She also always appeared at the games in some sort of revealing outfit that purposely lent notice to her long, shapely legs.  Roy’s eyes moved down to the rim of her short mini skirt, and he smiled to himself.   He noticed Jake’s furtive glances as well and wondered how they would make it through this interview without staring at Chasity’s legs.  Chasity eagerly pressed the boys for their thoughts on tonight’s game.  After the star players had answered her more generic questions, Chasity changed her line of questioning toward a topic that seemed of strong interest to a lot of people.  With unbridled zeal, she piped, “So, tell me how it feels to know that scouts from several of the nation’s top schools were seated in those bleachers watching tonight’s game?"
    Chasity thrust the microphone into their faces and eagerly awaited an answer. 
                  “Feels pretty damn good,” Roy replied, chuckling smugly.  “In fact, I’ve got a meeting with one of them tomorrow.  Let me tell you, I’ve been wined and dined.  But that’s what happens when you’re that damn good.”
    Chasity glanced at Jake, her green eyes sparkling with anticipation as she awaited his answer.
                  “It’s cool, I guess,” he said.  He was a bit distracted by the commotion emanating from the locker room. 
                  “Well,” Chasity grinned, her voice purposefully soft and seductive, ”you boys sure are the town’s celebrities these days.  As if you didn’t already know that.  You’ve got a lot of people looking at you.”   
    She gave a flirtatious toss of her long hair and deliberately grazed her fingers over her exposed upper thigh.  The move didn’t escape the boys.  Jake could have sworn Chasity was intentionally trying to entice them.  And it was working.  Until they were interrupted.