The Secret Play by Ralph Henry Barbour

"The Secret Play" by Ralph Henry Barbour is a sports novel written in the early 20th century. It revolves around a high school football team from Clearfield battling their way through the challenges of the season, as they face the loss of their coach and the pressure to perform. The main character, Dick Lovering, who has a physical disability but a deep passion for the game, ultimately takes on the role of coach despite his inexperience, showcasing themes of determination, leadership, and camaraderie. The opening of the story introduces the setting in Clearfield, where we meet Dick Lovering, a 17-year-old who has just received a car as a gift for his efforts managing the local baseball team. He is depicted as a thoughtful and determined young man who, along with his friend Fudge Shaw, is concerned about the football team's lack of a coach after their previous one departs under unfortunate circumstances. The narrative quickly sets up the tension around finding a new coach and introduces several characters who are key to the football team, including Lanny White, the new captain, and a cast of hopeful athletes. Dick's journey is framed by the buildup toward his unexpected acceptance of the coaching position, despite reservations about his ability to lead a team. This establishes a foundation for exploring how he manages the challenges of coaching a high school team while navigating his physical limitations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Download for free

For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.

Other formats & older devices

About this eBook

Author Barbour, Ralph Henry, 1870-1944
Illustrator Rockwell, Norman, 1894-1978
Title The Secret Play
Series Title The Purple Pennant Series
Credits Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net
Reading Level Reading ease score: 81.9 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Language English
LoC Class PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres
Subject Football -- Juvenile fiction
Subject Football stories
Category Text
eBook-No. 65237
Release Date
Last Update Oct 18, 2024
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 454 downloads in the last 30 days.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!