THE HEARTBEAT OF HALFTIME

Wunderli (Blue Between the Clouds, 1992) turns on the afterburners in this wild tale of a mediocre junior high football team whose players propel themselves into the championship, fueled by anger, grief, and desire. With only two wins—and those were flukes—in the last couple of years, Wing, Sparky, Taco Bell, and the rest of the Olympus Titans have built a solid losing tradition, but the addition of a new coach and a crazed middle linebacker (dubbed ``Spray Can'' for his lisp) changes the chemistry drastically. Everyone suddenly discovers something to prove—particularly Wing, the narrator, who is watching with fury his once robust father die of cancer. A string of exciting victories ensues, capped by a glorious championship game and an equally glorious food fight. With its belching contests and other vulgar behavior, broadly drawn characters, and a hilarious, disgusting pregame ritual, this is not a story for delicate sensibilities, but Wing's relationship with his father is thoughtfully handled, as is the way he comes to terms with his rage and grief. It's predictable, TV-movie fodder, but unusually vivid, thanks to some strong emotions and plenty of action. (Fiction. 11-13)