Page from the Playbook

“Page from the Playbook” is episode #876 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Kathy Buchanan, was originally released in the Adventures in Odyssey Club on July 23, 2019, and originally aired on October 19, 2019.

Summary

As the Odyssey High School Football team heads toward the state championship, wide receiver Buck Oliver and quarterback Cooper Calhoun have to deal with unexpected challenges from Jay Smouse – who’s trying to sell team memorabilia – and their new assistant coach… Eugene Meltsner.

Plot

As Buck and Cooper Calhoun walk across the football field, Jay comes with a box full of some of the players' things, such as Bucks' sock, Coopers' sandwich, and Coaches' whistle. He claims that people "Are willing to pay for these 'legends' stuff" Cooper and Buck tell him to give it back. But as they do the football coach walks up and tells Cooper and Buck to hustle to get to the practice. Before practice, they were short a coach, and Coach Calhoun introduces their new coach...Eugene Meltsner!!! During practice, Coach Calhoun asks Eugene to show the team their next play, he does, rambling off some geeky mumbo-jumbo, he then translates as "Spiral-thrown Football" He talks about why it is that way, and he explained that originally, that they played with a pig bladder. He rambles some stuff off, and Calhoun tells him to explain the actual play. He does so, using his trusty whiteboard. Eugene asks Buck to hand out diagrams and protractors.

In the locker room, after Drew Reagles offers to help Buck with his algebra, Cooper walks in, telling Buck he volunteered him to write an article for the yearbook.

After practice, when Buck walks into the Meltsner home, Eugene is there. Buck tries to gently explain that football "isn't an academic sport" Eugene begs to differ as he explains that football is very academic. Buck interrupts him saying that he appreciates it... but he may be challenging to understand. Just as he says that the doorbell rings and Coach Calhoun is at the door, dropping off Eugene's' playbook, also telling Eugene that he was an excellent addition to the team. Eugene offers to help with Buck's algebra then but Buck says that Drew already offered..and that well... he's easier to understand.

When Buck and Drew study together they talk about Drew's family life. Drew says that he is living with his mom, his dad left.

After practice the next day the Coach declares that if they played as they did at practice they'll win the state championships the following Saturday.

The next day, Drew tells Buck that he's moving back with his dad. Buck is disappointed that he's losing his newly-acquired friend.

Buck later meets Cooper, who brought the yearbooks for the article. As Buck and Cooper look through them, they see a picture of Drew! He played for another school. Buck has a moment of quick realization, ad he checks to see if Eugene's playbook is there. It's not. "Drew took it!" yelled Buck. Cooper tells him to calm down and not to jump to conclusions, but Buck declares he's a spy, Cooper finally admits that he might be right, and Buck hatches a plot to get even with Drew and his team.

During Drews' school game halftime, when Jay is distracting the crowd, Buck steals the playbook back and steals the other team's playbook too. In the parking lot, however, they are caught. Eugene and Coach Calhoun reveal that they knew all along that Drew was a traitor because Eugene had done research into it.

During the state championship game, two of the best players for the opposing team sit out the game for cheating. And two of the best players for Odyssey sit out too... Buck and Cooper.

Discussion Questions

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Cast

Relative Importance / Chronological

Role	Actor
Buck Oliver	Robby Bruce
Cooper Calhoun	Preston Butler III
Drew Reagles	Antony Del Rio
Jay Smouse	Whit Hertford
Joseph Calhoun	Phil Morris
Eugene Meltsner	Will Ryan

Relative Importance / Chronological

Role	Actor
Buck Oliver	Robby Bruce
Jay Smouse	Whit Hertford
Cooper Calhoun	Preston Butler III
Eugene Meltsner	Will Ryan
Joseph Calhoun	Phil Morris
Drew Reagles	Antony Del Rio

Notes

This episode introduces Cooper Calhoun. His dad, Joseph Calhoun, was first heard in In a Sun-Scorched Land, Parts 1-2.
Eugene mentions a football player named Buchanan, a reference to writer/director Kathy Buchanan's son.

Quotes

Eugene Meltsner: While it's true that there will be people in your life who don't deserve your trust, if you keep everyone at a distance you'll never trust anyone. And there are people who do deserve your trust.

Buck Oliver: Drew might have just been blowing smoke but he said I was lucky to have a dad who wanted to be involved in my life. And regardless of whether he meant it or not, he is right about that.