Why must Cayla answer Nate’s question with one of her own? Is she covering for Les? Is Nate supposed to not know that Les is out flogging his book? Could it be that last time Nate inquired of Cayla about Les’ whereabouts, she caught hell from the Grounded One for spilling the beans?
The She-Goats take practice in the dimly lit gym. Keisha, who of course must be double-covered, passes the ball to her bestie. Smilin’ Summer goes to the net a-a-a-a-n-n-n-nd…cut to the gobsmacked expressions on the faces of everyone in the room. Coach Bushka spits out his whistle. Summer, who less than two years ago was moaning that her game *@#s, has dunked the ball! And she’s only a sophomore junior white girl! Coach: how about splitting up your two superstars when you scrimmage? Better yet: just play Summer and Keisha against the other teams. With their mad skills, the two of them alone could easily make Our Lady of the Cedars look like the Washington Generals.
Oh thank God we are out of that pizza parlor. Would that we could get away from The Grounded One as well. His star trip on hold for the moment, Les has time for a koffee klatch with his dysfunctionally-married co-workers Linda and Bull Bushka. Les’ casual greeting to Bull is met with a disjointed string of coachspeak non-sequiturs; it’s like those creepy Bing “search overload” commercials. Having tasted the spotlight after the Scapegoats ended their 20-year football losing streak vs. Big Walnut Tech, Bull wants to be ready for the media swarm that’s sure to accompany the defending state champs of girls’ basketball. He really should just concentrate on sitting at the table without spilling coffee all over himself.
This game is historic for another reason: judging from the lighting/coloring of today’s strip, this is the first high school football game played on the ocean floor. This is the most action-packed strip in awhile! Let’s break it down:
(A tip of the SoSF coonskin cap to Mr. David Orth for a stellar week of guest bloggin’! I’m back, rested and rarin’ to go! -TFH)
Are the halls of Westview High haunted by Mark Twain’s ghost? Nah, that would be too entertaining. ‘Tis merely Jim Kablichnik, the Science Guy of Westview High. Jim really, really loves his job. Shudder at his cold, soulless gaze in the first panel…“horrific” indeed.
TB’s bio states that he was a junior high teacher before becoming successful as a cartoonist. Yet he depicts the Westview faculty members as despising their jobs, and the students as clueless, unteachable delinquents. It’s a good thing for his students that he chose another line of work.
Son of Stuck Funky 
