Quarter-Back Bates follows Dick Bates, a gifted, self-possessed high school football player whose move from Leonardville to Parkinson School is both a personal milestone and a sporting challenge. Sent off with noisy affection by classmates, teammates, and family, Dick travels east with football on his mind, reading the sports pages and dreaming of making the team. His arrival at Parkinson is anything but ordinary: a bizarre encounter with the theatrical Washington P. Quiggle, followed by a taxi scam, leaves him irritated and wary as he settles into Sohmer Hall and begins to absorb the rules of his new world. At Parkinson, Dick discovers that talent alone will not guarantee success. He faces practical hurdles, from the school's physical exam requirements to the cool judgment of trainer Billy Goode, and must prove himself against experienced players who may not even notice his reputation. Yet he finds a steady ally in his roommate Gard, whose easy friendship helps ground him in campus life. As the season builds, Coach Driscoll prepares the team for a hard-fought contest against Phillipsburg, stressing speed, passing, and teamwork. With the crowd waiting and the game underway, Dick steps into the pressure, humor, and rivalries of school football, determined to earn respect on and off the field. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.