Nothin' But Net

Blake Creekmore just cost his middle-school basketball team its shot at the district championship—and he’s not even on the team. Blake would much rather be at a Boy Scout meeting than a basketball game and convinces his best friend Dustin, the school’s star athlete, to join him in an afternoon on the lake, where tragedy strikes. Dustin is injured and lost for the season, and Blake bears the blame of the team, the coach, and his classmates. Battling his guilt, Blake seeks refuge in the activity he knows best—bass fishing and enjoying the outdoors. With the support of his father, a local bait shop owner, and a most unlikely character, Blake learns the importance of friendship and what it takes to be a member of a team. And, in the process, he unwittingly teaches his classmates a few lessons about life and the environment as well.

Kris Rutherford has been involved in youth sports as a player, coach, volunteer, and professional for over 35 years. He had dreams of being a big league baseball player until opposing pitchers repeatedly sent him back to the dugout after three consecutive strikes. Kris has over 25 years of experience in natural resources planning with Arkansas State Parks, The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. In his spare time, Kris writes youth sports fiction, as well as non-fiction sports history. He and his family make their home in Maumelle, Arkansas, but spend a great deal of time at their vacation home in rural Northeast Texas.