Payback Time by Carl Deuker

I really wanted to like this book--and parts of it are likeable--but overall I felt cheated at the end. Which is kind of ironic considering that the two main characters think they are on the trail of a suspected cheater through the majority of the story.
Daniel "Mitch" True is talented writer and a fat kid who expects to be named editor of his high school newspaper. Surprise! The supposedly airhead blonde gets the job instead. She immediately names Mitch as the paper's sports writer. This turns out to be a smart move on her part, and Mitch realizes he'll be partnered with a smart, cute girl photographer for much of the sports season, which is an unexpected bonus.
Head football coach McNulty is on a mission to have a championship season so he can catch the attention of college athletics programs and climb his way out of coaching high school football. He wants all articles and stories about the team to focus on the star quarterback, Horst, who is his ticket out of Lincoln High. But there's a new player named Angel on the team that seems to have much more talent than the wunderkind Horst. So why doesn't the coach use this new guy more? He's bigger, stronger, and has the skills, so why is he warming the bench? He looks oddly older than the other Lincoln players, too. Could there by a story behind Angel? Mitch starts his investigation into Angel's mysterious past. What dark secret will he discover?
If you're into play-by-play action on the football field, then this book is for you. I on the other hand got bogged down in all the minute details and just skimmed over most of the game descriptions. I was distracted by the constant feuding by the volleyball team, which was never really resolved, and I thought the ending was too contrived to be satisfying. Since it was written for a middle/high school audience, I'll just say that I hope it finds its intended readers. I wasn't overly impressed. A copy is available at SMS Library. It has a YA sticker for mild language use and a couple of references to drugs and gang violence. This book is on the 2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List.