EUGENE, Ore. — Surrounded by teammates and rivals, the game was on the line for Charles Nelson. He had to make quick decisions, but could not afford a misstep. He and his teammates knew the gameplan, and this was no time for an audible. The opposition, staring him in the face, was after the same thing: a win.
This was not on the Autzen Stadium turf at the University of Oregon, where Nelson is a rising sophomore and budding star on the football team.
This was five years ago in Mrs. Bigham's culinary arts class back at Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Fla.