We did fine in the first game of the State playoff with 32 teams in
sixteen games because our strategy still worked. They had a
roast-'em-toast-'em-coast-to-coast-'em ball hog as well and we had no
trouble trapping him and stealing the ball for easy points. We went
into the eight team round with a lot of confidence in our system
because we had not yet lost a game but then we hit a major snag.
This team passed the ball and we were confused about who we should
trap and steal the ball from. My fellow guard and I would run up for
the trap and zoop the ball was gone from his hands to another
player on his team so we had to run over to him and zoop gone
again like some kind of magic. They would throw the ball to each
other until there was someone who was not defended well could take
the shot. What was this new devilry? Can they do that? Is passing
even legal? This was a new wrinkle that had to be ironed out fast or
we were going home for the season. We were running ragged trying to
catch up with these guys so our coach switched us up moving me to
center which was a strange move because I was the second shortest kid
on the team at 5'8”. I did have a quick and high jump though and
was a tireless defender. The two tall guys (tall for our team at 5'
11”ish) got moved to forwards and the guards were on full press on
a short substitution schedule to hopefully just outrun the other
team. It started to work and we pulled back even and in the last few
minutes they were gassed and we were able to pull ahead just in the
close of regulation and win by one when the kid from the other team
missed an open layup as time expired. After the game the referee came
up to me and told me he had never seen someone play harder than I had
and that I was the only reason our team won. It was the first time in
my life that anyone had ever complemented me for an athletic
performance. I had almost always been picked last and got cut from
the real basketball team so when I got some praise in recognition of
my hard work and determination I almost started crying and took a few
minutes to go thoroughly look for something or other that I suddenly
remembered in the stands while I tried to reign in my emotions. We
were onto the final four and that meant we got to play our last two
games in the Delta center where the real Jazz played. We were even
going to get to meet a jazz player. We were hoping for John Stockton
or Karl Malone but we got some deep bench dude that I cannot even
remember clearly. I remember the stadium being huge and cold and dim
because they didn't turn on the full game lights. For some reason I
don't remember much about our semi final game . We were out paced,
out shot, out manned and out-talled, We got so far behind so fast
that there was no chance of a come back. We lost by something like 20
points and I was actually relived to not play again for the final I
was just to anxious about loosing and really loosing for the first
time in the season was actually cathartic and I went home fine with
the fact that we were tied for the third best team of non school team
eighth and ninth graders in the state.
