THE last and important game was on Saturday. The Arrows met the Seals again on the same court. And what a crowd! The place was jammed!
“Guess who I saw sitting in the stands?” Ron said to Kim.
“Who?” asked Kim.
“Mrs. Kelsey!”
Kim stared. “Mrs. Kelsey?” He turned to look, but among all the hundreds of faces he couldn’t spot hers. “I didn’t think she cared for basketball,” he said curiously.
The game got off to a fast start. The Seals drew first blood, but the Arrows came right back and scored two baskets one after the other. They were hot. By the end of the first quarter they had run their score up to 13, six ahead of the Seals.
The second quarter was a little different. The Arrows still kept the lead, but the half ended with the scoreboard showing ARROWS—23, SEALS—19.
The third quarter started with Jerry Jordan in place of Jimmie Burdette, and Dutchie McBride in place of Kim.
Before the quarter ended, the coach put Kim and Jimmie in. The game was getting closer every second. Both teams were playing tight ball, throwing passes carefully, taking shots only when they were near their basket.
By the middle of the fourth quarter the score was tied, 37 to 37.
Time was called. Coach Stickles walked out onto the court and talked with his boys.
“Don’t be nervous,” he said. “Just play the best you can. You’re doing fine. I’m proud of every one of you.”
He paused. “When there are only two minutes left to play, try some long shots. But still use two hands. And remember—win or lose—you boys, are still my team. Good luck!”
He turned and walked off the court.
The boys looked at each other.
“There’s one great guy,” Jimmie said.
“I hate to let him down,” said Kim.
“If you practiced more with us, instead of with that choir,” broke in Ron Tikula, “maybe we wouldn’t have it so tough.”
“Cut it out,” snapped Jimmie. “This is no time to talk like that.”
Ron slapped Kim lightly on the leg. He laughed. “Oh, heck, I’m only kidding.”
The time-in whistle blew.
The Seals took out the ball. They passed it upcourt.
Ron leaped in and tried to take the ball away from a Seal guard. He was a little rough. He pushed the guard. The referee blew his whistle.
Foul!
The Seal was allowed one shot. He took his time—made it.
The Seals went ahead, 38 to 37.
The Seals’ rooters cheered.
Kim looked at the clock. One and a half minutes to go!
All at once a song rose from the Arrows’ rooters’ side of the gym—a song from the throats of ten to fifteen boys and girls, led by a woman whose high soprano voice Kim recognized immediately.
We came to see the Arrows win!
Arrows win! Arrows win!
We came to see the Arrows win,
And carry home the tro-phy!
Hip-hip! Hooray!
Hip-hip! Hooray!
Hip-hip! Hooray!
Kim looked up at the sea of sparkling faces. A flock of white hands rose and waved at him.
Kim’s face brightened. Imagine Mrs. Kelsey and the choir doing that for the Arrows! Who would have thought—
Kim turned his attention back to the game.
Jordan took the ball out for the Arrows. He bounced it to Ron. Ron passed to Kim. Kim wanted to pass, but all his teammates were well guarded.
He dribbled down-court. All at once he was trapped. Seals surrounded him.
Then he saw a figure in blue running clear of the others. It was Allan. Kim leaped, snapped the ball. Allan caught it.
In an instant the Seals swarmed around Allan. Kim knew there were only seconds left to go in the game. Breathlessly he raced down the side line.
Allan held the ball high, pivoting on one foot, while he looked for a free man to throw the ball to.
Like a bolt of lightning, Kim swooped in front of his man. Allan whipped the ball to him.
Kim caught it, dribbled toward the basket. But he couldn’t shoot. Two Seals got in front of him, jumping around him so fast they seemed to be all arms and legs.
There wasn’t much time. Only seconds—
Kim whirled, then leaped off the floor. At the same time he turned his shoulder so that he faced the basket.
He spotted Allan beyond the basket, waving his right arm. Kim shot the ball to him. Allan caught it, leaped for the basket, and with one hand tried a layup.
The ball banked against the backboard, and arched down through the net!
Scarcely had the ball dropped into a Seal player’s hands, when the whistle blew, announcing the end of the game!
The Arrows had won the Small Fry Basketball Championship, 39 to 38!
The Arrows’ fans screamed lustily. Kim saw Mrs. Kelsey and the choir and the whole Arrows’ rooting section standing on their feet and waving their arms with joy. He saw his mother and father too, and Aunt Carol, Uncle Jim, and Barbara Mae. They were standing and cheering their hearts out.
Kim choked. Boy! he thought. Oh, boy!
Coach Stickles shook Kim’s hand in the dressing room.
“I won’t say that without you the Arrows cannot win a game, Kim,” he said, “but this I’m sure of: We would not have won the game tonight without the choir. They sure gave us the help we needed.”
Kim could only smile.
After both teams showered and dressed, they were invited for supper at the Markson Hotel. The commissioner of the league gave a speech, and said that next week a banquet would be held in honor of the champion Arrows. At that time the trophy would be given to them, and to each Arrow player an award pin.
“And you runners-up, the Seals, are invited too,” the commissioner added, smiling. “You boys played a wonderful game. Until the very last second nobody really knew who was going to win. So, for each one of you, an award pin also.”
That made the Seals feel pretty good. They just smiled at each other. But the Arrows, to show their appreciation, clapped and cheered for them.
Ron was sitting on Kim’s left. After the commissioner sat down, Ron leaned toward Kim and said, “You know who should be given a pin too?”
Kim frowned. “Who?”
“That choir you’re in. If they hadn’t been there, maybe we wouldn’t have won!”
For a moment Kim thought Ron was poking fun at him and the choir again.
But the longer he looked at Ron, the more certain he was that Ron meant every word he said. Kim could tell by Ron’s eyes, and the serious smile on Ron’s lips.
That night, when Kim got off the bus near his house, Ron shouted out, “Good night, Kimmy, pal! See you tomorrow!”
Kim knew then that Ron would not make fun of him any more.
As he headed for the front porch, where a light was burning for him, a tune popped into Kim’s mind. And then suddenly he began singing:
We came to see the Arrows win!
Arrows win! Arrows win!
We came to see the Arrows win,
And carry home the tro-phy!