BEFORE THE FIRST practice after Monday’s Miles City game, Coach Goodheart had the boys kneeling down in the gym under the basket in a circle; he stood in the middle. He was silent for what seemed like a long time to Johnny. The coach looked each boy in the eye before he spoke.

“Boys, I know the Miles City players and some of their fans yelled some racists and insulting things at the game last week. I do not doubt there will be some more on Friday. But, I don’t think it will be as bad because we are home this week, so we’ll have a lot of our fans cheering for you.

“But, even if they do call you redskin or Geronimo, you have to ignore it and just play basketball.” He looked directly at Johnny. “If we lose our temper, we will lose the game. Okay?”

The boys mumbled; some even said yes but without any enthusiasm. Johnny was quiet.

“Johnny, I need you to agree to just play basketball.”

“Coach,” he said, “I’ve been thinking about this all weekend and I promise to behave myself on the court. I want to beat Miles City fair and square. If there is trouble, I won’t be the cause of it.”

“Thanks, Johnny. So, Chiefs, are we in agreement? No fighting!”

This time the team shouted their approval.

“Great! Let’s have a strong week of practice and I think we can beat Miles City this time.” He tossed the basketball to Johnny. “Get a bunny line going, Johnny.”

The week flew by, filled with school work and very intense basketball practice. At the end of each practice, Johnny felt tired but happy with the progress the team made.

The weather turned even colder on Friday but the snow held off, and at three o’clock, the bright yellow Miles City school bus pulled into the St. Andrew parking lot. A dozen late model cars followed the bus and soon filled the small lot. The Miles City players, all wearing their Mustangs school jackets, climbed down the bus steps and silently walked into the school and down the basement to the locker rooms.

Inside the gym quickly filled with St. Andrew fans, including Johnny’s parents. His mom waved at him and he smiled back. Three tribal drummers pounded loudly and chanted. The Miles City fans sat in their small section, which was located behind the team’s bench. The Chiefs fans, yelling and clapping in time with the drums, far outnumbered them.

Both teams warmed up: passing, shooting, and rebounding. Cheerleaders led each school in cheers and working up enthusiasm for their team. Finally, the time clock ran down to zero and the buzzer sounded. The two refs blew their whistles and the teams huddled for final instructions from their coaches.

Goodheart held a chalk board in his hands but didn’t use it. “Remember, keep your cool this time, work the ball around for a good shot, and then go for the rebound.” He put his hand in the middle of the team and they covered it with their hands.

“Go Chiefs!” they shouted and broke the huddle. The five starters walked onto the court for the center jump. Johnny took his position next to the Miles City player he had punched. The boy’s face was swollen and purple.

Without thinking, Johnny reached out to shake the other boy’s hand. Cautiously, the Miles City player took it and they shook. “Sorry about punching you,” Johnny said loud enough to be heard over the crowd. “It won’t happen again.”

The Miles City boy smiled slightly. “Me, too. I shouldn’t have called you those ugly names.”

“Thanks,” Johnny replied.

The ref waited until everyone settled and then tossed the basketball high in the air. Michael Taos jumped, but the taller Miles City boy easily flipped it to one of his guards. Pushing the ball quickly up the court, with a snap pass under the basket, Miles City made an easy layup to start the game.

The Chiefs brought the ball up the court and Johnny shouted, “Number two!” He passed the ball into their center, Michael Taos, who dribbled twice and bounce passed to Johnny, cutting toward the basket, a step ahead of his defender. He jumped as he neared the basket and laid the ball softly on the backboard. It fell into the basket, when Johnny was fouled from behind. Knocked to the floor, he stood up, the anger flowing into him.

“Foul,” the ref called, after blowing his whistle. He pointed at the boy who had hit Johnny. “I don’t want to see anymore hard fouls like that. Understood?” The Miles City player sheepishly nodded agreement.

Johnny stepped up the foul line and took a deep breath. It was going to be a cleaner game. Not so rough as the last time, he thought. He relaxed, dribbled twice and sank the free throw.

The first half was a seesaw battle with both teams playing hard. The Miles City Mustangs had more bench players, and their coach kept putting in fresh players to try and wear down the St. Andrew team. With two minutes to go, Coach Goodheart called a time. “Everybody okay?” he asked. The starters were breathing heavy and drinking water.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Richard Amos said. “It’s been a tough game and a lot of work just to get a rebound. This is a good timeout, though.”

“I want you to slow down and play for the last shot. Just keep passing the ball around until there are about 10 seconds left. Johnny, you try to get the last shot.” Goodheart put his hand in the middle and the players joined him.

“Go, Chiefs!” they shouted and broke the huddle.

Miles City led 18-16.

Johnny tossed the ball inbounds, immediately got it back, and dribbled to his left while the Miles City guard trying to steal the ball. He passed, got the ball back, dribbled, and passed until ten seconds remained. He drove toward the basket, stopped quickly, shaking off his defender, and sank a ten-foot jump shot as the buzzer sounded. Tie game.

The St. Andrew fans stood and cheered as both teams ran toward the locker rooms. “Way to go, Johnny!” his father shouted to him.

The boys ran down the stairs to the basement and into the locker room; they laughed and patted each other on the back until Coach Goodheart walked in. He clapped his hands and smiled. “Great half of basketball. You played hard and clean but need to play even harder in the second half. I want you to bring the ball up nice and slow for the first five minutes. I hope that lures them into a slower pace of play. I’ll call time out and then I want to run our fast break offense and maybe make some easy baskets.”

He pointed at the other guard, Bobbie Whitehorse. “Bobbie, when we start to run, get the ball in Johnny’s hands quickly. He’s our best dribbler, but everyone run up court and he’ll spot someone open.”

“Let’s go!” he shouted and the team ran through the locker room door and up the stairs to the gym.

The referee blew his whistle and tossed the ball above the two players for the center jump to start the second half. The taller Mustang player tapped the ball to his guard, who was already running toward his basket. He had two steps on Johnny and easily banked the ball into the basket.

Johnny grabbed the basketball and passed it inbounds to Bobbie Whitehorse, who bounced it back to him. He started racing up court when he saw Coach Goodheart signaling with his hands to slow down the pace.

The Chiefs set up their slowdown offense, passing the ball back and forth in the backcourt. Johnny played point guard, tossing to each corner player as Miles City grew frustrated with the pace. When they double-teamed Michael Amos, he flipped the ball to a wide open Johnny, who sank a fifteen-foot jump shot.

Quickly inbounding the basketball, the Mustangs raced up court, but the Chiefs clamped down defensively on each player. Double-teaming and aggressively attacking whoever got the ball, they forced Miles City to pass backward until they risked a pass inside. Michael Taos intercepted the ball and passed it to Johnny. Once again, the Chiefs slowly brought the basketball up court and repeatedly passed to each other. A minute ticked off the game clock when Miles City double-teamed Johnny. He jumped over their heads and fired the ball to Richard Amos, who was left alone. Richard banked in an easy layup for two points.

As the game wore on, frustration grew for the Mustangs, but they still only trailed by two points. Playing aggressive defense, they had accumulated seven fouls trying to steal the ball. Their center angrily yelled at his point guard to get the ball to him. The guard tried to lob a pass into him, but Michael Taos intercepted the pass. He waited for the players to clear and handed the ball to Johnny, who slowly dribbled toward the Chiefs’ basket. Johnny couldn’t help but smile.

With four minutes left on the game clock, Coach Goodheart called a timeout. The players gathered in a circle around him to listen.

“Okay boys, it’s time to kick into our fast break offense. When we rebound the ball or after a basket, inbound to Johnny and everyone race to the other end.

“Johnny, you know what to do. Just like practice.”

The referee blew the whistle, and both teams broke out of their huddles. The Miles City boys walked slowly to their positions, not paying much attention to the Chiefs. The ref handed the ball to Bobbie Whitehorse, who inbounded it to Johnny. He dribbled once and then threw the ball down court past the Miles City defense to Michael Amos, who made an uncontested basket.

Part of the faster pace consisted of full court defensive pressure. The Chiefs seemed to be everywhere, and the Miles City guard panicked and threw it into Bobbie Whitehorse’s hands. He dribbled twice and made another easy layup basket. Before the Miles City coach could call time out, Johnny grabbed the next inbound pass and dropped another fifteen-foot jump shot. They were suddenly winning by six points with around two minutes left to play.

After the Miles City time-out, they placed their tallest player at the foul line, where he easily caught the high inbound pass and handed the ball to his point guard, who then dribbled into the Chiefs’ half despite Johnny’s best effort to steal the ball. There were two quick passes with one to the center, who dropped in a hook shot over the shorter Michael Taos.

Johnny took the inbounds pass and was met just over the half court line by a pair of Mustangs. He managed to flip a pass to Thomas Brown Bear, who missed an easy shot.

Miles City pushed the ball up court quickly, trying to catch the Chiefs before they could set up their defense. Johnny went for a steal but missed, leaving his man alone. The Miles City point guard drove toward the basket and banked the ball into the net. The Mustangs were within two points with less than one minute to play.

Johnny looked to the coach, checking for a time-out, but Goodheart just waved him on. The Chiefs set up their four corner offense, trying to eat as much clock as they could. With thirty-five seconds left, the Mustang guard fouled Bobbie Whitehorse. He stepped to the foul line.

Johnny patted him on the behind. “C’mon Bobbie, you can do this. Relax and take a deep breath.”

The St. Andrew fans were cheering wildly when Bobbie stepped up to the foul line. He bounced the basketball twice and smoothly shot the ball. It hit the front rim and fell to the floor. Bobbie backed away from the foul line, made the sign of the cross on his chest, and took the ball from the ref. He took a deep breath, bounced the ball twice, and smoothly sent the ball toward the basket. This time the ball landed gently on the rim, rolled all the way around it, and it fell off into the hands of the Mustangs.

“It’s okay, Bobbie!” Johnny shouted, clapping his hands. “Get back on defense.” They ran toward the Miles City end and set up a tight man-to-man defense as the clock ticked down to ten seconds. A Mustang player forced a shot, which missed, but the Miles City center grabbed the rebound and put it back in to tie the game.

Bobbie grabbed the ball and tossed it to Johnny. Dribbling the length of the basketball court, he drove down the middle, and with two seconds left, he tried to bank the ball in. A Miles City player hit him hard on the right arm and shoulder, and he fell to the floor as the ball fell with him.

This time a foul was called.

Richard Amos helped Johnny to his feet. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

The referee stood at the foul line with the ball. “Can you shoot the free throws, son?” he asked.

“I’m good,” Johnny answered, taking the ball. He looked at the game clock, which showed just two seconds left. The crowd grew quiet. Only his teammates were shouting encouragement. Dribbling the ball three times, Johnny slowly released it, and it swished through the net.

The St. Andrew crowd jumped to their feet, screaming and cheering, clapping their hands. The tribal drummers pounded on their drums; the noise in the gym grew ever louder as Johnny stepped to the line for his second foul shot. Once again the ball swished cleanly through the net.

Miles City grabbed the ball and tossed it to half court. The Mustang player grabbed the pass and threw a wild shot at the basket. The basketball fell way short, ending the game.

The Chief players mobbed each other, falling in a pile on the floor. Their fans poured onto the court, joyfully waving and shouting.

On the other end, the Miles City Mustangs stood silently; they shook their heads, and a couple of them had tears in their eyes. Their coach tried to console them but couldn’t be heard over the noise.

Finally, Coach Goodheart was able to reach the players and pulled them out of the crowd. “Line up, boys.”

The Miles City team formed their own line, and the two teams passed each other, shaking hands and congratulating each other on a great game. Johnny’s nemesis from the first game shook his hand, and Johnny gave him a hug. They smiled at each other.

Walking toward the locker room, the St. Andrew fans had formed a human tunnel and cheered the players as they passed. Johnny smiled and thought, What a game, what a game. Man, I love basketball!