CHAPTER 11
The Clovers ran across the gym floor toward the visitor locker rooms. There wasn’t time for a proper warm up. The entire team quickly threw their uniforms on and ran back out onto the court.
The referee waited at center court with a basketball in hand as Jeff arrived for the jump. As the Clovers’ starting lineup got into position, the visitor section of the crowd erupted in applause. “Let’s go, Chesterfield!” someone yelled.
“Cutting it pretty close, aren’t we boys?” the referee asked.
“Just lucky to be here,” Jeff replied. He nodded to Brandon, who smiled in response.
The referee blew his whistle and tossed the ball up in the air. And just like that, the Chesterfield Clovers’ first play-off game in decades was underway.
* * *
There was no getting around it. The Clovers spent the first quarter of the game getting dominated by the Hornets. No matter what they did, they seemed to come up short.
This isn’t what we came here to do, Brandon thought as he watched the Hornets tear through their lackluster defense for another easy two points. It was beyond frustrating to watch.
It’s not enough that we made it to the game, Brandon thought. We still need to play like we deserve to be here!
He watched as Jeff made a great rebound and drove it down the court through Hornets’ defense. But as he neared the basket, Jeff turned and the referee blew his whistle loudly. Double-dribbling. Brandon groaned. That never happened to Jeff!
Before they knew what was happening, the Clovers were trailing by almost twenty points.
Coach Hanson called a time-out, and the starting lineup for the Clovers came in to gather at the bench. “Guys! What is going on out there?” the coach asked. “We are literally getting crushed by these guys, and the game has barely started!”
Tony shrugged. “I’m wiped out,” he said.
“Okay, take a seat, Tony. Rest up for a few minutes,” Coach Hanson said. “Charlie, you’re in.”
“I don’t know what’s happening,” Stephen said. “But these guys seem way better than I remember them being the last time we played them.”
“They’re playing better because they know it’s go time, boys,” Coach said. “They know if they lose tonight, they’re out. You guys need to remember the same. We got here, but now we need to play!”
The referee whistled, signaling the end of the time-out. The Clovers put their hands in and shouted, “Break!” before heading onto the court. Brandon couldn’t help but notice how slowly his teammates were moving. If the Clovers didn’t step it up, their time in the play-offs was over.
As soon as the ball was in play, the Hornets hijacked a pass from Kevin to Drew. They slipped through the Clovers’ defense, passing it back and forth easily. Their star center popped a beautiful shot up from the free-throw line and sank it.
“C’mon guys!” Brandon shouted desperately as Drew passed the ball in from under the basket. “This isn’t how we play ball!”
Charlie caught the ball and bounced it to Brandon. Faking to the left and then spinning around his guard, Brandon dribbled around him and popped a shot up. It hit the backboard, rolled around the side of the hoop, and dropped back into the hands of a Hornets’ player.
Great, Brandon thought. Some inspiration I am. He watched helplessly as the Hornets turned the rebound into another two easy points.
The Spring Hill crowd roared with excitement.
“We’re getting killed,” Jeff said as they ran back across the court. “It feels like we’re still lost in those woods.”
Brandon nodded. They were completely falling apart, and looking at the score, it seemed like they were just as lost in the game. Something needed to change — fast.
Brandon watched the Hornets’ defense closely as the Clovers moved into scoring position. The opposing players talked to one another, pointing to where they thought the ball was headed. Every player looked totally focused on what was happening on the court.
Looking over at his own teammates, Brandon realized what a difference there was. The Clovers looked worn out, worried, and totally unfocused. Charlie, who had just come in for Tony, already looked ready for the bench again. Drew looked preoccupied with a cut on his leg, and Kevin looked like he was moving around the court in slow motion. Meanwhile, the Hornets’ player covering him clung like Velcro. From the looks of it, the Clovers were done.
By halftime, the score was 43-17. Brandon followed his teammates into the locker room, feeling almost as defeated as they looked. Everyone acted like the game was already over.
Coach Hanson followed the players in and stood for a moment in silence. “So this is it, huh?” he asked. He pulled off his baseball cap. “We came all this way, made it to our first play-off game in who knows how long, and we’re just done. Is that what I’m seeing?”
Most of the players stared at the ground. No one said anything in reply. Brandon wanted to speak up, but bit his tongue.
“I don’t know what else to tell you guys,” Coach said. “But I’ll say what you already know. We’re losing this game. It’s half over, but the way you guys are playing, it was over before the first jump.”
The locker room was silent. All the players seemed too worn down or afraid to utter a word.
“You guys aren’t playing basketball,” Coach continued. “You’re watching the Hornets play. And if something doesn’t change, you’ll be watching the Hornets win this game and advance to the next round of the play-offs.”
Coach paused again and looked around the locker room. Most of the players stared down at their feet, not meeting his eyes.
“I’ll see you out there,” Coach said. “And hopefully you guys will play some basketball when you get back on the court.”
With that, Coach Hanson tugged his hat back onto his head and left the locker room.