“All right, let’s go zone, they are beating us man to man.” I made eye contact with Jacob. He nodded his head in agreement.
“Connor, I want you under the basket. Remember to set your feet. Maybe we can draw the foul.” He took another drink. “There’s only three minutes left. Let’s give it all.” I made eye contact with each of them, and they nodded.
The buzzer sounded, causing Danny to flinch and drop a water bottle. “It’s all right, Champ.” I tossed him a towel and turned my focus to the team.
Mustang number 12 drove in for the layup, and Connor set his feet and got the foul.
“Yes!” I punched my fist. “Come on, Connor.” I whispered under my breath.
Nothing but net.
“Atta boy, one more.”
He missed, but Jackson got the rebound and put it in for two.
“Nice!” I gestured for the team. “Get back. Go zone.”
We were still down by three, and with two minutes left, the other team might try to stall. They passed the ball back and forth above the three point line. Minute thirty left. Jacob rushed at the pass, misjudging the position. The other team’s guard cut to the basket. The ref started counting off the seconds in the key. The Mustangs kicked it out to the side. Twenty-four shot a three. It bounced off the rim.
“Come on,” I muttered. “Get the rebound.”
We missed it. Mustangs went up for a shot at the top of the key and they made it.
We grabbed the ball and ran out of bounds to throw it in. Under a minute left. The team rushed down the court, calling that they were open and trying to set up the Danny play. The team was working hard to get open, setting up screens and cutting to the basket.
“Okay, now kick it out,” I muttered, willing them a perfect play.
Connor ran through the key, Jackson setting up the screen. Jacob kicked it out to him as soon as he hit the three-point line. Under twenty seconds. He took his shot. The crowd held their breath as the ball flew through the air and erupted into cheers when it sank through the net.
We were down by two.
The Mustangs had the ball with ten seconds left. The Eagles started running back.
“Man to man!” Jacob called, and everyone scrambled to find their man. He was right to switch, otherwise, the other team might have stalled. The point guard pressed hard to the basket, then kicked it out.
Five seconds left.
They passed to their post player. He dribbled, leaned hard trying to draw the foul and went up. He made it. Connor did good. Kept his feet, and raised his hands high. The buzzer sounded.
The team worked hard, but in the end we lost by four.
They met in a circle after the buzzer.
“Hey that’s all right! You can’t win them all.” I shrugged. “I’m very proud of all of you. You guys keep up the hard work, and we might see these guys again at State.” I smiled.
“Yeah, we will totally get them next time,” Jacob confirmed. “All right, Eagles on three. One…two…three.”
“Eagles.”
We went through the line and congratulated the other players and the coach. Back at the bench, I called out. “All right, boys, practice tomorrow. I know it’s been a long night, but it’s time to get back to work.”
They wiped off the sweat, grabbed their warm-ups, and headed to the locker rooms.
I went over to help Danny with the water bottles. He was setting them in the wire carriers. I knew better than to fillin the spaces; instead, I handed the water bottles to Danny one at a time so he could put them away according to his system.
“Coach.” I felt the tap on my shoulder as the female voice reached my ear.
I looked up to see the cheer team coach, Brandy, and her pointy high heels.
