After I finished, I wrote out my game plan: who would guard whom during our man-to-man, what plays we were going to run when they switched their defense. From the video, I was able to ascertain a pattern with their coach, which I could easily work to our advantage.
Voices began filtering in. The boys walked past my office, saying hi as they made their way to the locker room. Within minutes of their arrival, I heard the gym door open, and music began playing.
Jerome came in and dumped his bag on the couch. “Malik’s out there and is in a good mood.”
“That’s refreshing.” I leaned back in my chair and tapped my pen against my desk, once again noticing the blotter. I hadn’t bothered changing the page and didn’t think I would.
“I take it everything went okay with his dad?”
I nodded and gave him a half shrug. “Malik said they talked after I left.” I sat up and stood. “It’s not an ideal situation for anyone, that’s for sure. I just don’t want to see him throwing his life away.”
“Right.”
Jerome and I made our way out to the court, mostly to watch the boys shoot around. I’d always told them that anytime they wanted to use the gym, all they had to do was ask one of us, and we’d come open it for them. I’d rather spend my free time here with them. Anything to keep them out of trouble.
“Coach, wanna shoot?” Malik asked.
“No, thanks. Coach Levy does, though.” I gave Jerome a little shove onto the court. Secretly, he loved playing with the kids but was always afraid to show them up. He’d played in college but had never given a professional career a thought.
Game day staff started to arrive. The smell of popcorn and hot dogs wafted through the corridor and into the gym each time the doors opened. Fans began filling the stands, and the school-appropriate music played to entertain the spectators. In the corner, the cheerleaders practiced their routine, and Gordon took it upon himself to sweep the court.
While the boys went to change, I sat on the bench with Jerome and watched the other team filter in. Our athletic director showed them where to go, even though their coach had been here more than a dozen times.
“Who’s the tall kid?” I asked Jerome. The boy had to be at least six five.
“Not sure. I’ve never seen him before.”
“Shit,” I muttered as I walked toward the admissions table to grab a roster. Sure enough, it listed a new kid. “How’d we miss this?”
Jerome took the flyer from my hand and shook his head. “I watched them on Monday. He wasn’t on the roster or the bench.”
The state had a rule where players had to have completed ten practices before they could play. Being that Jerome was there at the beginning of the week to scout, and the player wasn’t on the bench, one could assume he didn’t have his ten practices in. There was no way to tell or even know.
“I hate being unprepared.”
“Maybe he’ll stay on the bench,” Jerome surmised.
He didn’t, and by halftime, we were down fifteen.
We gave the boys a minute to get to the locker room. I checked the stats in the home book, and then we were on our way. When I entered the team room, all heads were down. It was clear they weren’t in the right mindset.
“Guys, we have seven minutes to talk it out. What do we need to do to turn this around?”
“Execute our plays,” Malik said. “Hit the slashers before the defense can adjust.”
“We’re not helping on defense. Our posts need help because they’re just lobbing it into that big kid,” another added.
“We need paint touches. If the shot isn’t there, we’re open on the outside,” Cutter said.
“Hard, crisp passes, and they need to be fast,” Jayden added. “We need to move their defense.”
I made eye contact with each of my players, nodding as they spoke to what they were witnessing on the court and how they were playing.
“The only thing I want to add to what everyone’s saying is to play hard, play with confidence, and play the game you know how to play. If you play your game, you’ll be victorious. But you can’t hang your heads because we’re down by fifteen.”
We gathered in a huddle and then broke off. Jerome and I followed the boys upstairs and mentally prepared for the second half of the game.
When I came through the door and into the gym, my eyes sought out Antonia. I’d done a damn good job of ignoring her, but now they were homed in on her.
