The night started with working concessions.
Brian and I were scheduled to work the concession stand during the Girls’ Varsity game. Typically this would mean a small crowd, with more people trickling in before the boys’ game.
It was not the case for this particular night. ‘Youth Night’ had arrived, which meant every Eaton Rapids basketball team from 3rd grade to 8th grade was being recognized and celebrated.
The gym was packed.
Concession Craziness
If you are a sports parent and haven’t worked concessions lately, you should. Concession stands can bring in a great deal of much-needed funds for the different sports organizations. Also, they just need people to be there so they can be open and have food and drinks available for the spectators. It’s a good thing to do.
Brian and I were with five other adults, scooping popcorn, cooking hotdogs, and dishing out pizza.
I may be going against popular opinion on this one, but I really enjoy it. It reminds me of my waitressing days (minus the tips filling my apron pockets).
**Side note: Brian thinks if I miss waitressing so much, I should do it on the weekends as a side gig. (Insert eye roll here.)
I mainly stayed at the popcorn machine, while Brian was a runner for the person working at the window.
The time seemed to fly by, and it wasn’t long before the girls’ game was ending and the Varsity Boys were getting ready to start.
Our good deed was done, our obligation full-filled, and it was time to head to the gym and enjoy some basketball!
Intense First Half
Right from tip-off, the game was moving. There were a lot of fast breaks, with baskets being made at each end.
The overwhelming amount of home spectators helped give Eaton Rapids an edge from the get-go. The crowd was cheering each ER basket and opposing team turnover as if it was the deciding factor in a State Championship.
Our Student Section was also filled to a point where kids were spilling over into aisles. With a losing season last year behind us, and some successful games already this year, it was nice to see the students out supporting each other and having fun.
My son didn’t play the first half, but that was to be expected. He had played the full game on JV the night before, and being a Sophomore with a high intensity game on hand, I figured mainly the upperclassman would be playing.
The first half ended with Eaton Rapids leading the way with a score of 27-18.
Everything was clicking.
Quick 4th Grade Scrimmage for a Half Time Show
Typically our basketball court is empty at half-time, with the exception of a few kids shooting some baskets. Since the evening was ‘Youth Night,’ the school had something different planned.
Two ER 4th grade boy basketball teams took 5 minutes or so to scrimmage each other, complete with announcer and Freshmen refs.
It wasn’t surprising that a couple of the boys were younger brothers to some of the Varsity players.
While it was only a few minutes during a halftime, it is probably one of those nights the kids will remember for a long time.
They played in front of a happy, boisterous crowd who was cheering them on the entire time they were out there.
It wasn’t long and they returned to their seats after the Varsity teams came out of their locker rooms. The older boys finished halftime with a short warm-up, and then we were ready for the second half.
Unforgettable Ending
Both teams took the floor ready to go in the second half. It was back and forth baskets for awhile, but somewhere around the end of the 3rd quarter, the other team started to close the gap.
Keegan went into the game, and played some good defense. He was able to get 5 or 6 minutes of playing time before all of the starters were back onto the court.
The intensity of the game had increased dramatically. The bleachers were still packed with people. Usually on nights such as this, parents and kids would leave after the halftime ‘Youth Night’ celebration concluded.
Not this night. Not one person had left the building. Spectators stayed to cheer on the home team. They were not going anywhere.
Eaton Rapids was up by five points at the beginning of the 4th quarter, but they were losing the momentum.
In times like this, a group of people with the same interests can come together to support a shared goal.
I don’t usually talk to others during a sporting event. As a matter of fact, I wrote a blog post about hating to sit next to people that distract me from the game. On this particular night, however, I found myself bonding with a fellow ER supporter.
“That was a foul,” I muttered as Braylon was pushed on his way to the basket.
“Damn straight it was,” agreed an older gentleman sitting next to me. (We were bonding over our mutual disagreement with the refs. It was nice.)
The score was now tied up with 33 seconds left in the game. The other team had the ball and they were stalling for the final shot.
“We need to play good defense here,” I said to no one in particular. “Let’s go Hounds!”
“This doesn’t look good,” replied the old man. “We need to get that ball back.”
After a lot of passing the ball around, and some good defense on our part, player #5 on the other team threw up a 3-point shot with 2 seconds left.
The ball teetered around, circling the rim a couple of times, before ultimately falling into the basket and giving the other team the win with a buzzer-beater shot to end all shots.
The game was over.
High Emotions & a Long Ride Home
When that last shot fell into the hoop, the buzzer sounded and the entirety of the ER crowd became silent.
In contrast, the visiting side erupted into cheers as the bench from the opposing team cleared and ran onto the floor to celebrate with their teammates.
A few of the other players headed towards our student section, pointing up to the scoreboard. They were herded back to their coach by our principal to prevent any physical disputes between opposing sides.
The pandemonium eventually quieted down, and the kids walked through their lines for shaking hands and saying, ‘good game’ to the other players even though their hearts were not in it.
I quietly gathered up my purse and roster sheet, then headed down the bleachers and out to the truck to wait for Keegan and the others.
It wasn’t long and we were all in the vehicle and heading to McDonald’s to grab a couple of burgers and some fries. (No judging on the fast food thing. We had left home that morning at 6:45 A.M. and it was now approaching 9:30 P.M. and we hadn’t been home all day. I wasn’t whipping up any home-cooked meal at this point.)
The ride home was quiet, beyond a few grumblings about missed calls by the refs or references to plays gone wrong, stupid turnovers, etc…
It’s harder to lose a close game, than it is to lose by 20.
While the loss was depressing, it doesn’t take away from the fact that both teams played great basketball, and a community came out in full-force to support their players.
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Life is good.
Goals for Today:
- Sort Through the Coat Closet
- Go For a Walk (Does it Count if it’s a Walk Through the Casino?)
- Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
** Sometimes I place items on my ‘Goals for Today’ list that I have already completed just so I can feel better about myself.