One year, I had a fair basketball
team, and Ramey, the other junior high in Fayetteville, had a great
one. They wound up losing in the finals of the state tournament that
year. They had already beaten us twice that year, and I tried to
figure out how we could possibly win the third match up with them.
I started four small guys and a
very large, very strong guy. The best physical specimen I had ever
seen in junior high. He played inside, and I just kept telling my
guys to feed the big guy. Just keep feeding the big guy. He made all
his free throws that night, 15 out of 15, and we edged them out. Some
of the other coaches around town got mad at me for winning that way,
but I figured winning was winning, any way you can, within the rules
of the game. I really think some just did not care much for the fact
that it put a blot on the record of the best junior high team
Fayetteville had in a long time.
One of my players started at guard
for me at 5' 10". His sophomore year, he started growing so
fast, the doctor had to put a cast on his back. His senior year, he
played guard at 6' 9". Later he started at guard for Kansas
State at 6' 10". I've never heard of that, before or since.
In what turned out to be my last
coaching year, I had a good team. I had a tall boy, for junior high,
6' 5”. A very good point guard. We were playing the last game of
the regular season, and we were currently 15-0.
It was a close game, against
Ramsey Junior High of Ft. Smith. We were down one, seconds to go, and
my fast little point guard got his hands on the ball, dribbled
through the entire defense, and made a layup. At some point along the
way, the final buzzer went off. The crowd was screaming so, even the
officials had not a clue if the ball left his hand before the buzzer.
The officials walked over to the
score keeper. He was a teacher at Ramsey, and we were playing on
their court. Us coaches gathered round. The moment of truth, and my
dream of a perfect season lay in the hands of a teacher from Ramsey.
The official asked the score
keeper, “Had the ball left his hand before the buzzer?” I looked
at the face of the score keeper, and I knew. His face told me before
he ever said a word. I could tell he was dreading saying what he had
to say.“The ball was on the rim when the horn sounded.” I jumped
and screamed. We were all so excited, I never got a chance to thank
that score keeper for being so honest, and I don't even know his
name. I wish I did. A good man. I keep a list of good men in my head,
“Pat's Good Men Club.” Normally, my requirements are: (1) Must be
over 50. (2) I must have known him for a long time. (3) He must have
always, to my knowledge, done the right thing. Now, this scorekeeper
does not meet all those requirements, but I still reserve a little
blank space, in my club, (Right in the middle of the big blank space in my head) for him. As you might guess, that list is
pretty short. And private. Only I know the members.
In the district tournament, we
easily won the first game. The second was different. I won't make any
excuses here. We just lost.
We were scheduled in the State
Tournament at Hot Springs. We would leave the next day. The night
before we were to leave, Barbara pulled a big surprise on everyone.
One nobody expected.
She went into labor. The baby was
not due for weeks yet. Yet here she was. In Labor.
I went to see my assistant coach,
after I got her placed in the hospital. Told him it was up to him to
take the team. The baby should be born in plenty of time for me to
drive down.
Well, Barbara had different ideas.
When she goes into labor, she stays there awhile. It lasted 24 hours.
The AD had a plane standing by, to fly me down once the baby was
born. Kinley was finally born too late for me to drive down, and the
airport was fogged in. No small planes out that morning. We lost, and
I never coached another game. But I was there when that sweet baby
was born, and that's worth a lot more than all the trophies in the
world.
I have absolutely never had any
regrets. Ballgames fade in one's memory, but that beautiful daughter
was a lifelong thing.
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