Pete’s high school rec team, the Bearcats, took a crazy trip through the playoff tournament and emerged as champs, after winning TWO games Saturday to wrap up the title.
Strange to say, but we didn’t play very well in the playoffs. We were better in the regular season. But we were unbelievably clutch at the end of games.
Game 1: Down 3 points with 4 seconds to go in regulation time, Pete hits a three and we get to overtime. We win in OT.
Game 2: Down 8 points with less than 3 minutes to play, Pete hits three straight ‘threes’ to put us ahead. We win in regulation. Amazingly, this was our “easy” win.
Game 3: Pete and I in NJ for Betty’s funeral. Lose by 10.
Game 4: Play the same team that almost beat us in Game 2. Down 7 with 2 minutes to play, Joey Casselberry pulls us back within three points in last minute. 2 seconds left in regulation, Pete throws in ANOTHER three. Tie game. OT. This time, we’re down by 2 on last possession. Shane Burke, who’s been having a tough game, drops in a 23-footer for the win.
Game 5: In title round, we play the team that beat us in Game 3. Beat them by 5 in first game, so now we both have one loss in a double-elimination tournament. This time we played great defense, made the shots we needed to, and won by about 12.
That’s pretty much it for Pete’s WRA career. Next year he’ll likely be on varsity and can’t play in the rec league. So he “retires” with two titles and a second-place finish. Joe Custer, who has run the league for years, says he’s the only kid to ever do that and has earned a place in the WRA hall of fame, and maybe even among the WRA all-time greats.
And he got a T-shirt.
Anyway, I served as coach and it was a fun, wild ride. Now I’d like to rest—till July.
kevdonahue 