Spirit’s Seasons, Serie A – Basketball, Episode III
FOLLOWING THE GAME Pledge of allegiance and handshakes everywhere, Larry controlled the point. Sylix received the batted ball and hit Tyee with a pass like a frozen rope as he moved down the sideline. The Tulameen boy jumped to a stop at the 3-point line and threw a perfect arc attempt that fell off the back of the net. whistle! Four of the next five times on the court, Tyee repeated the successful shot on goal, and so on, 15-2. Called coyote hour. The Sasquatch had started the game with a 2-3 zone defense. Coach Chilcotin reasoned that the solid zone could help his boys avoid foul problems. But he realized that another approach was necessary. He assigned Hondo the task of protecting Tyee from man to man, as closely as possible, and ordered him to prevent Tulameen from even touching the ball. The rest of the team members were instructed to play a 1-2-1 diamond or zone defense.
For the remainder of the half, both boys fouled when officers called Hondo for holding Tyee, and Tyee was caught shoving Hondo several times. The other members of both teams began to score and, with points evenly distributed at halftime, Sinkiuse’s team led 38-25 as the boys headed to their locker rooms. Tyee, Larry, Hondo and Phillip committed three fouls each. Both coaches gave the same speech, We can’t commit more fouls, play smartly, don’t fouls, be fast but slow down the game and use the clock and, above all, don’t get caught failing!
For much of the second half, both teams slowed down the game. Both teams tried to spend as much time as possible before attempting a shot. But in the fourth quarter, most of the players had two or three fouls and some children had four fouls. With four minutes to go before the final bell rang and trailing 55-40, Hondo received the whistle for his fifth foul and the Sasquatch played four on five. But something strange and discernible began to happen. It was almost miraculous as if the Sasquatch was playing a newfound mission, the role of a loser, possibly an extra rush of adrenaline. All three of Smohalla’s guards were moving like a blur, stealing the ball, driving the length of the court and outscoring the Bobcats. Levi, Caleb, and Cole were playing well above their previous abilities. But the Spirit was insightful. Instinctively he knew what was happening. So, as a show of sportsmanship that would certainly calm the Sasquatch, he pulled Chase-In-Winter off the court and had him sit next to Peoples. But the head referee blew his whistle, approached Spirit and declared, “You can’t throw a player off the court.”
“I’ve never heard that before, I think it’s just good sportsmanship.”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s the rules. If you take him off the court, the two guys on the bench will not be eligible to enter the game, it’s in the book. You can make him stand in the middle of the court if you want, but he has to stay on the court. “
Spirit ordered Chase, Jr. to stand on the court in the middle of the line in a respectful parade rest position, and play continued. Just as Spirit had guessed, at four on four, the game continued at a more natural pace. With one minute remaining in the contest, Pierre committed a foul. Spirit gestured to Larry Lillooet and the intuitive center knew what to do. At the end of the game, three against three and with two Bobcats immobile in the middle of the court, the final bell rang, 63-56.
