After this overtime win over Livonia, everyone in town starts believing the VAs can win it all this year around. That VA can be a Cinderella team.
The following day, at school, boyfriends of VA basketball players come to him, and talk about the game.
“So the end of the fourth quarter is some of the most spectacular basketball I have seen in my life!” Tyler comments on the game.
“While playoffs get the best game out of everyone, I am a little concerned about the team. We won by close margins, while Wossman had to use a running clock in the last two quarters!” Cora’s boyfriend points out.
More specifically, Wossman got to a 35-point lead late in the third quarter. What makes Tyler think that VA can win against Wossman? Cora’s boyfriend ruminates, while Pablo comments on what he thinks is necessary.
“At the very least, Audrey has three days to get better at three-pointers; I feel like, if she can become as good as Huiling in that area, or as close to that as possible in three days, we might have a chance. Wossman thinks we need to get close to the hoop to score!” Pablo pitches in.
“Huiling? Who the hell is Huiling?” Finn raises an eyebrow upon hearing Huiling. “Carrie never told me about her!”
“She doesn’t play for the VAs, but she’s the best at three-pointers I heard about! Here’s the clip of the three-pointer she scored against us as a buzzer beater!” Pablo shows the other three the clip of the three-pointer in question.
Which, like the clip Ethan showed him from last night, shows a three-pointer from almost across the court. With one second to go, Huiling released the ball and the Pearl River home crowd went crazy after the buzzer rang.
“I heard you talk about three-pointers! It seems like we rely too much on closing in on to the hoop! Or, at the very least, I do. However, I didn’t realize it until after the game ended!” Audrey points out.
“If anything, Carrie is the one who can improve her three-pointers most. I’m not saying that she can get as good as... Huiling at three-pointers in just three days, but if she improves on that, she will become less predictable! Aija seemed to focus a lot on Carrie last night!” Finn tells Audrey, while about to lose his temper.
“But yes, VA can go all the way!” Pablo then tells Audrey about how he feels about the basketball team.
“One last thing: from here on out, we’ll play on the road. Whether you will be able to make the trip to Monroe will depend on the bus the parish will use” Audrey warns her love interest.
I wonder whether my parents will want to finish work early, I will ask them after the basketball practice, Audrey muses while she has a better idea of what kind of plays she wants the team to practice before the big game against Wossman.
So, while, generally, the town is in good spirits, teachers even tweaked tests to take advantage of the basketball frenzy, which they know won’t last. Much like in Pablo’s English class, where it seems like the test contains some items related to basketball and its history. Only a handful, sure, with one question or two each, but still…
I wonder if the teacher made last-minute changes to the test; it definitely feels a little rushed, and it doesn’t take a Nadine to see that tacking on test items like this makes it feel worse than quiz bowl packets! Already that quiz bowl packets jump from pillar to post! Pablo seems to feel like the test items are a little off compared to past tests from that course. That, even though the format of the items tend to mimic items on the ACT, either in English or in reading.
And, of course, one of the reading passages relate to the material covered prior to the state tournament. But that’s only the first part of the test: the second part of the test is an essay question about the overemphasis of sports in high school. They have 40 minutes to write what essay they can.
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Why does the teacher have us question whether sports take up too much room in school life now? Why do so in the middle of a time where our sports teams actually accomplish something, especially where our opponents tend to cut corners to girls’ sports first when money is short? Pablo ruminates when he tries to formulate a coherent response to the prompt about overemphasis on sports in high school. However, I don’t think the time is right to talk about that with Audrey; I might hurt her feelings!
Predictably, a lot of students tended to talk about how sports can often be the focal point of a community’s life. With a twist in VA-land that quiz bowl or mathletics can generate local fervor, too. At the end of the test…
“For those among you who play sports, athletic glory doesn’t last forever! Actually, extracurricular glory in general!” the English teacher warns the students. “We might be riding a high now, until at least Thursday night, so enjoy it while it lasts!”
“For once that the academic teams don’t get all the glory! During all these years, it seemed to be about mathletics, debate or quiz bowl! Especially quiz bowl lately!” Pablo explains himself.
“We on band faithfully provide some of our own to perform at every athletic contest played here, but we play second fiddle to the athletes!” a second-string violinist retorts. “Arts get a weekend under the spotlight every semester, but we don’t pursue arts competitively!”
And those not familiar with the realities of playing on band don’t realize that even second-string, or section, musicians have it rough, too, the second-string violinist ruminates before leaving the classroom.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, after the basketball practice, where they practiced plays they didn’t do much earlier in the season, Carrie receives a notification about Algebra II while in the locker room. Her body shakes a little bit, especially since she got help to study for it from within the team.
“The moment of truth: our grades for the latest Algebra II test!” Carrie checks her grade book for the result.
All players taking Algebra II open their grade books on their cell phones. While Audrey, unsurprisingly, got a perfect grade, the other players taking the course, well...
“Woohoo! My first A in a math test for the year!” Carrie jumps for joy, almost as if she is doing a lay-up, not realizing that she cheated.
“Eighty-two percent for me!” Heather announces to the other two. “However, I took the test on Friday”
“Heather, do you know who to ask for help? The season will end, sooner or later, and we’ll go back to being ordinary students once the season ends!” Audrey warns her teammates about the rest of the year.
“I was more focused on studying for the ACT!” Heather retorts.
“Can you just stay strong for one more day? Please?” Charlotte pleads with the three, about to cry.
The three players freeze in place, and then they know there’s one big game left to play at a minimum. However, Audrey’s right. Even if we won against Wossman and the next game after that... the season will end next week at the latest, Charlotte thinks.
“Looks like Wossman sold out the game and we aren’t going to get anyone in!” Kent announces to the team. “This means we’ll ask for a minibus from the parish to get from and to the game in Monroe”
“Oh crap...” Audrey sighs, realizing that she can’t bring Pablo over to the game.
Which leads her to text Pablo, not realizing that he’s studying for the HSNCT. “Sorry but I can’t take you to the game in Monroe; Wossman sold out the game!” And also gives him the link to the Monroe radio station covering the game.
I’m sure that Audrey would have wanted me to follow the game in whatever way possible. I understand this game means a lot to her, and to her teammates, too, as well as the sacrifices the team must endure to even get to the state tournament. Which is why I didn’t see her outside of recess. I could always ask Finn and Tyler whether they want to tune in on the game. Especially since their girlfriends are playing. However, I am left wondering what grades Ethan, Finn and Valter got in Algebra II, Pablo doesn’t hesitate to text these two about the game. “I wonder if you would like to tune in on the game tomorrow night”
Speaking of Valter, he tells Pablo about his Algebra II grades via text message. “This is my first A in an Algebra II test”
But then Ethan asks Pablo to come as well, which he promptly accepts, along with Nadine. Then come other footballers, such as George, Dayton, Valter and so on, so forth. That’s a lot of guests for which he asks his parents permission to host for game night.
“Mom, dad, can I have my friends come over for tuning in on the game tomorrow night? Wossman sold out the game today and no one can make the trip to ‘Monroe!”
“Do any of the guests plan on bringing in some food?” Pablo’s mother asks him.
“I’ll need to ask them…” Pablo sighs, and then asks his friends who can bring food to game night.