Overtime

"Howie Thompson shares his insights about the game he loves. Wow! He even uses me in his story. Unbelievable! Hey, this story is fascinating as it depicts the love for the game by the local PTPer, a prime time performer and a superstar, who comes back from being a player to coach at his alma mater." Dick Vitale Trey 'Shooter' Parrish looked at his coach of four years and said, "Get me the ball, Coach, I can make it." Dripping from sweat, exhausted beyond his thoughts of what he could endure, the star high school senior was ready for his day in the sun. The aged and revered coach of South Willow High School designed a play that would set a triple pick for Trey and bring him out to his favorite spot just beyond the three point line at the top of the key. Coach Jones was seventeen seconds away from his nineteenth straight state high school boys' class 4A title, and it all rested on the talented hand of his senior shooting guard. He had seen Trey make this shot many times before, and every time he knew it was good when it left his hand. That's why he had no trouble drawing up what he believed would be the final winning play of his storied career. Coach Jones, after twenty-five years at South Willow High School, was hanging up his whistle and giving up coaching the game he so loved. After twenty-five years and eighteen State Titles, he was saying farewell to the hardwood and taking his wife on a long cruise. The school had thrown a party for him about two weeks before the state playoffs, and this was to be the final play of the last game of a storied coaching career. He looked at all of his players, a trace of a tear in the right corner of his eye, as he said, "Men, you are the best group ofplayers I have ever coached. Whatever happens now, I will never forget you. Thank you." With that, Jones brought his players' hands together, and like he had done an uncountable number of times before, looked them all in the eyes and said, "You're the best. Go get 'em!" The hands broke as they all yelled, "We are...TEAM!" Off the five players went to mid-court. As they trotted out onto the hardwood floor, Trey glanced up at the scoreboard. Any doubts he had during the timeout huddle that there wouldn't be enough time to run Coach Jones' play disintegrated as Trey realized they still had seventeen seconds left in this second five-minute overtime. Trey would take the ball out and then circle behind two concealed picks and come off a third pick at the top of the key to receive a pass from his middle school and high school teammate, Ron Gentry. Ron was one of the best passers in high school and led the nation twice in assists. Trey thought to himself how perfect this would be for him, his coach, and Ron - how they would all celebrate yet another state title after the game.