Before I begin, I just want to say that the real MVP of last night's game was the South Stokes AD. That man got on the mic and laid down the law. He and Coach Thomas saved the contest from being suspended. More on that later....
I got to South Stokes around 5:00. I thought I was going to be slick and get a nice, cushy spot up front. Man, I was wrong. When I pulled in the parking lot, the line was already about 150 deep. I don't even want to know what the line looked like when I finally entered the door.
When I entered the gym around 5:45, the South Stokes fans already had 3/4's of the gym almost full. There were a block of seats reserved for ER fans and Saura fans were already spilling over into them. When this game started, both endlines were completely covered in people. They were standing three-deep under one goal. If a fire had broken out, we'd have been screwed.
South Stokes comes out and plays a magnificent first half. Everybody's getting involved and it seems like they're hitting everything in sight. The Sauras are also playing excellent defense and forcing quite a few turnovers. Ethan Moran, Barry Hairston, and Isiah Lash are showing out for SS. Behind the play of Timmy Brower, Devonte Brooks, and Jani Norwood, ER is able to keep things within reach. At the break, the Sauras led 45-36.
ER comes out of the locker room and starts to creep back in it. The Cats fall back into a zone which throws SS a little out of rhythm. Timmy Brower starts to take over. He's got the mid-range working, hits a couple of threes, and is getting to the foul line. Before you know it, the Cats have wiped out the Saura lead and are leading by one. However, the Sauras, behind Hairston and Lash, promptly go on a run of their own and push their lead back to seven. Then, behind Brower and Pierce Leonard, ER gets rollin' again and cuts the lead to 55-53 just before the end of the third.
Then........crap hits the fan. An ER fan and SS fan get into it over on the ER side and have to be restrained. Seconds later, another ER fan and SS fan get into it and I really thought punches were going to fly. Quite a few people are thrown out on both sides of the aisle. With the way emotions were flying, it had a chance to get REAL UGLY. After the South Stokes AD got on the mic and settled things down, play resumed.
I got to South Stokes around 5:00. I thought I was going to be slick and get a nice, cushy spot up front. Man, I was wrong. When I pulled in the parking lot, the line was already about 150 deep. I don't even want to know what the line looked like when I finally entered the door.
When I entered the gym around 5:45, the South Stokes fans already had 3/4's of the gym almost full. There were a block of seats reserved for ER fans and Saura fans were already spilling over into them. When this game started, both endlines were completely covered in people. They were standing three-deep under one goal. If a fire had broken out, we'd have been screwed.
South Stokes comes out and plays a magnificent first half. Everybody's getting involved and it seems like they're hitting everything in sight. The Sauras are also playing excellent defense and forcing quite a few turnovers. Ethan Moran, Barry Hairston, and Isiah Lash are showing out for SS. Behind the play of Timmy Brower, Devonte Brooks, and Jani Norwood, ER is able to keep things within reach. At the break, the Sauras led 45-36.
ER comes out of the locker room and starts to creep back in it. The Cats fall back into a zone which throws SS a little out of rhythm. Timmy Brower starts to take over. He's got the mid-range working, hits a couple of threes, and is getting to the foul line. Before you know it, the Cats have wiped out the Saura lead and are leading by one. However, the Sauras, behind Hairston and Lash, promptly go on a run of their own and push their lead back to seven. Then, behind Brower and Pierce Leonard, ER gets rollin' again and cuts the lead to 55-53 just before the end of the third.
Then........crap hits the fan. An ER fan and SS fan get into it over on the ER side and have to be restrained. Seconds later, another ER fan and SS fan get into it and I really thought punches were going to fly. Quite a few people are thrown out on both sides of the aisle. With the way emotions were flying, it had a chance to get REAL UGLY. After the South Stokes AD got on the mic and settled things down, play resumed.