Upon Further Review

The moment was too much to pass up writing about.

One girl. Two shots. Time expired and a win on the line.

And Riverheads sophomore Kelsie Floyd admitted that the pressure got to her. On her right were the Riverheads fans, cheering her on and hoping she could hit at least one. On the left sat the Glenvar fans, stomping their feet, booing and hissing and hoping she would miss both so the game would go into overtime. The game Friday was tied at 55. There was no time left the clock and Floyd was at the free-throw line.

Floyd missed both shots. Floyd was disappointed. Heck, Floyd even cried after the game, her eyes still red, swollen and watery as she exited the locker room to talk about the few seconds where she was the center of the basketball universe in Greenville.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what makes high school sports so wonderful and so pure, even if a few numskulled adults take it upon themselves to make it about them and never about the student-athletes.

These days, using names that aren’t our own and hiding in the anonymity that comes with Web sites with message boards and comment features that, in recent years, have seemed more like a how-to-libel class at some sick University, too much importance is placed upon the wins and losses in high school sports. Long forgotten are the life lessons that it teaches all of us and the coaches, who still teach those life lessons, now find themselves hemmed in by a fanbase that, for the most part, only cares about wins.

At the tender age of whatever sophomores are these days, Floyd learned a valuable one — sometimes things go your way and sometimes they don’t. What makes the athlete is how they respond.

Athletes, things don’t get any easier after high school. In 10 years time the pressure of having to hit two free throws will be a welcome respite from wondering how you’re going to pay this month’s electric bill, or if you’ll be one of the hundreds laid off from your job.

You’ll long for the days of high school sports, when your biggest obstacle was trying to find time to do your homework after a late overtime game or wondering why that smoking hot girl (or guy) won’t go to the dance with you. The sense of overcoming obstacles doesn’t dim with time but, in fact, gets brighter.

There should be no doubt out there that Floyd wanted to hit those free throws. Who doesn’t want to hit a game-winning shot and jump into the arms of their celebrating teammates?

It doesn’t really matter that she missed them both. All that would have given Riverheads is a non-district win and something to be happy about over the weekend.

What matters is, four ticks into the overtime period, Floyd was back at the line and hit her first of two.

“I know how to do it next time,“ she said.

You see, lesson learned and taken to heart.

Good. On. Kelsie. Floyd. Buy her a Fresca, please.

And another thing: If you’re Wilson Memorial girls basketball, those 28 steals are everything you could ask for because if there’s one thing fans of the Green Hornets know, it’s that Jackie Bryan teaches defense and how defense wins games and defense is going to be the cornerstone of her team.

Defense.

But if you’re going to snatch 28 steals away from Nelson County, giving up the ball with 21 turnovers almost negates it.

“I don’t like the turnovers,“ Bryan said. “I think our passing is going to go to the top of my list.“
So let it be written, so let it be done. When Bryan wants something fixed, it tends to get fixed.

Look, even the Wilson boys are getting into the act: We’ve written it once, we’ll write it again if it needs to be written. But, right now, it seems the Green Hornets boys team is heeding what everybody knows about this team — there’s enough talent to spread the love around. They did so in their rematch with Nelson County on Friday.

Back when Nelson County came to town Dec. 5, the Green Hornets got 25 points from Hunter Cullen and, well, that was basically it. Of course, they lost that game.

In the rematch Cullen wasn’t even the team’s leading scorer. That honor when to Dylan Hudson and his 14 points as Cullen chipped in 11.

Since they started spreading the love around, the Hornets have won three straight after their 1-2 start.

See, doing the math is simple. And it leads to wins.

Lock. The. Thread.

Want to know how much Floyd’s teammates wanted to make sure the Gladiators won Friday’s game in overtime, you know, to take some of the pressure off of her? They turned the ball over four straight times down the court in the extra period — three travels and one dribble off Kristen Moody’s foot.

“Everybody wanted to do it for Kelsie, they were all feeling bad for her and they tried too hard,“ said coach Dickie Bell.

Yep, that’s why they’re friends first in high school and teammates second.