I wasn't sure where I would be working today. At first I was doing a military base-level game, then I was offered the regional final from one of the boards I belong to. My final offer - I was called and a message was left before the other high school board - was the Oak Hill/Montrose Christian game. I went with that game and it was all it was hyped up to be. Both teams have great talent but Lawson (Oak Hill now, North Carolina next year) and Durant (Montrose now, Texas next year) stood out from the rest.
Oak Hill led by 11 or 12 going into the fourth quarter and tried to take the air out of the ball. It didn't work and they had two turnovers late in the game (a huge backcourt violation was the final straw - I called it). Durant shot a three from about 24 feet with the score tied at 72, missed and his teammate got the rebound on the baseline. The Oak Hill defender knew he couldn't play aggresively and foul so he played good (safe) defense but it wasn't enough. The shot fell in off the glass as time expired. The crowd rushed the floor, the number #1 team in the country was beat and a great game was over.
The crew was good, but I'm a perfectionist and we could always be better. This guy came into the locker room before the game and basically told us to let them play. That didn't sit well with me because I only like to call the game to the best of my abilities. I don't like the all-star game mentality. The game developed into a high school game, with better talent, early and we had to put air in the whistle. I guess the teams didn't receive the same instructions we received.
Anyway, that is it (at least for high school).
I'm about to reward myself with some ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. Great stuff!