What a way to start the season!

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Last night was the first game of the season for MTD, Jr. (aka MTDv2.0), and I. It was a MichiganHSAA (in that State up North) assignment: Boys' JrHS DH between to Class D schools and the Home School was less than ten miles from our home.

Our pre-game start as soon as I back out of the driveway (Civil/Highway Engineering joke: Why do we park our cars on driveways and drive our cars on parkways?), but I digress. First thing Mark says is: "Dad, it is a boys' JrHS game, lets have fun, no technical fouls or ejections."

FIRST GAME (7th grade game), the Visitors win in a blow out. No problems, except V-10 (has a Mohawk hair cut) enters the game in the second quarter and does not play ten seconds when he has to be helped off the court after he injures his LEFT knee; late in the third quarter he re-enters the game and again does not play ten seconds when he injures his RIGHT knee and has to be helped off the court and does not play again.


SECOND GAME (8th grade game), the Visitors win in a blow out. BUT!!!

Home-HC has been chipping all game long about our interpretation of the Traveling Rule. Unfortunately, Mark and has been bearing the brunt of the whining because he always seems to be Table Side whenever I make or don't make a traveling call that H-HC does not like. H-HC when he complains, never crosses the "magic line" that will earn him a TF. UNTILL!!

The Visitors have the ball in their Front Court with less than twenty seconds left in the third quarter and I am Opposite-the-Table when a rebound starts bouncing around off every player on the court. Finally the ball bounces off the a player's leg toward the Division Line. V-1 dives toward the ball and slides and rolls approximately ten to twelve feet before coming to a stop. H-HC starts whining for traveling. V-1 passes the ball to V-2 who passes the ball to H-1 and the teams start up court toward Team H's basket. As Mark moves up the court H-HC enters the court, now vehemently complaining about my lack of traveling call. WHACK!! By Mark. There is less that ten seconds left in the third quarter.

As Mark reports the TF I inform H-HC that he as lost the use of the Coaching Box. Mark goes to the Division Line opposite the Scorer's Table while I administer the TF FTs; after V-3 attempts them I pass the ball to Mark and before he can place the ball at the disposal of the Team V's thrower, H-HC comes out onto the court to continue his complaint about my lack of making a travel call and also he doesn't want to remain seated. WHACK!! By me.

Surprisingly, he turned away from me and left as soon as I made the TF signal. Neither I nor Mark had to tell him he had to leave. After the game, the AD came to us before we even left the court to apologize for his coach's actions, so all was good from that stand point.

On the way home, Mark apologized for jinxing us in our pre-game but still would not buy dinner (I always buy the post-game dinner no matter what) because I was the one that ejected the coach not him, LOL. Therefore I had to right the game report even though he was the R in the game.

Like I said: "What a way to start the season!"

MTD, Sr.