Buzzer Beater
Zander Stevens (10) running towards the Blackcat goal.
January 21, 2022
Welcome back to another season of boy’s basketball! The 2021-2022 team this year is on the smaller side, but this doesn’t mean they’re any less determined. This “disadvantage” just goes to show and highlight each individual boys’ talent and love for the sport.
Starting off their season early, the Blackcats played in the 95th annual Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by Arcadia Valley. As the darkhorse of the tournament, the boys went unnoticed until their semi-finals game. The Fredericktown Blackcats played against the West County Bulldogs for their place in the finals. West County controlled the game early on, leading the game until the final quarter. Out of nowhere the losing Blackcats came raging back, landing goal after goal, quickly shrinking the double-digit gap. Trailing by 7 points in the last two minutes of the game, no one expected Fredericktown to win, let alone catch up. It seemed as if time was against them, and everyone assumed as such. That was until, in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Andrew Starkey (11) got a hold of the ball. The crowd and the players held their breath as the ball flew through the air—a last-ditch effort with little hope of success. As the final buzz sounded throughout the gym, so did the tell-tale sound of the ball hitting the rim. The mass of people screamed and cheered. He had done it. Andrew Starkey had made the shot. The 2 point buzzer beater capped off the game with a 48-47 win for the Blackcats, solidifying their place in the finals.
After the riveting game against the Bulldogs, the Fredericktown Blackcats played against the South Iron Panthers. However, luck would not be on their side this time as they lost 37-68. “I think it (the game) was ok, it’s hard to put into words. We didn’t play as hard as we should have, but we did regain a lot of our energy in the second half.” “Don’t forget what you did this year, don’t forget what you accomplished. I want them to think they’re as good as they think they are,” says Coach Joaby Sikes.
Their most recent game was on January 17th. After a 3-day weekend, the boys were refreshed and energized, ready for another night of games. The boys played against Jefferson and won both their junior varsity and varsity games. However, a struggle was evident as shown by the lack of players on the bench. This may be an issue for future games, but there is no doubt the boys will overcome this challenge. With the winter basketball season halfway over, we hope to see the boys improve and succeed in their future games!
