The Falcons saved their best performance for their last game and topped a hot shooting First Assembly team by a score of 68-59 to finish third in the conference tournament. That is an outstanding achievement considering the adversity this team faced both on and off the court throughout the season. We started with high expectations and lofty goals of winning both the conference championship and the season ending tournament. Things started going wrong from the first practice and then escalated. We played only one game with our full complement of players. Injuries, illness, suspensions, and a player leaving the team left its affect both mentally and physically on every Falcon player including the coaches. Somehow we finished in a tie with Carolina Christian for second place and received a first round bye in the tournament. However, as the season was reaching its climax, we were a struggling team. The Falcons played Carolina Christian in our first tournament game and finally hit rock bottom. We played hard but we were not really there. 35 turnovers resulted in a 51-34 victory for Carolina Christian. It also gave us 101 turnovers over the last three games. Immediately after the game, the players were discouraged, dejected, and down about as far as they could go. We had a third place game in 22 hours and Mitch Moore’s sprained ankle and injured thigh muscle did nothing to help the team spirit. Coach and I had no idea what kind of team we would place on the floor the next day, we were just hoping we had 5 players ready to go.
Friday afternoon we arrived at the gym about an hour before game time and received word that Mitch was in the hospital getting x-rays on his leg to determine if playing could cause further damage to the muscle. We did not know if he could play or not play or even if he would make the game. We changed our starting lineup and started our pre-game routine. But something was different. The attitude had changed. ALL the players appeared to be focused and highly motivated. The previous game had been forgotten. The season long struggles had been forgotten. The adversity surrounding the team and the school had been forgotten. Then we received word that Mitch was on his way and planned on playing even though he would need to play through the pain, because it wasn’t going to go away (adrenaline can be a wonderful temporary healer). First Assembly is not a good shooting team so the game plan was to pick up the First Assembly players just inside the 3 point line but let them have the long outside shots. We have started almost every game with a turnover but this time we scored off the opening tip-off, the first time all year. Of course First Assembly came down and hit a 3 pointer then came down and hit another 3 pointer on their next possession. The Falcons didn’t seem to notice, they were that focused. They held onto the ball making crisp precise passes and good decisions. With only seconds remaining in he first quarter Caleb Robinson stole a pass and drove the length of the floor and layed it in to give the Falcons a 14-12 lead just before the buzzer sounded.
The game remained extremely tight in the second quarter. Our defense was playing well but First Assembly was shooting lights out and knocked down two more three pointers. Coach extended the man to man defense to half court but First Assembly was on fire and could have scored from the parking lot. The Falcons didn’t blink. They matched basket for basket. Joel VanDusen would lead the Falcons with 13 first half points. Apparently Joel and Caleb Robinson had decided no one was going to score on them underneath the basket. Almost every time a First Assembly player would try to drive the lane and get off a shot, he would find the ball flying back in his face. There were no easy touch fouls. Joel has developed into the physical player he needs to be but Robinson had come to play. Caleb can be intimidating when he wants the ball. He constantly took the ball away from the First Assembly players on rebounds and is a natural shot blocker. Caleb Robinson was inspiring in the first half. We clung to a 29-28 lead at the half time break because First Assembly was putting on a shooting clinic from long distance.
Coach’s half time speech to the players: Keep doing what we are doing, keep the intensity level up, First Assembly cannot continue to shoot that well. The third quarter started and the Falcons did everything the coach asked of them but First Assembly didn’t cooperate. Not only did they hit three more 3 pointers but one player tried to get an altered shot over the out stretched hand of Caleb Robinson that would have been considered an infield pop up in baseball (the infield fly rule could have been called and probably should have been called but referees have a tendency to miss a few calls now and then). Naturally the shot went in. The Falcons still did not flinch as they stared into the eyes of the First Assembly players and said if that’s all you got its not enough. Caleb Robinson was knocking down shots from under the basket while Mitch Moore and Daniel Zangmeister matched every three-point basket from First Assembly with a three pointer of their own. The Falcons lead 48-45 heading into the fourth quarter.
Three quarters of spine tinkling, nerve-racking basketball had been played and neither team had backed down. ARBOR-BOR-BROOK rang throughout the gym. The fourth quarter started and the Joel VanDusen show began. And First Assembly blinked! The Falcons were not going to be denied. The Falcon lead grew to 5 , then 7, then 9. First Assembly started to rush their shots and they no longer dropped. Caleb or Joel grabbed every single rebound. Joel scored from all over the lane hitting 4 of 5 shots. Mitch knocked down another three pointer. The Falcons led by 11 with less than 2 minutes to go. The three-point shot in basketball can change momentum in less than a heartbeat. First Assembly put up a rainbow shot from deep in the corner that struck gold and the lead was down to 8. A missed free throw on our end and a quick basket by First Assembly and the once comfortable lead of 11 was down to 6 with a little more than a minute to go. Coach called time out and said were fine. We have control of the game. It would come down to free throws.
We had practiced all year for this final minute. Joel was fouled on the in-bounds pass and calmly stepped to the line and knocked down two free throws. Mitch would soon follow with 4 more free throws as we ended the game hitting our last 6 attempts. The game was over. The Falcons had won by a score of 68-59. Joel ended up scoring 26 points with 15 rebounds. Caleb had a career high 18 rebounds with 12 points. Caleb and Joel combined for 9 blocked shots and 33 of the team’s 47 rebounds (First Assembly was held to 27 rebounds) - Mitch Moore scored 13 points and Daniel Zangmeister may have played his best all round game ever. Daniel’s back to back 3 pointers in the third quarter negated the 3 pointers hit by First Assembly and stopped any momentum shift. Forest Landa ended the game with 6 points and Kyle Boutross added 3 points. Caleb Farmer did not score but directed the offense from the point guard position. The Falcons had only one turnover in the fourth quarter and only 11 turnovers for the game.
This was the last time this team will have played together. They ended the season on a high note when they could have phoned it in. Most of the players will not be back next year. Joel VanDusen and Caleb Farmer are two of the players that will not be returning. Coach and I have been with both of them since the Mineral Springs days when the Arborbrook basketball program first started. Neither one of them had any idea how to play the game of basketball and neither had a clue as to how much running they would do over the next four years. I have watched two young boys grow into fine young men. I will miss them both and I know Scott will miss them. I wish them luck but I do not think they will need it. They have bright futures and I thank their parents for letting them be a part of my life. Thanks to all the parents for once more allowing us to be a small part of your lives and the lives of your sons. You should all be very proud of yours sons, I know I am.
Note to Arborbrook students: The ABOR-BOR-BROOK chant and the stomping on the bleachers is like a 6th player on the court. It is one of the most awesome chants I have ever heard. No team in the conference or on our schedule can come anywhere close to matching it. It intimidates our opponents while inspiring our players. It builds momentum. It makes the gym rock.
Caleb Robinson was named to the all tournament team. Joel VanDusen made the CACAA all conference team. Congratulations to both players.
