The team poured out of the locker room and the rivals arrived. Eastern was one of our toughest competitors. There were only a few teams in the league that were as good as us, in my opinion, and unfortunately, Eastern High was one of them.

The teams took to their sides of the court. Many of the Lenape students had moved on from the Pep Rally. Parents and siblings of both teams and students of the opposing team however, took their place. It was a packed house.

Coach played the Junior varsity players first out on court, with one or two of the seniors to lend a hand. I was currently on the bench with Tyler, who was still not talking to me. Not that I blame him, I did get him benched. I'd be pretty P.O'd at me too.

The teams took to their sides on the hardwood and a sophomore from Lenape High sang the national anthem. Everyone was standing. I could see Brynn on Eastern's side, with her hand over her heart. She was singing but I couldn't hear her over the crowd. I wondered what her voice would sound like, I bet it's beautiful.

She caught me staring and winked at me, which immediately brought a smile to my lips. Say what you want about Brynn. For me, she is just good for my soul. Again, I find my excitement growing, thinking of how when this is all over I get to take her out for the night. Just the thought is like a balm to my nerves and I feel calmer by the minute.

The ref calls over the players, stating the rules of the game, and then tipoff. Eastern gets the ball first tries to advance it down the court. They pass to their point guard, he shoots but the ball rebounds and now it's our turn. I'm always amazed at how many hours go into practicing for a game that could in essence be over in about 90 minutes and that's being generous. The first points came within 15 seconds of the game being played ... Eastern scoring the first field goal.

Eight minutes later, Coach leans in and says something to Tyler that I can't hear over the crowd yelling. I just see him shake his head, no, and the coach calls me into play. Tyler was only to be benched for one quarter. Now he's going for two.

It's not that he's purposely trying to screw us up but he knows things will be worse if his head isn't in the game. I just hope he gets his head on straight before the game is over, because we need him.

I love being on the court. I started playing this game to please my Dad. I've been playing since I was eight. I'd be lying if I said I kept playing because of him.

I fell in love with everything about this sport. The adrenaline high you get from playing the game. The thumping sound on the hardwood of feet pounding in rhythm with the each dribble of the ball, and there is the thrill of getting that ball through the net and making the crowd go wild.

Eastern takes a shot and the ball rebounds to me. I pass it to Terrance and Terrance dribbles it up court to pass to Mike. Mike shoots and scores 3 points for our team. I can see how proud he is that he made the shot. I hope he impresses those scouts, as he is a real team player and works hard to be so good. He deserves to win more than just this game.

The team is doing better than I thought they would. I guess they realized they would need to pick up the slack with Tyler not being on the floor, something I hope would be remedied soon. The score had climbed pretty fast, with field goal after field goal being scored. Unfortunately, Eastern was still scoring better than us.

By half time we were feeling a little deflated, the score has us down by 10 points. We took the 15-minute break to try and regroup. I walk over to Tyler who's sitting off on his own. He looks up at me briefly but then looks away.

I sit next him. "We need you, dude."

Tyler just keeps staring down at his shoes.

"You can do this. You can help pull these guys out of their slump."

"Finn, I...I'm sorry."

Those two words make me want to jump up from my seat and do a victory dance, but instead I offer him my fist. "No worries, brother. We look out for each other, it's what we do and for what it's worth, I'm sorry too. I promise when this is over, I'll help you get her back."

Tyler's head shot up, and he noticed my fist and smiled. We fist pound, with a lock and twist, before blowing it up and then laugh.

"Hate to break up the honeymoon but you think you can get those boys back on track, they are feeling pretty low," Coach says to us.

Tyler grins and says, "Hell, yeah. Let me at 'em."

"Alright losers, you done being pushed around, knocked down and basically looking pretty sad out there?" Tyler asks the group.

"Don't know?" Mike said, "You done being a cry baby over whatever you got goin' on?"

"Yeah," Terrance said, taking the icepack off his elbow, "You done moping about and ready to play?"

"I don't know if we want him out there," Koby threw in.

This last statement took Tyler off guard and I can see it struck him just how badly he let the team down.

"Hey!" I say coming up behind Tyler and putting my arm around him. "We all have our bad days. None of us are perfect, but when one of us is down and out it's up to the rest of us to carry him until he's back in play. That's what we do, it's what make us the strong team that we are."

Tyler gives me an appreciative smile, "Brothers, I let you down. I know that, but I'm all in, if you'll have me?"

The three others stand up saying in unison, "It's about freaking time!"

We embrace in a circle. No beginning, no end, all of us equal. "Let do this thing!" I yell, to which I get a response of... "Hell, yeah!"

In the second half it was like a whole new team. The energy we had ran circles around Eastern and by the end of the third quarter we were only down by 5 points.

"You ready to make it Even, Stevens," I say laughing as we run onto court.

"Let's Dash Nash," Tyler says giving me a high five and we take our positions.

Eastern inbounds the ball, just then Koby steals it to make a wide open layup. Eastern once again gets the ball, they are playing hard and fast, they are playing for keeps but as they run their offense, we play even tougher defense refusing to give anything up.

Their center take a wild shot, and misses. Tyler grabs the rebound and takes off down the court. Slowing it down, passing and passing until the right moment comes. Tyler makes a move toward the middle, then passes it out to Mike. He shoots! He scores! Two point to Lenape and the crowd goes ballistic...well except for the Eastern High fans.

Five seconds left on the clock, Eastern passes it trying to advance it down the court hoping to run out the clock. The ball is knocked loose. I catch it out at the three point line and look around to pass it but the team is all tied up. With the clock ticking down I'm forced to shoot.

My entire world slows down; just as I release the ball, an Eastern player plows into me, knocking me down. I hear a whistle blow. The ball flew through the air and bounced once on the rim, hits the backboard and falls through the net. The buzzer went off and we've tied the game! The crowd roars, they are on there feet. I wish I could say the same.

Tyler helps me up and I wince in pain.

Concern clouds his face, "You okay?"

I take a few steps but can't do so without limping.

Coach and the ref approach me. Eastern High received a personal foul. Since the ball went in I get one free throw. If I get this shot and I make the basket, we win the game.

"You okay to take the shot?" Coach asks, apprehensive.

"Just get me to the line," I tell him.

Tyler put his my arm around his neck and I hobble down to the free throw line. The silence is deafening now that everyone realizes it all comes down to this.

"You got this brother!" Tyler tells me taking his position by the keyhole.

I nod, and try to breathe through the pain that is coursing through my body. It's just that hoop and me. I make sure my feet are firmly planted behind the line. A camera flashes and I look up. Brynn slowly lowers it down. I see the worry in her eyes, they look slight glazed over with tears. I smile at her, what I hope is a reassuring smile and she smiles back, that was it. That was all I needed.

The teams were in their places. The ref hands me the ball and 5 seconds are put on the clock. I close my eyes and take a few more deep breaths the clock clicks down, I shoot, I stumble, but my feet stay behind the line.

I didn't even get to see the ball go in, all I heard was the eruption of the crowd going crazy and suddenly Brynn leaps into my arms.

"My foot, Brynn!"

I feel us about to fall backwards but Tyler is there for the catch. Steading me. Laughing together, I kiss her and she kisses me back, right before we disappear from view as the rest of the team mobs us.

"Lenape Wins!"