The team bus is packed as always. Coach prefers the boys to travel together, so he rented a Greyhound for our away games. Usually the boys play cards or listen to music on the journey. I have my wireless earbuds plugged in, going through my usual pre-game playlist. I always try to get my mind into a place psychologically where I can get pumped up. But I also do a good job of staying in the now, not letting my emotions get too out of hand, and do so by being present in the moment and taking deep breaths.

          I've always been fond of Notre Dame's campus, admiring the scenery as we drive through. They have beautiful, green lawns and fountains of water pouring down in the warmer seasons. There are many students and professors outside, but they can't notice us, because the team bus has tinted windows. As I mentioned before, Notre Dame is a feisty group on the basketball court. They like to play with tempo, and can really wear you down with their passionate, tenacious crowds barking at you all night.

          As we pull in and park near the gym, Coach Meldrum stands up and gives a quick rundown.

          "Alright," he says, wearing a backpack over his left shoulder. "You guys know the drill. We're gonna get changed, have a quick team meeting, then hit the court with thirty minutes before the game."

          We nod our heads, gradually following him off the bus with our bags and gear. We each thank Berry, the driver. He takes us to all of our away games, and is a nice guy in general.

          As we enter the side doors of the gym, we're briefly spotted by a few opposing fans, waiting to get their spots in the gymnasium. We're already heckled by a couple of them, telling us that we stand no chance, and that they aren't the same team from last year. One guy even notices me and says to his buddy, "Most overrated player I've ever seen." Being known across the province, let alone the entire nation, I do run into my haters here and there. But I actually enjoy it. I use them as motivation. Some people would shy away from that pressure and let their words get to them, but I lean in and embrace the challenge.

          Once we arrive in the changing room, we waste no time, getting down to business and swapping into our uniforms and shoes. I have two pairs of shoes that I bring around with me. I have the LeBron James ones my parents bought me for my birthday, and also the Kobe Bryant signature shoes, as he was one of my favourite players before passing away in the tragic helicopter crash. I decide that I'm going with the LeBron's, only because I had worn the Kobe's every day in practice, since the start of training camp.

          After Meldrum comes in and runs us through the breakdown of tonight's plan, we're ready to go, jogging onto the court for warm-up. The gym is being played with music and the crowds are really starting to sink in. Taking some quick jumpers and trick shots, we naturally form into a layup line, running the same drill that coach expects of every game. Each time I lay the ball in, I make sure to run to halfcourt and touch the centre line with my hand. I really like to get the blood flowing before a matchup.

          A couple of guys on the team are throwing down some dunks before the game starts. We're not a high-flying group like some of the boys back east, but there's still a couple of us who can get up and bang one down—myself included. I'm only 6'2", which no, is not tall for basketball standards. But I have large hands, so I can palm the ball and hold it above the rim. When we switch to the left-hand side of the layup drill, I make sure to throw one down. I'm not a standout dunker, but two points are the same as two points, so I've never been ashamed of it.

          When the two-minute mark before the game starts, Meldrum calls us in for the last team huddle and pep talk. As always, I'm starting the game, so I take a seat down on the bench with Kevin, T-roy, Jeffrey, and a small forward by the name of Melvin Direton. By this point, the atmosphere is really picking up. The rowdy Notre Dame fans are making their presence known by banging on drums and blowing horns, yet I enjoy every second of it.

          "Okay," Meldrum says, getting down on one knee with the basketball whiteboard and marker in hand. "I think it's fair to say we're gonna start in our zone defense. They have several guys in their starting lineup who can penetrate the basket and get inside, so we wanna make them earn it and see if they can knock down jump shots on the wing. Kevin, I need you to be big inside, and Jeffrey you gotta be there to help him when their big switches over."

          The two boys nod and maintain eye contact with coach.

          "T-roy and Rashard, you guys are gonna be running lots of Gonzaga tonight," he continues. "Let's lock in defensively and make sure we are executing our game plan on offense. Remember, if we keep them out of transition, there's no reason we can't play five-on-five with them halfcourt."

          And just like that, the buzzer goes off and signals for the game to start.

          "Ladies and gentlemen, we'd like to thank you for attending tonight's game between the opposing Hattonville Highlanders and your Notre Dame Wolverines," says a man over the loudspeaker. "We now bring you the starting lineups for tonight's matchup, first beginning with the Hattonville Highlanders."

          We hear boos from the Notre Dame fans, but we're used to it by now playing on the road.

          "Starting at point guard, a six-foot sophomore from Quebec, T-roy Macklemore!"

          I listen to the four players listed ahead of me. I'm always set to be announced last, due to being the star player.

          "And lastly, starting at guard, also ranked third among the nation's top players—" The man pauses, really building up the hype. "—Declan Rashard!"

          I hear a loud cheer from Tony on the bench. I run through the row of teammates, giving me high-fives and hyping me up.

          Once the home team is introduced, the referees signal to meet at halfcourt. Kevin will be taking the jump ball, even though I feel Jeffrey has a better reach, but I'm never going to question Coach Meldrum and his instincts. The game begins with Notre Dame winning the tip, so we each run to our defensive set. 

          Alright. 

          Here we go. 

          First game of sophomore year. 

         The first few possessions of the game, for either team, are slow and laid back. It's probably the pre-game jitters, but eventually one of Notre Dame's guards knocks down a three-pointer from the right wing. As we expected, the cheers from the fans are relentless. They bang their drums excessively whenever we have possession of the ball, yet are quieter than a mouse when their team is on offense. 

          Overall, the first quarter goes by fast, with Notre Dame up by four points. Individually, I haven't played terribly by any standards, but remind myself that it may take a quarter or two to shake the rust off.

          The second quarter begins with us switching into man-to-man defense. Coach doesn't want the other guys figuring out our roots and core, so he always likes to mix it up. 

           Yet even halfway into the second quarter, I'm still not producing the way I normally do, especially like last year. My jump shots initially seem on point, but keep missing and bouncing off the rim last second. I also have three turnovers, and have been beaten off the dribble several times, by guys I would usually have a fairly easy time locking up. Coach notices my minor struggles, and subs me out with six minutes until halftime.

          Not thinking much of it, trying not to be hard on myself, we make our way back into the changing room at halftime. Tony gives me a slap on the butt (which is a fairly common thing in sports fr guys) and encourages me to keep being aggressive and doing my thing. Coach Meldrum and Assistant Coach Anton go over our stats and turnovers, and that we need to be more efficient to crawl back, considering we're down by nine points. I have to be better for my team in the second half.

          But even after a pep-talk from Meldrum, along with my teammates hyping up and encouraging me, I continue to struggle on offense, and not being my usual lockdown defender. I don't know what it is, but something just feels...off. I'm feeling passive and tentative with the ball in my hands, and just overthinking more than I'm used to.

          With four minutes left in the game, with the team down by twenty and no sign of crawling back, Meldrum pulls us starters out and lets the bench players come on.

          I shake my head and take a seat on the bench, finishing with only twelve points, four assists, and six turnovers. Oh, well. I'm going to have to let this one go. Reminding myself that it's only one game, I try my best to stay positive, see my boy Tony checking in. He makes a couple of baskets—stealing the ball and laying it in once, along with hitting a short jump shot from the corner. Even though we're bound to lose the game, it's still nice to see him getting a little action. I clap and cheer, encouraging him on, despite my disappointment.

          When the final buzzer goes off, the Notre Dame fans let us know they enjoyed witnessing our defeat, telling us to "have fun on the bus ride home" as we exit the court. Again, I remind myself this is only one loss, and that we have plenty more opportunities to bounce back, playing at the level we're capable of. Coach Meldrum and Anton say their piece, mentioning similar things, along the lines of this not defining our season.

          We hit the showers, before being picked up by Berry.

          On the bus ride home, I plug my earbuds in again and listen to music, this time a calm, relaxing playlist to wind me down for the night. I keep thinking about the extra chicken wings I have saved over in the fridge. I'm beyond excited to get home and sink my teeth into them after a long day. In fact, the thought of eating is making me so happy, that almost like a drug, it numbs away frustrations that I experienced tonight with my sloppy play, and rather embarrassing performance from the team overall. 

          But as I said, I'm sure we'll bounce back.

          Right now, all I want to focus on is the concept of food.