17.
After the easy first victory, Barry Hughes’ varsity squad lost their next three games. Jay’s jayvees stayed unbeaten. Jay made sure to give every jayvee court time, no matter how talented they were, and his girls rewarded him by playing their hearts out. The contrast between his girls, who all got their minutes, and Hughes's, who ignored most of his bench, seemed startling. So were the similarities between Barry Hughes and Vince McNally, Dana’s former high school coach. As the losses mounted with double-digit margins of defeat, Coach Hughes became angrier and more frustrated with his team, except for Bonita and Megan. He could not blame Stefani, since she didn’t play, and he never blamed himself. However, he kept taking out his frustrations on Stefani and the bench players during practices the day after the losses,
Coach Hughes took a hands-off approach when it came to coaching Bonita. He didn’t try to change her game. So, she rewarded his quiet trust by keeping quiet about the team’s problems. But Bonita also knew when to pass to a teammate when she didn’t have an open shot or faced a double team down court, and she did. Megan had the physical size to fetch rebounds and score from very close range. but she, like Stefani, became timid when matched up against better-muscled ballplayers. All of the Generals’ losses came against teams with big strong bodies up front. Stefani, the tallest General, matched up better against the bigger opposing centers, if she could get on the court and become more aggressive under the basket. A more creative coach, Jay thought, would have found ways to use Stefani and Megan in the game at the same time.
18.
Chambersburg was the next opponent in the first game that the Generals played to a packed house. Unfortunately, the audience rooted against them. Chambersburg’s crowd was not hostile, but they were loud. They didn’t boo the Generals; they cheered their lungs out so hard for the home team they threw off the visitors’ rhythm. Chambersburg’s pep band played hearty melodies every time the home team scored, and somber ones every time Gettysburg had the ball. Gettysburg had no musical magic to urge their home crowds on for men’s games, let alone the women’s.
Chambersburg partisans had every reason to be excited. Their team was defending conference champions, their coach the returning Coach of the Year, and their varsity star, Kelsey Baumgartner, aka ‘The Enforcer’, was one of the best athletes that Gettysburg was likely to face before tournament time, a higher-profile prospect than Bonita. A senior, Kelsey garnered two dozen scholarship offers before the season started. The Gettysburg Times reported that she was undecided between UConn, Maryland, Duke, Penn State and Notre Dame. Rumor spread through the Chambersburg Public Opinion that the UConn coaching staff had chosen this very game to check out the player who could become the Huskies future power forward or center.
Bonita managed to get a copy of the paper through one of her dad’s friends at the law firm. She showed it to Jay before his jayvees took the court. “Wow, Coach, UConn’s looking at Kelsey! They’re the best around. I can play there!” she said, flashing her celebrity smile.
“No doubt,” Jay answered. “But you’ve got a game to play, and I’ve got one to coach.”
Chambersburg’s jayvees gave Gettysburg all they could handle. Kelsey had a younger sister, Jenni, strong at center, but not as quick or as good a passer as Danielle Gregory, who led the junior varsity Generals to a two-point win.
Chambersburg’s defense shut down Megan from the opening tip-off of the varsity skirmish. But Coach Hughes let Stefani languish on the bench, not even to allow Megan to take a water break. Jay sympathized with Megan as she lost battle after battle for points, rebounds, and self-respect. He looked at Stan Reynolds seated in the top row of the stands and wondered: how a supposedly loving father let his daughter take such a beating.
“Coach, let Stefani finish. Megan’s had nothing all night,” Jay said, as the team headed for the locker room at the half down by eight.
Hughes pushed against Jay’s chest. “Careful what you wish for. I might do it.”
Jay wrinkled his nose as he caught a whiff of Hughes' breath. Had the man really been drinking beer before a game? But Coach Hughes seemed in control of himself, so he quickly banished the thought. He caught up with Stefani as she moped towards the locker room.
“Kelsey’s beating the crap out of her under the boards,” Stefani said.
“Yeah, she’s killing Megan. What the hell’s Coach doing?”
Jay shook his head. “I shouldn’t say this. But I don’t know.”
Kelsey played a monster game, 24 points and fifteen rebounds, above the seasonal averages Jay saw in the newspaper. She held Megan to five points and three rebounds, and caused her to commit three fouls, garnering none.
Bonita posted 28 points, a career best, along with twelve rebounds and thirteen assists. Jay hoped that the UConn coach noticed her play. Bonita and Amanda chased after every loose ball, the only reason that the Generals were within striking distance, while Megan struggled to occupy Kelsey. With two and a half minutes remaining, they were down by six points. While varsity bench players and jayvees applauded the best they could, their coach showed no emotion. It was as if he acknowledged Kelsey’s talents and decided to surrender.
“Call time and regroup,” Jay said to Hughes.
“What the hell for?”
“Trust me. We can win this.”
Hughes threw up his arms. “Okay, fine ‘coach’. It’s your ass if we lose.” Coach Hughes called the time-out. Then, not caring what Jay did, he parked himself at the end of the bench. He sat, crossed his legs and relaxed in his seat.
“Stef, you’re in for Megan the rest of the way.” Jay looked at Stefani while pointing to the court.
Megan grunted, but she sat by Coach Hughes, who shrugged.
“Take a rest. You handled Kelsey the best you could. Stef deserves a shot.” Jay said.
“What if Kelsey elbows me below the ribs?” asked a nervous Stefani. Megan was gently rubbing a spot beneath her ribs that Kelsey had targeted throughout the game.
“Let her knock you down if you have to. We need the foul shots. I'll take points any way we can get 'em. So, you ready, Stef? Girls, y’all think she’s ready?”
“Oh yeah!” Bonita shouted. Nobody else uttered a peep. “All right ladies, we won’t lose this game. Say it loud!”
“Gen-rals!” they chanted.
“I can’t hear yoooou!”
“GEN-RALS!”
Fifteen-seconds after returning to the court, Bonita drained a three-pointer off a perfect pass from Amanda. The Generals bench, varsity and jayvee, rose from their seats and clapped loudly. Sensing the win, they, even Megan, remained on their feet, including the stunned Barry Hughes.
Stefani got a hand on the ball under the Chambersburg basket. She lofted an overhand pass to Bonita who ran downcourt to sink an easy two.
And an added bonus: Kelsey was winded from the chase to the basket.
With only half a minute left, Jay used his last time out. “Bonita, get in the face of whoever takes out that ball. Stef, get ready to grab it. Let's go home with a win. Generals on three. 1, 2, 3.”
“GEN-RALS!” they shouted, their voices now the only chorus in the gym. Chambersburg’s faithful had gone silent as their lead had shrunk to one.
Stefani rushed over to cover Kelsey, who elbowed her in the side, as expected. She slipped and dropped to one knee but recovered as the ball headed towards them.
“C’mon, ref!" Jay shouted from the coach’s box. The referee didn’t call the foul. Jay bit his lip but stayed inside the box.
The ball never made it into Kelsey’s hands. Stefani intercepted the pass. She found Bonita, running unguarded past center court, and threw a perfect strike.
“What are you doing?” the Chambersburg coach shouted at Kelsey and Company. “Get after her!”
“Go, Bonita, it’s all yours!” Jay jumped up and down like a little boy about to meet Santa for the first time.
Bonita dropped a lay-up for two.
The Generals bench jumped and squealed for joy.
The home crowd remained silent.
Fourteen seconds left on the clock. Chambersburg had enough time for a ‘Hail Mary.’ Kelsey got the ball at mid-court and fired as the seconds ticked away.
The ball tapped the sweet spot on the backboard and bounced through the net for three.
The partisan crowd erupted with cheers far louder than anything that Jay had heard at any high school game that he or his sister had ever played. Not that he could blame them. Their best player had turned a close loss into a win.
The Generals walked off the court shaking heads in disbelief. Tears rolled down Bonita’s cheeks as she told her teammates to line up to congratulate the victors. Bonita was last in line, Stefani just in front of her. While their teammates handshakes were proper, Kelsey Baumgartner leaned over as she took Stefani’s hand in hers.
“You gave all you had, great game,” she whispered. “Look forward to playing against you next time.” The Generals had the rematch at Gettysburg near the end of the season. Kelsey hugged Stefani, then let her go and hugged Bonita, still in tears, tight.
“Something tells me we’ll see each other in college,” Kelsey whispered in Bonita’s ear.
“I’d rather play with you than against you,” Bonita replied and smiled. “Maybe we’ll hook up this summer.”
Kelsey smiled, let go and walked over to shake Jay’s hand.
As he watched Jay, Stefani and Bonita interact with Kelsey, Barry Hughes rolled his eyes in disgust or disbelief.
Jay was too new to the team to tell what the head coach was thinking. No coach wants to lose this way. But a lucky shot is no one’s fault.
After Jay congratulated Kelsey,Carl Harris, the Chambersburg coach, and Barry Hughes grasped hands unenthusiastically. When Jay and the winning coach pressed flesh the man’s grip felt firm and strong, hardly a sign of a coach who almost lost.
“You had those girls hustling at the end. Good job.” Coach Harris said.
“Thanks, it’s been a privilege.”
A well-built Black man only an inch or so taller, Coach Harris leaned over and whispered. “Save it for the writers, when they decide to come out. Let me know if you want to coach with somebody else. That chump’s totally clueless.”
Coach Hughes saw the pair talking and smiling in their long handshake. After Coach Harris left to rejoin his team in victory, he called Jay aside. “Fuckin’ know it all. You lost this game. Don’t you ever push me like that again,” he said, poking Jay’s chest. “Go home. Right now. Stay the fuck away from my team.” He turned and headed towards the visitor’s locker room door.
As fans made their way out of the Chambersburg gym, Jay spotted Kayla talking to Stan Reynolds and Bobby Hancock. Both men glared in Jay’s direction as if Kelsey’s basket at the buzzer was his fault.
Jay waved to Kayla. She waved back and came right over.
“You’ve made quite an impression on those folks,” she said, watching to be sure that the two men were leaving, not walking towards them.
“Not so sure how to take that. Coach Hughes was ready to mail it in.”
“Didn’t say you were wrong,” she whispered and winked. “But be careful going forward.”