Clutch

Wednesday, January 8th, the Girls' Varsity Basketball team was in Reading.

Yes, you're seeing that right.  The score board shows all tied-up at 45 with 0.9 seconds on the clock and Ashli O'Neal is on the free throw line trying to make her second in a row.  No pressure, right?  If you weren't there, you must have missed something special.  I know because it's been like pulling teeth trying to get folks to submit stories from any one of the Winter Sports. The email I got from this particular game shut down the Gmail servers for over an hour last night.  (Yes, I'm exaggerating, it was only like a half-hour - tops.  I'm trying to make the post seem as action packed as the game but that's a tall order.)  For those of you still on the edge of your seats waiting to hear if she made the shot, check out the picture below... that would be a YES.   Final 46-45 

There are so many cliches relating sports to life that it's difficult for a third-rate writer like myself to make certain statements without sounding glib.  So I promise I won't phrase anything following like "playing through the pain".  

I'm not sure Ashli was the only heroic one on the court.  Reading's #22 Aislynn Hartman shows up in several of Arch Cunningham's photos.  It may be a trick of the camera, but in quite a few she looks like she is in terrible pain.  I'm impressed.  If it were me, you might see one picture of me in pain, then you would see loads of pictures of me on the bench taking it easy.

Thanks to 6th grader, Parker Hampton, for the lead picture, and 

Thanks to Arch Cunningham for the other outstanding pictures.

See more HERE