For my grandsons who yearn to relive these unforgettable moments…

My two grandsons had tasted the thrill of victory in two championship wins against the formidable Hancock Hawks. Both victories were hard-fought, with each game ending with us holding a one-point lead. But as seasons changed, my oldest grandson moved up, leaving my youngest grandson and a few remaining players from the championship years. We knew we were in for a challenge.

The season opener brought us face to face with the Hancock Hawks once again. They were determined to avenge their two consecutive one-point losses in the championships. They came at us with relentless force and secured a victory, with the score gap reaching nearly 40 points, or something close to that. My team was disheartened, having experienced few losses in the past two years.

The Hawks had emerged as the new powerhouse, and they intended to make that clear to the league. We did lose the next game, but only by a point or two. In my post-game talk, I emphasized that, at this point, it didn’t matter who won; what was crucial was learning how to play together and how to win.

From that point on, we turned things around. We won every game, not by the wide margins of the previous years, but through sheer determination and hard-fought victories. Meanwhile, the Hawks were dominating, defeating every opponent by 30 points or more. They were, undoubtedly, an exceptional team. Interestingly, many players on their team and our team played high school ball later with Coach Jay Ladner, including my two grandsons.

As the playoffs approached, the Lakeshore Bulldogs were on one side of the bracket, and the formidable Hawks were on the other. I told my boys that the only way to seek redemption for our loss in the season opener was to meet the Hawks in the championship. So, I decided to watch each of their games closely, hoping to figure out a strategy to beat them.

I quickly noticed that the Hawks scored most of their points by pressing and stealing the ball in the opponent’s half of the court. I knew that I had only one player who could handle the ball well enough to dribble it up the court. However, if he attempted to do so, he’d be quickly trapped by at least two defenders, and we’d be heading for another heavy defeat.

So, here’s what I came up with: instead of allowing anyone to dribble, I had my grandson throw the ball in to play. Our best players positioned themselves on each side of the court, while the rest of the team remained down by the basket. This arrangement made it challenging for the Hawks to intercept the ball during the inbound pass. As soon as the ball was thrown in, my grandson sprinted to catch it and drove towards the basket if he had an open lane. If not, he would pass it to our big man under the basket, who would score.

By halftime, the Hawks had failed to change their strategy, and we had secured a 17-point lead. I don’t recall the exact timing, but it was either right before halftime or shortly after when chaos erupted. The Hawks’ coach, who happened to be Coach Jay Ladner’s assistant at Saint Stanislaus, was ejected from the game. Soon after, his son, who was the star player for the Hawks, also received an ejection. It was complete pandemonium.

At that moment, a new coach, likely the head coach of the Hancock High School girls’ team and the wife of the ejected coach, took charge and restored order and discipline amidst the chaos. I could sense that the game would likely come down to the last shot, much like the previous two championship games.

The Hawks steadily chipped away at our lead. I had set the tempo of the game so high that it became almost impossible to slow down my team’s frenetic pace, yet we struggled to score. With just a few seconds remaining, the Hawks managed a three-pointer, bringing them within one point. Then, we raced down the court, missing and easy basket. As the clock ran out, we had a one-point lead.

However, the story didn’t end there. After some deliberation, the officials added 3 seconds back on the clock and gave the Hawks possession at half-court. The gym was so deafeningly loud that I couldn’t even think straight. The Hawks inbounded the ball, and their player launched a three-point shot that seemed destined for the net. It spun around the rim before finally rolling off the side, ending harmlessly on the floor. The game was won, once again, by a single point.

It was a triumph of strategy and determination on my part, but more importantly, it was a testament to the coaching excellence of Mrs. Grieves, who took a seemingly inevitable defeat and turned it into a possibility for victory. In sports, as in life, the further you’ve come from defeat to victory, the sweeter the memory. Always remember, these were not just opponents; they were our friends, and even though we competed fiercely, we cherished the bond of friendship. God bless.

In the world of sports, when great coaches and remarkable young men come together, age becomes irrelevant, and the games take on a significance that transcends time. For me, the greatest coaches of all time will forever be Coach Jay Ladner and Coach Larry Ladner—two exceptional individuals.

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