by Rich Wallace
The breeze was blowing harder now, rustling the leaves above him as he ran. He wasn’t ready for McDonald’s just yet, wasn’t ready to join his teammates. He needed a few more minutes alone, to feel his body moving, to make today’s memories permanent.
He picked up his pace for a couple of blocks, opening his stride and running like a back in the open. He inhaled deeply and listened to the night, to the familiar hissing and whistling of the wind in the treetops. It sounded just right as he sprinted along the backstreet.
It sounded like a football stadium.
It sounded like “Manny!”
It sounded like the roar of the crowd.
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READ AN EXCERPT FROM
TECHNICAL FOUL
WINNING SEASON #2!
Hudson City had cut the lead to one point. This defensive sequence would make the difference. “Stop ’em!” came Spencer’s cry.
Half a minute remained. The ball came in to the Memorial center. He turned and faked to his left, but Jared had been watching that move all day. When the center pivoted to his right to shoot, Jared was ready. He leaped and blocked the shot, swatting it cleanly toward the sideline. Spencer got to it first, and Hudson City had a chance to win.
Spencer dribbled past midcourt and called Hudson City’s final time-out.
“Get the ball inside,” Coach Davis said in the huddle. He tapped Jared’s chest with a finger. “We’re putting this on you, Jared. You win this game for us. You do it.”
Jared swallowed hard, but he wasn’t nervous. He wanted that ball. Let the guy grab me, Jared thought. Let him foul me, let him try to stop me. I’m going to score.
“De-fense!” came the chant from the bleachers. “De-fense!”
And when the ball came to Jared, he did what he needed to do. Up and over his defender, who pushed back and grunted, leaving his feet and reaching toward the backboard. Jared’s shot was clean and sure, drifting above his opponent’s hands and into the basket. Hudson City was back in the lead.
Memorial frantically brought the ball up with the seconds ticking away. A long shot at the buzzer fell short. The spectators were suddenly silent.
Jared pumped his fist and hugged Spencer. Hudson City was back in business.
“That’s it. That’s the Hudson City way,” said Fiorelli as they walked off the court. “They’re like, ‘We’ll stuff these guys. We can hold and foul and talk trash all day,’ and we’re like, ‘Talk all you want. We’ll put it right back in your face.’ ”
Fiorelli turned to Jared and gave him a hard high five. “That’s right, Mr. T!” he said. “You! You! You! You showed ’em. You did.”
Jared didn’t say anything. He just smiled broadly and shook his coach’s hand as the team made its way to the bus.
ALSO BY RICH WALLACE
Winning Season Series
Double Fake
Fast Company
Technical Foul
Restless: A Ghost’s Story
