Winning sometimes doesn’t look like winning, especially when there are no criterias to winning and all you wanted was to achieve something. Sometimes even if we achieve what we want to achieve, it doesn’t mean you have won, and if you don’t achieve what you wish to have achieved, it doesn’t mean you have lost either. You guys need to understand this if you are going to come here next year. To be honest, I didn't really expect you guys to perform at this level and even though we lost today, I am happy you all put your all into the game; These were coaches words after we entered the dressing room, but like me, none of us were feeling the nonsense he was spitting out of his mouth. We couldn’t understand why on earth he would tell that crap knowing fully well we were robbed off a game we could have won because the referee is a teacher of the opposing school and we played the game in their school.
It was supposed to be a fair tournament, we were the favorites to win, we pressed them hard, made them commit silly fouls that should have earned us points, but the referee just continued saying play on. Even in times when we were supposed to be giving a free throw, especially the three times I was pushed from the back while standing on the key, it was a clear foul, but the referee would not just do his job and call it. Caleb could not take it any longer, and was sent off in the middle of the game putting the pressure of long passes on me alone. I knew the referee saw him as a greater threat than our forward Collins. Because no matter the runs the likes of Collins made, there was no one as good as Caleb to control the game flow.
It became hard for a shooting guard like myself to also get the ball. Strength was not my great asset, but no one could deny my shooting ability. I still managed to get 33 points for my team making me second to Collins 35 points. But we lost 87 - 88 to a team of lazy players. We were not just angry, we were full of rage, more angry at our coach for not standing up for us, leaving us at the mercy of all the officials and making us look like rebels before the public by doing nothing even after seeing the other teams assistant coach talking trash about our team. I think he was happy we lost because of the shock on his face when a man came to the dressing room to give him a letter stating we qualified for the next round based on points gathered from 6 straight wins and one team being disqualified for cheating with adults instead of teenegers in a game of basketball.
The atmosphere went cold not because we were not happy about our win, but because for some stupid reason, the coach's words were beginning to make sense. We were winners even though we lost and would be facing the same team that beat us with the help of the referee. Our cold expression soon turned to that of determination. We will be facing this same team, but this time it would be on a different court, a different official, and a more determined zeal to win. The D-Day felt like any other day, and everything happened so fast that it seemed time moved with the speed of light. We ended up winning 106 - 79 showing they won by mere luck, and even if they used all their best players, we were winners before the game started.
THIS IS MY ENTRY INTO THE INKWELL CREATIVE NONFICTION PROMPT #123
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