On his way to the locker rooms, BJ's footsteps echoed his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. As he rounded a corner, a quote he had come across in a book recently sprang to mind: "Champions are not born at the finish line; they are made in the relentless pursuit of excellence."
BJ walked into the locker room, where he saw his teammates stretching and preparing. He walked over to Tyreek and Xavier.
"Did Coach White say who he's starting yet?" BJ asked.
"Not yet. He's probably gonna be the same guys he started during the scrimmage last week," Tyreek responded.
Gary West had a scrimmage last week against Ben Davis High School, a local school in the area. The JV team won 55-42, and the Varsity team won 72-61. BJ led them in scoring with 12 points, and Tyreek was not far behind with 11. They had a solid JV team overall.
"Let's go warm up," Xavier said, stretching his legs and leaning on a locker.
"Say less," BJ replied, finishing up tying his shoe. He was wearing a pair of black shorts and a black tank top, ready to warm up. The JV game started at 6 PM, and they had about 2 hours before game time.
BJ and the guys walked into the gym. The court had nice hardwood, with a big gray logo saying "GW" in the middle. The bleachers were medium-sized and gray. On the home side wall, there was a huge bulldog logo painted. BJ went to the corner, Tyreek and Xavier followed behind him, and he started stretching every muscle, especially his legs. He didn't want to catch a cramp in the middle of the game.
While stretching, BJ noticed an empty spot painted on the gym floor that stated "State Champions," but there was nothing in the box. He hoped to fill it one day.
Gary West High School was located on the west side of Gary, Indiana, with low expectations. Their past basketball teams had been neither bad nor good. No state championships, no major accolades. The farthest they'd made it was the second round of the state playoffs. Since the school opened, they'd had some terrible seasons and some good ones.
About 15 minutes later, Coach White walked in. The assistant varsity coach and head JV coach. Coach White blew his whistle.
"Everyone, make your way to the middle of the court," he called.
Everyone gathered on top of the logo, about 12 boys in total.
"Listen up," Coach White began. "These will be the starters for the season until otherwise." He started announcing names.
"PG: BJ Saint, SG: Xavier King, SF: Tyreek Lawson, PF: Malik Bennett, C: Andre Hicks."
"We will make adjustments accordingly. Now let's start some light sprints to get your blood flowing before you go eat your pre-game meals."
"Yes, sir," the team responded in unison. The Varsity team was in the film room, going over plays. Their game started at 8 PM, so they had more time to prepare.
After about 30 minutes of light warmups, the team headed into the locker room to eat the Chick-fil-A meals they'd gotten before the games. BJ's go-to meal was chicken strips with a large fry and sweet tea.
Coach Saint walked in just as the boys were digging into their pre-game Chick-fil-A meals. He clapped his hands, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Alright, alright," he started, grinning at their focused, hungry faces. "I see y'all loading up on carbs and chicken. That's good. You're gonna need all that energy because, if I know anything about Coach White, he's gonna have y'all running like track stars out there tonight."
He paused, surveying each player. "Just remember, fellas, it ain't just about looking good out there even though you better be making this school proud with those uniforms. I want hustle, I want fire, and if you're giving anything less than that... well, I'll be on the sideline watching with a disappointed look."
The team laughed, nodding along, but they knew he was only half-joking. Coach Saint continued, his tone shifting just a bit.
"Now seriously, play like you want that win and trust each other out there."
As the team finished up their meals, Coach White gathered them in the locker room to go over a few last-minute plays. He pulled out the clipboard, sketching out some quick offensive and defensive sets on the whiteboard.
"Alright, listen up," he said, tapping his marker on the board. "Bloomington North's JV squad has some size, but we have speed. So we're gonna focus on quick transitions and pressure defense. BJ, I want you to set the tempo and keep our pace up. Tyreek and Xavier, work the wings. Keep moving without the ball. Make them chase you, make 'em tired. We'll be rotating you guys often to keep fresh legs on the court."
The team nodded, soaking in every word. BJ's mind was already running through scenarios. Coach White wrapped up with a few more pointers on defense, emphasizing communication and intensity.
Just then, the sound of footsteps and chatter filtered in from the hallway as Bloomington North's JV team entered the gym. BJ glanced at the doorway, spotting their opponents in their maroon and white warm-up gear. They looked solid—tall and athletic, with a few players who definitely had a size advantage over Gary West's JV squad.
Coach White noticed the Bloomington players too and gave the team a calm look.
"Alright, boys," he said, voice steady. "They might be bigger, but remember who's better. We play our game, not theirs. Let's get out there and show 'em who's in charge."
The team did a final huddle, hands stacked together in the middle as BJ called out, "One, two, three—!"
"West Side!" they yelled, breaking the huddle.
As they headed out toward the gym for warm-ups, BJ felt his adrenaline start to rise. It was almost game time, and he was ready to make this night count.