The bell rang and it was time to get dressed and start heading to the bus but first we changed in the Locker rooms. I was waiting the whole day and it was finally time I checked and sure that I had my jersey, shorts and shoes. I got all my stuff on and we went to coaches room to eat snack. We had Gatorade bananas and granola bars. We then had extra time to do our homework so that after the game when we are all tired we wont have to worry about it. We then finished all of our homework by 2:30 we were on the bus. Coach called our names to make sure we were all there. 

     We were all stretched out and we were getting our last shots in as the clock was winding down until tip off. Coach Willeke has been preparing us for weeks and now it’s finally time for our first middle school basketball game at Berkley Prep. Coach Willeke announced the starters and they were Shane, Aiden, Josiah, William and myself. When he called my name I was exited and nervous at the same time.” I was actually starting at my first ever basketball game.” We saw our family and our friends in the stands and we knew they were ready to cheer us on.

    We were about to start the first quarter,  but before we pray and talk about the game plan. He starts talking about the next play and our strategy and, of  course, our positions. The two captains go out and shake the opponents hands and the referees  came to tell us what he will allow us to do. After we shook hands, we came back to the bench to huddle up. “Family!” he told the starters to go out on to the court. For the tip off, I was jumping to try to tip the ball to one of my teammates. I couldn’t believe I was about to start my first ever basketball game. The referee told us which way we were going. The ball went up in the air. I jumped as high as I could and tipped the ball to Shane and he grabbed it and drove down the lane to the basket. He banked it in! It was so easy and simple. Just like that the score was two to nothing. Our defense ran a 3-2 trap which means we forced them into the corners so it would be hard to let them get through and they were stuck. This type of play  forces them to try to pass it and usually this will cause them to force a bad pass. When he came up he tried to pass it and I tipped it and landed right into my hand. I had a fast brake layup with nobody around and I scored my first two points! Later on in the end of the first quarter we were up 9 to 0, they still had not scored any points. I thought they would have scored at least one by now. Coach pointed out that we should keep passing down the middle because nobody was there to defend the middle. Coach said that right when the point guard passes to Josiah or myself, Shane should cut right down the middle and do a simple layup which worked all throughout the 2nd quarter and by the end the score was 12 to 4. We were still winning! At halftime we were just shooting around and I made 3 baskets. After we were done shooting around, we put the basketball back in the rack

and went to go get water.  The players who did not get a chance to play in the first half of the game were able to play for now because we were up by 8 points.
     The second half started, we were on the bench cheering on our teammates.  While they were playing, they scored 2 more points before the starters went back in at the end of the third quarter. The backups did not allow the other team to score one single point. The score was now 14 to 4. We went back into the game and instantly they scored a 3 pointer. This bumped them up by a couple points. Now they were starting to come back. We took our time to try to waste some time so they would not have a chance to come back. After we ticked off 20 seconds, we shot it and missed. They got the ball and started to rush down the court before we got set to stop them. They drove in and got blocked and I grabbed it and threw it down the court for somebody to chase it down and do a layup on the other side of the court. Nobody was able to get it so it rolled out of bounds and they took possession. With five minutes left in the 4th quarter the other team took a time out to talk about what they would do next to try to score quick points. We went back out to the court and went back on defense. The first play they lobbed the ball for their player to catch it. We blocked and waited for us to set up  on offense. We passed it to the middle and then kicked it out to the wing on the other side. He shot it and bounced off the rim but we got the rebound a and put it back in. They passed it in and the ball hit his foot and rolled right to me. I dribbled to the basket and got fouled. I had two free throws. The first one fell short and hit the rim. The second I tried to shoot harder and it went in.

     The end of the game we ended up winning 22 to 9 against Berkley. I was so exited winning my first game. After I said by to my dad as he left to go back to his house I walked back to the bus and got my bag . And handed to my mom to take it to the car.