With a 23-point halftime lead, Lake Point had locked down the win. But the rules demanded 16 more minutes of basketball be played, and the rules were going to get their way.
Mount Valley’s girls, continuing to struggle with their bodily changes and the height adjustment that went with them, missed shots left and right. The Vixens were having an off night, but that would only be the description made by someone extremely polite. In contrast, Lake Point’s fans were having a field night, mocking the team left and right. “You can’t catch us!” One fan held up a sign saying “Vixens Taking a Lickin’”. It was the sort of arrogant attitude that came with twelve straight years undefeated in their own barn, uncompetitive third quarters, and a steady diet of high-scoring blowouts.
Late in the third quarter, Lake Point’s lead crossed 40, and with it, the clock began to run. With two minutes to go in the third, Shan Jackson stepped back to attempt a three-point shot and was fouled by Nicole Forsyth. As Shan stepped to the line for the three free throws, Nic, who had been guarding her all game, went for the verbal jugular.
“Yo Shan, you might want to think twice before you make the trip to the Lake!”
At that moment, a team that had spent the entire evening frustrated finally snapped. Nicole, who was in one of the free throw lanes, was shoved to the ground by Ash Miller. Suddenly, the Lake Point and Mount Valley teams converged under the basket, the benches straight up clearing. One of the referees, preparing to issue a technical foul, instead was forced to scramble as some of the fans started to join in. Both officials and school personnel dove in to attempt to contain the pile, but corralling more than twenty strong girls was not easy. Ash Miller of Mount Valley had her arms around Mel Smith of Lake Point. Sam Gomez was loudly barking at a few Vixens players. The crowd cheered but looked on in awe. Several of them whipped out their phones in order to capture the moment for all eternity.
“I think that’s the most excitement I’ve seen at a Lake Point game in a long time,” one teacher quipped to the person seated next to him.
“You knew it was going to happen one day, and it finally has,” an older woman added.
Jonatha, Jade and the cheerleaders stood back. This fight was no place for a boy. As it finally wound down, the officials went to the scorer’s table and took the microphone as the two coaches looked on with extreme anxiety.
“We have made the determination to terminate this basketball game.” There were audible gasps, followed by boos from the crowd and the players. The final score, at least for the moment, was 68 to 25. “We ask that fans please exit the venue in an orderly manner, and we appreciate your cooperation.” The few Mount Valley supporters were ushered out first, followed by the large contingent from Lake Point. The Lake Point cheerleaders were called on to form a line and separate the two groups as they exited the lobby.
Jade stood keeping an eye on the Mount Valley fans when someone walked in front of him in a Vixens basketball uniform. It was Ash Miller, who had started the entire incident. She couldn’t stop, but she did, turning her head and breaking from the pack.
“Hey. You’re cute. Here’s my number,” she began as Jade, suddenly swimming in thoughts, frantically attempted to memorize the ten digits. Ash nervously looked around and realized she couldn’t stay any longer, rejoining her teammates. Nobody on the Mount Valley squad wanted to spend one minute more in Lake Point than they absolutely had to.
With the job of separating fans complete, the cheerleaders filed back into the gymnasium and past the basketball team, who were sitting on the bleachers in absolute disbelief at the events that had just transpired and hurting from the aftermath of the engagement.
The whole team was covered in cuts and bruises. Jonatha looked at them in amazement. He had heard of fights getting out of control, but not like this. One person in particular caught his eye. She had a cut lip and was currently holding an ice pack over her eye; a few blood stains specked her white jersey. Despite that, she looked beautiful, almost as if all the wounds made her hotter.
That somebody was Nicole Forsyth.
An hour later, and some miles away, the Mount Valley School District bus pulled back into home sweet home: their own gym.
As they walked in, they proceeded past the photos of state championship teams that adorned the lobby.
Erin Lindell, however, stopped in her tracks.
Where once the big wall in front declared “Home of the Mount Valley Foxes”, now it read “Home of the Mount Valley Vixens”.
To her horror, she realized that whatever had started in Lake Point had followed the girls home.
And it was spreading.
Thanks to sonnyjimjr2!
