The taste of victory is oh so sweet!
Since I was a little girl I had been watching Bishop Carroll athletic teams go to the state tournament. As a freshman I watched the chance of going to state slip through our team’s fingers. Now, finally after a five year state tournament drought for Bishop Carroll`s girls basketball teams, I get to be a part of something special.
As a team, we were able to surpass Goddard high school and Andover Central in the sub-state games. Andover Central was ranked as the first seed in our sub-state and that made winning the game that much sweeter. I think that we really came together as a team and played according to our team motto; “play every game like it’s your first game, your last game, and your only game.”
We had the “fight” as Coach Dugan would say. I was so extremely proud of each and every one of my teammates, one being my little sister Whitney who is a sophomore. She played some big minutes, put in two free throws and actually listened to me on the court for once! I remember yelling at her at one point to run the play and she executed it exactly how we were taught in practices. It is really a cool experience being able to play with my sister. We fight at least once every single practice and in games we get onto each other, but mainly because we just want the other to do and be the best we can.
I can always here her cheering me on from the bench and every time we are in a timeout she always has my water bottle in hand to make sure I get a drink first. She`s a true teammate, my best friend and my sister all in one and I love it! During the game against Andover Central, I hit a three pointer from the corner that was a big turning point in the game. Looking over to the bench, I saw everyone jump up and go crazy, I could hear all the fans clapping and whistling for my teammates and me. It made the whole team pick it up on defense and continue to stick it to them on offense by driving to the basket and being more confident in our shots. I can remember assistant coach Gary Cundiff saying to me in a timeout after I hit that three, “It only takes one Brooklyn, good job, keep shooting though! You gotta keep shooting.”
These words are the story of my life though because I get told every game that I need to shoot more shots. That three pointer was the only one I took the whole game, but it was the one we needed to get going on a run.
When the clock hit zero, I had to be reminded to go through the line to shake hands, and after that I had to find my sister! I always like to be at the end of the line, and she of course was at the front, so after I bumped into a few teammates who congratulated me with hugs, Whitney went airborne and flew into my arms engulfing me in a hug and excitement. There is honestly nothing better than getting to go through this experience with my sister. It is something that I will remember for the rest of my life, and I’m glad to have a picture to capture the moment.