Jan. 16 was a mournful day for CORE’s basketball team, all of which were decisively worsted by the Chester Volcanoes’ spewing lava.
JV boys, while they of course lost, may take pride in theirs being probably the most respectable of the defeats, inasmuch as respective point differentials are sound indicators, having been bested by a relatively close 27-43; I jest of course, as I am sure the boys concerned are far too patriotic of our school to ever take heart from any ill-farings of any of our teams. One player worthy of particular note is Ace Sands (nombre de guerre: #14), who scored 12 points and snatched seven rebounds. The quartered scores, besides the ultimate one, which was enunciated above, are: quarter one, 8-12; quarter two, 11-20; quarter three, 17-32. Their league record is lessened to 0-2, and overall to 0-5.
The girls suffered their worst loss yet this season. The game commenced happily enough our team drawing first blood, in the person of Serina Rogers, (NdG: #10) but, like a Zulu having once wetted his assegai, but contrarily not whetted, but quenched his desire for violence inasmuch as he has fulfilled the requisite of tribal law, they then receded in their force in a scoring drought wherein the opposers ensued to sail shots valued at some 13 points past their waving arms. The proverbially grinning Brianna Hayes (NdG: #21) managed to siphon some spitting every now and then, proving herself an inestimable asset to the team, inasmuch as she secured 8 of their 13 points. The first quarter ended with the points standing as 8-18 in the guests’ favour, and matters were not rectified in the offing. The remaining quarters’ final tallies run as follows: quarter two, 9-28; quarter three, 11-46; and the final score, 13-56. Head Coach Mikayla Bumgarner attested that in spite of the somber outcome “I saw today some of the best defense my girls ever put out.” In point of fact, she adduced: “I was talking to the other [opposing] coach and he said, ‘Dang, your girls can sure lock it [that is, the opposing players range of motion] down.” She chalked up the poor showing in large part to the looming stature of Chester’s girls. “My girls were shell shocked; they were huge! I wouldn’t want to be out there.” The most most we can do is throw up our hands and kindly ask Chester to divulge to us the nature of their water supply. The girls’ overall record is tipped to 4-5, and their league record is reduced to 0-2.
Though an auspicious inauguration of the boys’ varsity game in the form of a 5-0 run raised our hopes at long last they could cap their slew of losses, no such felicity was to be had, their lead surrendered quickly thereafter, and twelve points besides, without scoring any further in the first quarter; though the early lead may be construed as a propitious presagence of something more to come. The tabulations of the quarters present the following: quarter one, 5-17; quarter two, 9-36; quarter three, 18-51; and a final score of 22-62. The league standing of the boys, in concert with the aforementioned teams, is presently 0-2, with an overall record of 0-13. This is far from their worst showing to be sure, but that is perhaps not so laudable an attainment. The best I can muster on their behalf is that no thought of lying down and accepting their licks, at this late hour, not even of the game alone, but of the season, did not come close to entering their minds; they contested every possessions with a tenacity becoming of the best teams. The best I can muster has been the choice placation of innumerable teams subjected to innumerable losses, and we can count our own gainsays amongst that number twelve times in succession before this, of this season The best I can muster I suspect presents of little interest to the reader, so let us not squander any more ink expounding on these bromides, beyond one final salve: the boys’ team, though their season has thus far been through and through a near continuous rout, are commendable players nonetheless. I had not the heart to venture to solicit from Head Coach Salberg a comment, though I am sure he would have cordially obliged me; at this juncture, I rather doubted he was desirous of once more being probed as to his sentiments provoked by yet another thrashing, and so judged it best to grant him a respectful forbearance.
The cheerleaders were, as is usual, in fine form, notwithstanding something of a false start in playing their accompanying music for the half-time show, the Bluetooth connection between Mrs. Frudden’s, the Head Coach of the squad aforeadverted, phone, from which the music was to be remotely imparted with its impetus, and the overhead speakers; this was duly sorted out in about a half-minute, wherein the girls with aplomb maintained their composure despite it being “the scariest thirty seconds of my life,” according to one of the cheerleaders, and, the musical system at last rendered compliant, acquitted themselves with vigour and technical prowess, which was generally received as enjoyable, though during the performance, there were some curious lines declaimed by the squad running akin to, “Don’t sit down crowd, stand up!” to which I was at some pains as to whether I should meet this exhortation as rhetorical or actual; I compromised by hovering myself just above my seat, coughing loudly, and sitting back down. Whether the crowd shared in this dilemma I do not know, for they all seemed to remain stock-still in their predispositions.
We here at the Insider, on behalf of the entire school, as ever bid all three of our teams better winds than today whiffled at their backs in their upcoming matches.