Hustle Hard

Chapter 6

Today was Saturday and as usual there was no school, but Matt had to go to school for one reason. He had a basketball game. Matt was pretty bummed about not starting this game that he didn't even want to get out of bed, but that rooster alarm wouldn't quit. Forced by the rooster alarm Matt got out of bed. He went in the bathroom and washed up found his Westmore basketball shorts and put them on. Then, he grabbed his jersey. His jersey was light blue and black and it had his name on the back with a big white number 1 on the bottom. He admired his jersey for a while then, he finally put it on. Matt picked up his basketball and headed to school. When he got to school he found the team waiting for him.
"What's up Chicken Little." Ryan said.
"What's up bi....ta... Per....." Matt replied trying to come up with a nickname for Ryan.
"Boys head into the gym for warmups." Coach Hollywood said.
"Before we get started I just wanted to say we're playing our rivals." Coach Hollywood explained.
"What!" Matt said.
"Rivals as in the monorail Blue knights." Matt yelled.
The last time Westmore high played the blue knights Matt got into a fist fight with their starting point guard and had to sit out the rest of the game.
"Yea Matt you scared of a little challenge." Coach Hollywood teased.
"Yea what you scared of Chicken little." Ryan went along.
Then, the team headed into the gym.
"Home sweet home!" Ryan yelled.
"Sure is boys, now let's get to drills!" Coach Hollywood shouted.
So the boys did some simple shooting drills, passing drills, and some dribbling. Then the other team arrived in their black jerseys with light blue shorts. They were mocking Westmore high by wearing the same colors switched around.
"Hey punk remember me." The kid that fought Matt said.
"Oh I remember you alright." Matt explained.
Soon, after five more minutes of practice the game started.
"Boys lets get huddled up." Coach Hollywood said.
"So we're trying to score off of fast breaks remember to explode to the rim and be active on defense." Coach Hollywood explained.
So Matt and the rest of the non starters sat down on the bench. The game started. The blue nights scored five times in a row, without Westmore scoring at all. The score was now 10 to 0. Matt could tell Jackson was struggling out there, getting the ball stolen, missing open shots, missing layups, and making incomplete passes. Still the coach refused to put Matt in the game.
Finally, coach Hollywood gave in after Jackson got blocked by the defender. "Matt you're up." Coach Hollywood explained. The score was now 16-33. Matt got in the game and scored three three pointers . Making the score 26-33. "There we go chicken little!" Ryan said. "Now why couldn't you do that in practice?" Coach Hollywood said sarcastically. The game kept going and the Blue Knights kept scoring and Matt kept getting assist to Ryan. Ryan had 5 dunks and Matt had 5 assist. The score was now 36-40. Soon coach Hollywood called a timeout. "Good basketball boys especially Matt, and Ryan. Coach Hollywood said." Just then somebody yelled from the other side of the court " Matt kiss my ass." Matt knew just who it was it was the kid he got in a fight with the last time he played them.
"You know what last time we got stopped but not this time." Matt said angrily. As he was walking toward the other player. Coach Hollywood and all the other players held Matt back. "Matt you better calm down or I will kick you right off my team now sit down your not going back on the court." Coach Hollywood said. The timeout ended and instead of Matt going back on the court Jackson went out there.
The coach finally put Matt back in, in the fourth quarter with 3 seconds left and the score 90 to 87 with the Blue Knights up. Matt got the ball. He had two seconds to shoot he shot the ball from three the ball bounced up off the rim and went in. The game was going to over time all because of Matt. The crowd went wild. Matt looked at the opposite team and blew a kiss to them to mock them. Just then Coach Hollywood yelled Matt. "Matt why did you just mock them sit down for the rest of the game." In overtime Westmore and the blue knights kept going back to back until Westmore finally lose. Coach Hollywood said some final statements and then everyone went home.