Theirs For the Taking

You want to know what I love about sports movies? The speeches. The inspirational speeches really get to me. I really liked Gene Hackman's oration before Hickory High School took the floor. I loved the "Remember the Titans" moment when Julius steps up to correct Coach Boone, reminding his teammates and coaches that up to that point in the season, they were perfect. He didn't want to leave without being perfect. And we all know how that ended up (if you don't I'm not sure how you can call yourself a fan of any sport, especially football.) But you want to know what my favorite sports movie speech of all time? It would have to be Kurt Russell's lecture to his team before the 1980 USA hockey team pulled off the legendary Miracle on Ice against the hated Soviets. Out of all the lines in all the speeches in all the movies, there's one line that Russell utters with such confidence and intensity that it inspires a team of rag-tag college athletes to pull off the greatest sports upset in all of history. It gives me chills every time I hear it.

"Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world."

It's moments like these that define athletes and make sports such a widely-loved form of entertainment. And I'm sure that as Coach Dave Meers prepares his team for the Class 3, District 8 championship game on Saturday night, there are lots of things he could talk to his team about. Because when the #1-seeded Eagles take the floor against the #3-seeded Winfield Warriors, it will be much, much more than just another game. Even more than a championship game. This, for many reasons is probably the most important game in CHS Basketball history.

First, this game may influence the outlook of Eagles basketball for years to come. In three short years, the boys basketball program has gone from rookies to favorites. The development has been incredible, and no doubt many families with aspiring basketball stars are considering Christian High School as an option for their child's education. Saturday's game is an opportunity for the program to add a highly impressive mark to their resume.

This game also firmly establishes CHS's first big rivalry. Yes, I know many people consider Barat a rival and the games are heated, but let's be honest. When you clobber a team every time you play them, can they really be your rival? Maybe you enjoy playing them, but you can't in all seriousness consider them your rival. Rivalry consists of back and forth games, intense battles of hustle and skill on the court, rough physical play, and emotional, screaming fans. That being said, Winfield has never beaten the Eagles (0-6 over three years), but every year the Warriors have improved. They've challenged the guys twice this year, and came up 3 points short both times. These two losses came on big nights for Winfield, once in their tournament and the other coming on their own court-warming night. The Warriors are out for blood. Their 3-point shooting, guard-focused, offensive-minded, style of play is a sharp contrast to the Eagles attention to defense, fast-breaks, and forwards. All of the pieces point to a great rivalry in the coming years.

In addition, this game represents redemption for the Eagles. For two years, the Eagles have had a legitimate shot at making their way out of districts, but both efforts resulted in letdowns. In 2009, the Eagles stunned a rowdy Wellston crowd by taking a 23-2 lead after the first quarter, only to lost on the final scoresheet by a 16-point margin. Last year, with an impending rematch with Wellston lurking, the Eagles were toppled by host New Haven. Two years of disappointment could be all but wiped away by a victory on Saturday night.

Finally, and most importantly, this game represents possibly the final game for two of the most electric players in CHS history, Blake Meers and Andrew Frank. For four years, Frank and Meers have entertained students and fans alike as they grew right before our eyes. Frank went from a clean-shaven point guard leading a team of upper-classmen to a bearded, strong all-around guard. Meers started as a role-playing freshman and became one of the most dominant big men CHS will ever see. Both are on the career-leaders list at CHS for points (Andrew eclipsed 1,000 last season, Blake passed the mark this year), they were both present when the coaches role switched hands as long-time athletic director and basketball coach Matt Dillon stepped down, passing the torch to current coach, Dave Meers, and their names have both lingered in the local papers as they topped the area leaderboards in multiple statistical categories. As their careers end, wouldn't it be amazing to see them lead the team to the first of many district championships? Talk about a storybook ending. These two owe it to themselves to feel the pride of being champions, not only in the district, but perhaps in the state.

So, as Saturday night approaches and the Warriors loom, the question that is running through my mind is this: what will be said in the locker room, minutes before tip-off? Will Coach Meers or Lehmann deliver a powerful and moving oration? Will one of the seniors step up and say a few inspirational words? Chances are, we'll never know. But with only a day left before this monumental event, fans can only fantasize and daydream about what may be said and how it may affect CHS basketball in the near and distant future.