Chapter 40

THE STATE QUARTERFINAL game was never in doubt from the time the Angelines took the court. The Falcons played hard, but they didn’t have either the speed or endurance of the Bartley team. Several hundred fans were in the stadium. Bartley fans mostly arrived about the same time the teams came in for warmups and the cheerleaders did a good job of getting them whipped up. The arena got very noisy for one of the best attended games of the tournament. It looked like everyone in the Bartley School District had come to Des Moines. There was always the chance the Angelines would lose and this would be their last opportunity to attend.

The five hundred fans scarcely made a dent in the 17,000-seat arena, but their tickets were all in a block and other teams, fans and opponents filled a few thousand of the seats. Three 3A quarterfinals were played at five, seven, and nine. Bartley was the second of the evening games. Four 5A quarterfinals had been played earlier in the day.

The girls huddled around Ardith just before they were introduced and got ready for the chant. The Bartley fans got silent as the cheerleaders watched the huddle.

“What are we going to do?”

“Run run run!”

“Who are we?”

“Angelines!” As soon as the girls gave their shout, the cheerleaders led the house in chanting, “Angelines, Angelines, Angelines!”

Introductions were made for the team, visitors first. They were introduced as the Region 5 Champions of Hugh Bartley High School. As the announcer read off the names, the cheerleaders had the fans repeat. “Go, Brenda!” “Go, Daniella!” “Go, Roberta!” And down through the team. For the first time this season the announcer continued past the team. “Assistant team manager, Lana Brown. Team manager, Dennis Enders. And Coached by Ardith Graves!” Each of them got a cheer from the fans and then the fans yelled, “Go, Angelines!”

Determined not to be out-yelled, the Falcon fans on the opposite side of the arena cheered each of the fifteen members of their team, their managers, and their three coaches. The school was introduced as ‘three-time Region 6 Champions.’ This arena was familiar to their fans. Everyone stood quietly as the teams faced the flag and the national anthem was played. The horn sounded and the starters took the floor. Ardith started the youngest players, putting Amy at point guard, Leanne at breaking guard, Judith and Diane at forward, and Rosie at center.

Surprising everyone, most of all the Falcons, Rosie got the tip and sent the ball to Judith. Judith made a quick bounce pass to Amy who threw the ball as hard as she could downcourt where Leanne picked it up and laid it in for the first score. It had happened so quickly that the Falcons didn’t have players downcourt yet to inbound the ball. Judith and Diane did well under the boards, scrapping for the rebounds, which were plentiful under the Falcons’ goal. Unfortunately, Judith drew a foul and the Falcon player made her shot. By that time, the Angelines held a six to five lead. The horn blew and Amy came off the court as Daniella came in. She replaced Judith at forward and Judith moved to breaking guard to inbound the ball to Leanne at point. The Falcons were confused about who they were guarding as Leanne brought the ball downcourt waving two fingers in the air to call the play. The Falcon forward stuck with Judith and was far out of position when the ball was passed to Daniella in the corner and put up for three.

The frequent substitutions and changing of positions served its purpose to keep the Falcons confused. At one point, the five-ten Falcon forward found herself going up for a rebound against five-foot-tall Brenda. She brought the ball down looking over the head of her opponent. Brenda slapped the ball out of her hand, turned, and placed a hook shot right through the hoop.

“Swish!” they all heard an excited Peg yell from the stands.

At the half the Angelines led by five. They got water and towels. Dennis and Lana went down the bench giving each a hug and a word of encouragement as Ardith gave them her half-time speech. The horn sounded and the team ran to the floor to meet the Falcons once again. Overall, the Falcons were a taller team, but the Angelines opened their lead throughout the second half and won the game by a score of 52-31. Dennis made sure each of the girls dried themselves thoroughly as possible and had their coats zipped before they were led outside to their bus for the trip home. It had begun snowing, not unusual for the first week of March, and Dennis looked out the window, thinking of his Dad not being able to drive a plow. Maybe never again.

“What’s got you so quiet?” Lana asked from beside him on the bus.

“I was just thinking about my dad. We were just a few blocks from the hospital where he is and I didn’t even get a chance to visit him. I guess that made me a little sad,” he said. She reached for his hand and held it the rest of the way back.

The girls were in a playful mood as they had the tape cut off their ankles and ran to the showers. Even Lana got a kiss on the cheek from Amy, who had already removed her shirt and bra.

“Toss your undies in the uniform bag,” Dennis called to them. “And your warmups. I want you all fresh and ready for the game on Thursday.”

“Dennis, you really don’t need to iron our underwear,” Natalie said from the shower door. Dennis just stood and stared at her naked form. Lana gave him a nudge.

“I think she’ll stand there like that all day if we don’t quit looking at her,” she giggled. Dennis turned to look at Lana and Natalie disappeared back into the shower.

“We?”

“I don’t want to get naked, but I don’t mind looking,” Lana said. “Did you really iron their underwear?”

“Oh, yeah, I guess I did. It just seemed wrinkled. And I want everything perfect since we’ll be wearing burgundy on Thursday.”

“Who will we play?”

“The answer to that is the winner of tomorrow morning’s first game. But the brackets have been set already and we know we’ll be the visitors at four o’clock Thursday afternoon.”

“You really take care of them, don’t you?”

“Hey, they’re my girlfriends. I love them.”

“Hmm. Maybe I’ll become one someday.”

Dennis looked at his assistant and picked up his kit to get it put away and lock the equipment cage.

“Come on, boyfriend. Amy and I are taking you and Lana home,” Brenda said. “Come on, Lana!”

“I’m on my way. I just needed to change clothes so Dennis could have my warmups to launder,” she said, hurrying to catch up. She deposited her warmups in the laundry bag Dennis was holding.

“I’m such a slave,” Dennis moaned. “Why aren’t you doing the laundry.”

“Can I?”

“No.” All four started giggling as they got in Brenda’s car. They were still reliving high points of the game and Peg’s shouted ‘Swish!’ when they got to Lana’s house.

“Um ... Why don’t you all come in for hot cocoa before you go home,” Lana said.

“Is it okay?” Amy asked.

“Let me check.” Lana quickly typed a text message to her mother and the answer came back a few moments later. “Mom says come in and get warm before you go home,” Lana said. All four piled out of the car and ran to her door. The snow was still falling and there had been a good inch or two on the county road. Dennis quickly called his mother to let her know where he was and that he’d be home a little later. She said that was fine and to tell Brenda to drive carefully.

“It’s so nice to see someone actually calling his mother instead of just sending a text message,” Elsa said, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

“Oh, my mom doesn’t have a cellphone. I’m the only one in the family who has one.” He paused and thought about it. “I um ... guess I’ll have to give it back to Coach after the game Saturday. It’s not really mine.”

“Dennis, are you saying you are the only one with a cellphone in your family and it’s borrowed?” Randolph asked, coming into the kitchen where the four teens sat with mugs of hot chocolate. He accepted a cup from his wife.

“Yes, sir. We’ve never been able to afford things like that. This is what Coach told me was called a ‘burner phone’ in modern mysteries and thrillers. You buy it with a set number of minutes on it and then if you want to keep using it you have to refill it when it runs out. Mostly, the only person I call is Mom and everyone else just texts,” Dennis responded.

“Well, I thought I was on the trailing edge of technology. I’m barely in range of a cell tower when I’m harvesting in the next section.” He thought better of telling Dennis that he’d leased his father’s old farmland from the new owner.

“I’m sure things will get better when Dad gets out of the hospital,” Dennis said confidently. “We could sure use him tonight if this snow keeps up.”

“Speaking of which, we really shouldn’t stay much longer,” Brenda said. “We need to be sure we can get home.”

The kids continued talking and telling parents about the game—which they’d attended—for another five minutes and then Brenda, Amy, and Dennis stood to get their coats on and leave.

Amy jumped into the car in the back seat with Dennis and jumped him as soon as the car was in motion. She sat facing him and straddling his lap as they began kissing.