Chapter 47 The Regional Championship 4
Only Jake was treating this week like everyone else, he was more thrilled with his first trophy even being street basketball because he was the first, and he was facing opponents who were up to four years older than him.
So it was really an achievement to win this trophy, but this school championship is different, not really an achievement, although the trophy is for Jake another qualification for the next championship, and the same until winning the national championship, then yes it would be anxious, because he could say that he was part of the best team in the whole country.
If he could win the MVP would be even better, he wants to win something he could be proud of when he was joining the NBA, being the state champion should be the minimum for them.
You can tell that Jake is not as excited as his teammates because their target was another, his teammates know they will not be professional so they just want to have a medal, or a photo of them holding the trophy to hang on the living room shelf. when they have a regular job in the future.
It's like a team that has just climbed into any major football championship, such as the Spanish championship, for example, there in the first year they get fourth place in the league and qualify for the UEFA Champions League, all players and fans would go celebrate.
But if Barcelona were in the same fourth place they would be ashamed and the fans would be angry because they did not get the first place and the champion.
The point of departure between them is another so the expectation is also another, of course along with his teammates Jake also smiled as if he was very happy about it.
So the day of the game has arrived.
"Look at my colleagues, today is a very important day for all of us, our families and some colleagues from our school are here today to give us their fans to be the champion, today we will forget the possibility of playing the state championship from here two weeks and we'll do our best in this game. "
When Jake began to speak everyone would be quiet and listened to every word he said, so he paused and continued his speech.
"I also know that many of you are excited and think that we have already won this game, I tell everyone to be very careful about it, I know that we are the strongest team and that we deserve this title, but that is not why we will despise our opponents, they are also good and they have also arrived in this final like us for two years in a row, our team only won every game with ease because we gave our best and I hope we do the same today and be the champions."
So everyone will be excited by the captain's speech, Jake took a long time to think about the words he could use that would increase team morale but also put everyone down with his foot on the ground and focused on the game, and from what he saw it worked.
Coach Roy just had to stand around and watch everything without having to say anything, it was great when the players did everything without the coach having to say anything, after all the coach's job is to prepare the players and correct their mistakes, if he did not have to say anything it was because everything was fine.
So they saw their opponents the Bears team, it was an easy opponent to win over they had a well-balanced team, none of the players had big differences in their performances, that was the good part of the team, they had no weaknesses anymore it was also the defect in the team.
Because as they all played in the media, they did not have any players like Jake that made the difference in the matches, although a single player could not do it all alone, with a good team supporting him they immediately became favorites.
So the game began and their team started with possession, the Bears' PG soon picked up the ball and started to organize the first attack of the final, the Bears team quickly positioned themselves on the attacking block and soon afterward the team Jake on the defense.
Thus Jake's team lost in the positioning efficiency, so the Center the Bears were already in good position received the pass and scored the first points of the final.
Jake took the ball and calmed his team, it was good if they did not make that mistake again but there was no turning back time, so Jake advanced to the opposing court.
The Bears were already well positioned in the defense too, but that did not matter, Jake made some signs and then opened an opportunity to pass the ball, Lucas received the ball in a good position and made a mid-range shot to equalize.
Soon the Bears started with the ball calmly, they were probably trying to set the pace, so Jake's team would tire and all opponents realized they did not have good substitutes on the bench.
So Jake always tried to keep pace slower, just as PG accelerated the pace Jake soon appeared on the marking, so he tried to continue at high speed plus Jake kept the distance when he stopped to try to make a fake Jake took advantage of the mistake of opponent to steal the ball from the hands of the PG, soon as the Bears team recovered from the shock Jake was already distant running to the opposing basket, and then made 2 more points with a layup.
So Jake's team took the lead on the scoreboard and Jake showed a little of what he was hiding as a warning, that only he could control the pace of play, otherwise he would get the ball back.
Although it was a bit of a lie because it was a stroke of luck that he managed to steal that ball because the opponent lowered his guard, it worked because the PG resumed the attack at a slower pace, and Jake also continued giving more space.
The Bears' team could not be guilty of being frightened, they had wondered why no one before the game in the final tried to break the rhythm Jake was putting out so as not to tire his players, and then Jake made a show of strength like this , no one wanted to test whether it was a coincidence.
After all the teams knew that Jake could do more than he did on the court, but did not know how much more he could.
And the Bears team already started the game not hoping to be the champion, they just did not want to suffer a humiliating defeat, and no one wanted to piss off that evil star that was Jake.
And they were right, that the opponent was too hard and Jake had to stand out, he would give his all in that game to make as many points as possible.
So the Bears attacked calmly and Jake gave space, after a play so they passed to the PF who made the two points.
Then Jake's team attacked and he passed the ball to Lucas who scored the points as well.
Then the time passed and the final was so lukewarm, as Jake saw that the opponent had no thoughts about winning the game, he also instructed his teammates did not open many advantages in the points, and so the game ended up more annoying than all they thought it would be.
In fact, if someone entered the middle of the game they would see a game that seemed to be played, point to point, plus those who saw Jake's demonstration of strength at the beginning of the game and the team of the Bears calming down afterward realized that the game was the only appearance.
In fact, even Jake's team players were fooled, they were struggling thinking that the other team had come with everything, and they thought that Jake signaled for them not to attack much to not spend a lot of energy, so much so that they managed to play the game everything.
So the game ended in 48 to 42, a game that looked at the score thought it was point to point, and the players of Jake's team celebrated and shouted for having been the champions, until the cheer cheered livelily, only Jake that was to tighten the hands of his opponents and the Bears who had a proud face on their faces were not jumping.
Anyone who understood basketball knew what had happened on the court and had strange looks on their faces, it could be said that this was a unique game, some thought until the game had been combined before by the teams, only Jake the Bears and the future they would say that this was not a meaningless ending.
The players felt at that moment that Jake made that basket, that the game could not be won, and Jake also knew that they had made a certain decision not to force, and that anyone to see the games of the team of Jake in the state also would understand that when Jake gives as much as the game becomes, if the opponents just wanted to have respect, Jake did not mind to respect.
And only a few in today's game would see something strange in that, in the future everyone looked at the records just on the scoreboard and not what actually happened on the court.
But that does not change the fact that Jake won his first trophy with a team in an official game, he was happy too, especially when he saw the smile on his mother's face in the bleachers, she had worried about this game much more than he who already expected the result.
So Jake was voted MVP of this regional tournament with justice, and this was not questioned by anyone, the best player of the best team, seems fair for a short championship like that.
And so in Jake's mind was already the state championship.