Post-season: Crunch-time, the do or die point of a basketball season. This is the place where dreams of greatness are made and broken.

This situation was now thrust upon us. Many reveled in it, others shied away. Rather than being able to remain dormant (something we all so much wished to do), we were summoned by our vivacious assistant coach to attend an early morning shoot around. We all grudgingly appeared in the gym at the allotted time. According to the coach, the goal of this excursion was to get our muscles moving and our blood flowing. Whether any of us cared to give him credit, we all inwardly thanked him for this opportunity to work on our individual skills. After we had served our time, we dispersed.

Shortly after we emerged for the bus ride to the game site. It was a light-hearted ride: we joked, laughed and just had good teenage fun. As we came closer to "the site," we all began to tense up and the constraints of the bus seemed to collapse around us.

Not caring to let our apprehension show, we sashayed into the gymnasium with an air of cockiness and confidence surrounding us. We kept reassuring ourselves with the fact that we were the champions. We all knew that it would not be an easy game, but we truly believed that we could overcome anything and come out victorious. Victory would emanate for a team of our stature ... so we thought.

Pre-game warm-ups were over within a blink of an eye. Line ups were announced and it was game time. Tip-off, and it all had started. We jumped out to an early lead. After awhile, the score began to see-saw back and forth; they led, we led. Then it began. Travels, double-dribbles, three-second violations. Turnover after turnover after turnover. What was happening? Basic basketball skills and knowledge were eroding. The lecture at half-time only confirmed what we were all thinking: the turnovers were killing us. This was our last chance.

We came out with a vengeance and more fire, but even though we tried our best, it still didn't come together for us. The final buzzer sounded ... we had lost. Together we went into the locker room in silence, we were all thinking the same thing: "How did this happen? Our season can't be over; we were supposed to go so far?"

Tears flowed openly from coaches and players alike. Tears for not attaining our goal and for the fact that this was our last game as a team. Also for realizing that together during this memorable season, we had established a place in our school's history and in our hearts. l