In a small Southern town, high school athletics are often the biggest draw. Football stadiums are packed, and people sit in the same spot year after year. They know how to avoid the obnoxious fan who not only screams at the coaches but knows exactly what plays the coach should call each and every time.
It’s the same with basketball. Fans and supporters pack the gymnasium, and referees take the same verbal beating the football refs take – they’re blind, they missed the call and they must be working for the opposing side.
With every win, the town celebrates. With every loss, the town mourns but remains hopeful that next season will be the magical one.
The team that will put them in the headlines and bring pride and honor to the town.
The team that’ll bring home that impressive state trophy.
And that’s exactly what two high school basketball teams in our area did this past week up in Austin. B.F. Terry High School clinched the 4A UIL state championship title, and Travis High School earned the 5A UIL state championship trophy.
I was lucky enough to go to the Terry game, and we arrived early at the Erwin Center on the University of Texas campus. The arena was packed with fans, scouts from colleges all over the United States, UIL officials and former players.
Excitement was in the air as the 2A teams, White Oak and Brock, were on the court. On one side of the arena were fans from White Oak, a small farming town outside of Longview and on the other, the cheering section from Brock, a town west of Fort Worth.
The score rocked back and forth the last five minutes, and when White Oak won that exhausting game, the cheering from their student section raised the roof.
When it came time for Terry to take to the court, three entire sections were packed with excited fans wearing red T-shirts, the words “Ranger Pride” on the front. They faced a formidable team, Dallas Kimball, a two-time back-to-back state championship squad.
Going into the half, the Rangers were down, but they came back like steam rollers the second half, took the lead and never looked back.
When the final buzzer sounded, the on-their-feet fans refused to leave until the boys hoisted the state trophy over their heads.
After the game, fans waited near the Terry bus for almost an hour, and families, schoolmates , players and coaches took pictures with everybody, the trophy at the center of almost every shot.
That devotion was the same for the Travis Tigers. After losing the state title last year, this young team went back to Austin determined to bring home that title. And they did exactly what they set out to do accompanied by their fans who never stopped believing that trophy would find a permanent home in the Travis lobby.
Over the years, high school athletes graduate and move on. Seasons change and turn into years. For the faithful who go to games year after year and sit in the same seats, one day, there might be somebody new sitting next to you.
When you introduce yourself, there’s a chance the wistful face has a history.
“I was on that state championship team back in 2013. And, man, what a ride we had.”