March 15, 2019
Both teams worked extraordinarily hard to put points on the board. The score, 6-6, can be seen in the background as this Rocky player attempts to break the tie.
An exciting and tense game between Fossil Ridge High School and Rocky Mountain High School ended the Unified Basketball regular season at home with a bang. Monday, March 11, Fossil battled Rocky, going back and forth between ties. It was the perfect end to an exciting season and a bittersweet goodbye to the hardworking seniors. One senior, Robert Stone, said his favorite part was “The adrenaline, I get so much adrenaline pumping through my heart” The games were certainly adrenaline-filled.
The first quarter started quickly, with Rocky and Fossil tying again and again. David Van Skiver scored the first basket, with Jaden Parker swooping in seconds later and scoring again. However, Rocky’s Black Team answered, tying it up, 4-4.
Senior David Knuckey broke the tie. With just five minutes left in the first half, Rocky met Fossil at 6-6. After a few minutes of fast play, David Van Skiver tied the game with seconds left. The final score for the first half was 13-14 Fossil.
With 14 minutes left in the second half, Rocky pulled ahead 16-14. Star player and number 35, Jaden “JP” Parker quickly answered, scoring another two points to tie the game.
With only 13 minutes to go, Rocky shot and scored a three, breaking the tie. Again, a few minutes later, Rocky scored, putting them in a 21-16 lead. Junior David Knuckey got nothing but net as he scored a basket, making the score 21-18 Rocky. Rocky’s Black Team scored a rebound, adding another two points to their score. Senior Robert Stone helped Fossil out, making it 23-20 Rocky.
With time running out and the game getting closer and closer, Rocky scored another four points, to bring the score to 27-20 Rocky. Twins Kaden Samuel and Brendon Samuel, numbers 34 and 10, worked together to try to break the tie, scoring two. Fossil’s number 24, David Van Skiver, swooped in and put up two more for 27-24 Rocky.
Rocky, determined to win, made it 29-24. With two minutes left on the clock, Brendon and Kaden score a rebound to make it 29-26 Fossil. With seconds left on the clock, Rocky brought the the final score to 31-26.
Senior Mary Maddocks recapped the game perfectly, explaining, “As a team we did super well, although we didn’t win, we still played our hardest.” Maddocks’ favorite part of the sport is, as she describes, “Special needs students get the spotlight and they’re able to compete in really fast-paced sports” Maddocks came into the sport because of her brother, and she has continued to play and support those around her since.
All students fought hard at this high-speed, tense game. This game was also a farewell to many traditions, students, and friends. The seniors saying goodbye left an impact on the team, and the students staying to compete another year are so thankful for these friends.
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