After much cajoling we managed to talk Megan into at least trying out for the Lone Peak sophomore basketball team. Megan is a gifted athlete and has always been quick and fast, but she wasn’t sure if that would be enough. I told her to win every race the coach threw at the team during tryouts and she would stand out because “you can’t coach speed”. She made the team.
In the first quarter of her very first game she got mugged on a layup (no foul called) and fell awkwardly on her right wrist. We could tell she was in pain. She got fouled again a few minutes later and had to shoot a free throw. She made it even with her injured wrist. We took her to the doctor for x-rays several days later which confirmed a small fracture in her right wrist.
So she spent the next several weeks in a cast. She still went to practice, ran, and worked on her left-hand skills and ball handling. But, she missed all of the pre-season games and almost half of the region contests. She healed, and eventually earned back her starting position.
We really enjoyed going to the games she did play in. It was fun to watch Megan compete. She had a really good season with great teammates and friends.
Our favorite game to watch was the last game of the season against rival Pleasant Grove. PG had won handily the last time they played. Pleasant Grove has a freshman guard named Eva Ongoongotau who an incredible player. She starts on their varsity team, but comes to play sophomore ball to get additional minutes and experience. Eva came into the game mid-way through the first quarter and the first time she touched the ball she buried a three-pointer. Megan’s coach called a time out and told Megan to guard her.
Megan played incredibly well, never coming out of the game and sticking with PG’s star player step-for-step. She played Eva super tight, basically shutting her down. Megan had tons of steals defensively and hit a couple big shots. It was a close game near the end and Megan hit a crucial jumper from the free-throw line to put her team up with 38-32 with about 2 minutes left. After a bunch of running the clock and some back and forth, Megan got fouled with 6 seconds left. Lone Peak was only up by 2 points, 38-36. Megan calmly knocked down the first free throw to go up by three. They ended up winning 39-36 after PG missed their desperation heave at the buzzer.
Great season Megan! We’re proud of you for working so hard!
MightyJohnsons 