Nailed It

Did I mention I love high school basketball? It can be so unpredictable and intense, especially during the playoffs. In a way, previous records don't matter. Both teams got to the point they are at through skill and determination.

Tonight, our lady Royals took on the Loyal Greyhounds at Waupaca High School. During sectionals a larger – and neutral – venue is used to accommodate the crowds. Hubby got a ride with friends to the game and I just hopped on the highway from Iola to Waupaca after work and was there in 15 minutes or so.

The gym was jam-packed – maroon & white on one side and Royal Blue on the other – and loud. Intensely loud. Our Pep Band did a stellar job performing pregame, halftime and between quarters. They weren't nearly as loud as the fans, though, during the nail-biting second half!

Going into the locker room after 2 quarters, our girls were leading by more than 10. That felt very good. Back on the floor, Loyal staged an amazing comeback in the 3rd quarter and by the 4th had taken the lead. A very slim one, but it scared us.

That was a bit unexpected. Incredibly nerve-wracking as it did come down to the last seconds. We had just gotten ahead by 2 and our dear girl Olivia then made 2 free throws. Up by 4 with 10 seconds and we held on to win!

Way to go, girls! I can say it was crazy fun... NOW, but man, we weren't sure of anything!

Now they travel to another neutral location – 2 1/2 hours away – to play a Green Bay area school at the Oconto Falls fieldhouse Saturday afternoon. Just one game away from a third trip to state in 3 seasons!

My fingernails can't grow fast enough so let's see if we can't keep the nail-biting to a minimum, shall we, girls?