Impact Report: Be Thankful for it All. The Highs and the Lows

I've never been a fan of blowouts. It often feels like the winning team is bullying the lesser team, piling on point after point.
Challenging the lesser team to stay motivated while struggling to hold on to their faith in themselves, their teammates, and their coaches. 


Yet it's hard to call West Florida Baptist Academy (WFBA) bullies when the leading scorers Friday night at the Conqueror Classic were Makenna Enfinger, a freshman with 22 and Bryse Burkett, a 7th grader with 19, combining to outscored Snook Christian Academy entire roster which included one senior, three sophomores and juniors, and only one freshman. Even so watching I sympathize with the so called "underdog"  Until I realized the opportunity for the other "underdogs" who were on WFBA's bench. 8th grader Elissa Roberts played three minutes and got a bucket, a joyous moment not only for her but for the WFBA fans and teammates as well. Junior Lillian Charles also came off the bench for three minutes with a shot to ignite the crowd, it did not fall, however it did not fail to thrill the WFBA fans. WfBA seems to only be on the winning side of the blowouts currently undefeated outscoring their opponents 337 to 134


The opposite of a blowout is the "rollercoaster" game. A game filled with highs and lows. This is what Fort Walton Beach (FWB ) Lady Vikings and Gulf Shores (GS) Dolphins offered the fans at 
The Battle at the Beach Thanksgiving Tournament The FWB-Lady Vikings’ Senior, Alyx Hall, hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie things at the end of regulation, a high. Then FWB with a slim one-point lead and possession of the ball in the final 9 seconds of overtime, Hall decided to shoot instead of running out the clock, missed, a low. GS securing the rebound and timeout designed a play going inside to their Senior post player, Keyona Royal resulting in a foul and game-winning free throws by Royal.

Rollercoasters are not limited to games. Tournaments can have the highs and lows. Gulf Shores after the high of winning in OT on Monday against FWB, Tuesday experienced the low of a 30 plus loss to the Florida Class 4A  Pensacola Lady Tigers led by Senior Zion Perkins, scoring 19 pointa.

The Pensacola Lady Tigers will host the Pine Forest Lady Eagles Dec 3rd. The Lady Eagles are looking to get off the rollercoaster of highs and lows themselves. With a current record of 2-2 the Lady Eagles split 1-1 at the Choctaw Thanksgiving Tournment. Pine Forest (PFHS) could not match the scoring of Holmes County led by Freshman guard  Jacee Bowers. Holmes County defeated PFHS 69-47.  

PFHS returned to the Choctaw tournament on Tuesday to face Orange Park (OPHS). OPHS coming off a close five point victory on Monday against tournament host  Choctaw Lady Indians battled back and forth with PFHS no one able to pull away. Close to the end of regulation PFHS Junior Amoni Lewis nailed two free throws to tie the game, followed by a crucial steal to prevent OPHS from the win. In overtime, it was Sophomore point guard Laila Snow, along with Junior post players Za'Khiya Reese-Shaw and Cha'miya Bivins, who stepped up and hit critical free throws to carry the Lady Eagles to the OT victory.

Booker T Washington (2-0) also at the Choctaw Thanksgiving Classic came in undefeated taking on another undefeated (3-0) Holmes County. Holmes County's game plan smother Naismith Underclassman Player of Year Chamiah Francis. Freshman Jada Clardy took advantage with a very effecient 20pts, shooting 50% from the arch, 75% from 2, and 100% from the line. Clardy also led the team in rebounding with 9. Senior Guard Mi'kel Bonner added 11pts, 5 for 8 from the field was enough to get the 51-34 win.


 


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