THE ROUT

It was clear The Old Rats motorcycle gang had gotten to the referees, either with cash or threats of violence. Not a single foul was called on the Bramble Prowlers. One’s sense of fairness is often malformed in high school, but the Saint Syncletica Anchorites were not taking it well. They whined and yelped and fell on the court. Play was stopped to wipe blood off the basketball.

The star forward of the Anchorites was a blond stud saving himself for marriage. By the end of the third quarter, he was sobbing on the bench with just four points. The Prowlers, understanding that they had carte blanche, would smack him in the head everytime he took a shot. Would he turn the other cheek? Would he love his neighbor as himself? The brawl was inevitable.

I admit to being part of a mob whose goal was to intimidate teenagers. It was cathartic and fun. Kids are resilient, and Prowler fans needed this.

Bramble High was a public school, and the highest virtue its students aspired to was citizenship. So, unlike the Saint Syncletica Anchorites, there was no moral component to basketball. A scuffle snowballed when one of our player’s mothers leapt over the banister onto the court to defend her son. The whole crowd stood up. A Bramble cheerleader got knocked down. Then the whole gymnasium went berserk.

The Old Rats motorcycle gang members in attendance stood by the exits, smiling and thanking the Saint Syncletica fans as they streamed out. The referees ended the game early with the Prowlers winning by 28. The footage would be reviewed by league officials to determine the outcome. The Anchorites loaded their bus and sped off.

Would the Prowlers make the district tournament? It seemed inconsequential. There was a party in the parking lot, and someone handed me a beer. I was reminded that at the end of the Gospel of Mark, the disciples abandon their teacher to die. Was this the town at its best or worst? There would be a reckoning.

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