Two days after the Roosevelt game I’m sitting in Mrs. Gardner’s algebra II class, lost as usual. The game continues to haunt my every waking moment. Every time I see Coach Antonelli in the gym, I can’t help but feel like I’ve let him down. It never shows on his face, but the state championship loss must have hurt him.
Coach Antonelli was an assistant to Coach Carson on the team that won the states four years ago, when I was back in middle school. Coach Carson retired after that season, and I know “Coach Ant”—as everyone calls him—would love a state championship of his own.
Coach Ant is great. No one would argue with that. Clifton has gone 17-10, 15-9 and 23-6 under him. This town has a big biddy basketball program, and it produces future talent for the high school.
Sometimes I wish I we
