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Hundreds of students, faculty, family members, and alumni crowded into the ACC last Friday to watch Milton’s Varsity Boys’ Basketball face off against rival Nobles. The energy and hype around the game was electric, for a clear goal was in place for the team: Win the ISL championship. Everyone playing and in attendance knew exactly what was being played for. Players had been making announcements, and no one hesitated in mentioning what was on the line. In reality, the ISL title was being played for, and no one involved was looking to shy away from that.
When game day finally came, one could sense a readiness in the players all day long. Their mix of excitement and nervousness would have to be controlled though, because tip-off was not until 7pm. When tip-off finally did arrive, the team was happy to be playing after a long few days thinking about the game. With all of their excitement, however, the boys were not quick to harness it in a successful way. The team fell early, trailing by a consistent five to ten points throughout the first half. At the half, they found themselves losing by only four.
Coming out of the locker room after the second half, the boys had a new sense of determination. Propelled by the cheers of a rambunctious crowd, the boys played their hearts out for the whole second half. However, they still did not see their first lead of the entire game until there were only 25 seconds left on the clock. A quick two points from Nobles, which left fifteen seconds on the clock and Milton down by a single point, quickly erased this lead. During a timeout called by Coach Lamar Reddicks, the student body had the FCC shaking with noise.
When the players were called back on the court, Nick Bland (I) quickly inbounded the ball to Max Motroni (I), who calmly took the ball down the court despite defensive pressure. After a quick pass from Motroni to Bland, who stood at the top of the key, then another quick pass to the big man, Alec Brennan (II), the ball left Brennan’s hands from right underneath the basket as hundreds of students watched from behind the rim. In an almost cartoonish manner, the ball bounced around the rim, and just before bouncing outside the rim’s circumference, a slight tip by Brennan sent it through the net. This set off an eruption in the crowd as Milton gained a one-point lead with two seconds left to play. A rushed, broken Nobles play left them with an off-balanced prayer shot from deep-three range, which fell wide. This victory caused everyone to storm the court, where Milton students met up with their heroic classmates at center court.
This moment is truly one that will be remembered for a very long time. Not only as a historical milestone of Milton’s first ISL title in boys’ basketball, but also as a moment of unity throughout all grades. Check out this video of us rushing the court!
Hi, and thanks for visiting us! We’re the leaders of Milton’s Orange and Blue Key (OBK) Society. OBK is the group of about 160 students who give tours to students and families visiting our campus. We work closely with the admission office to make sure you get a good sense of what it’s like to be a student at Milton. We hope that you’ll visit us in person, and until then, enjoy this “insider’s” view of the School we love.
