by Phil Wohl
EIGHTEEN
Six weeks later, Sarah emerged with a white stick and a red line. She said, “I’m pregnant.”
The feeling of elation for the couple was higher than winning any big game, or making an impact on a previously indifferent student.
“I thought the random heaving in the toilet was a dead giveaway,” Sarah said.
She did her best way to stay awake in the first trimester. The demands of her classes and her team became a bit of a grind, but it always was a grind.
Dave spent a lot of time during those three months reviewing tape – watching college and professional teams and their schemes – while his wife rested on their bed in a peaceful slumber.
He also spent a lot of time thinking of how he made the transition from child, to teenager, to twenty-something, to adult. His relationship with Haley only seemed to be a warm-up for the real thing, and Sarah was the real thing.
The season was a blur from both Sarah and Dave, balancing doctor’s appointments on the weekend with a hectic schedule during the week. Both of them would say that it was the quickest and least stressful season they had experienced in their four years as coaches.
Any lack of focus on either of their parts was equalized by two star players that were natural born leaders. Matt Phillips stepped up from day one, averaging 22 points, ten rebounds, and three assists per game, and added to those numbers once the playoffs began.
Ashley Carter was not only Matt’s equal, but she was also his girlfriend. She average 24 points, four rebounds, and eight assists per game at 5’10”, but played like a point guard. She became a huge match-up problem for every team Bailey Woods played. No matter what defense opposing teams threw at matt and Ashley, they always seemed to have an answer.
The two basketball teams combined to lose only three games all year. The girls lost two games and the boys lost only a single game. Both teams had winning streaks of at least ten games during the season and the boys ran the table in the conference, winning its final 12 games – starting the season with six straight wins and then losing to Highland Brook on a quiet Saturday Afternoon game before the Christmas break.
Oddly enough, Bailey Woods had a bye in the first round of the playoffs and then was matched up against Highland Brook in the second round. This time around, the game was at home and the outcome was decided early in the 28-point romp. Both the boy’s and girls’ team cruised into the finals and faced teams they had been unable to beat in the past.
For Dave’s team, it was Central High standing between him and another championship. The Grady Lady Bears, who had won three straight championships, stood in Sarah’s way from giving birth and winning a championship, not necessarily in that order.
Sarah was quite the trooper – carrying her baby to term and almost ready to burst – she had surpassed her due date by two days.
“I’m not concerned. This is very normal with women in their first pregnancy,” Dr. Marshall said to Sarah on the day before the championship game.
“I know the big game is tomorrow, and I’ve seen you excited on the sideline. If you want to get through this game, I would try to utilize the breathing exercises that you’ve learned.”
Sarah nodded in understanding.
“I’m going to be on call tomorrow. Oh yeah, I’m going to be on call and at the game, so make sure the little one stays inside until both games are done,” the doctor stated.
Dave was more nervous about the birth of his child than he was about the championship game. Winning or losing a championship probably wouldn’t materially change his life, but a child… well that would change everything.
The 5,000 fans at the Nassau Veterans memorial Coliseum had one eye on the Grady-Bailey Woods match-up, and the other on expected-mother Sarah. Her mind was also split between her team and the escalating pain in her stomach and her back. By the time the second quarter buzzer sounded, Sarah was convinced she was in labor. Dave and Dr. Marshall could see the pain in her face, so they scooped her up and ushered her to the nearest training table at halftime.
Sarah lost it, “I’m having strong contractions, doc!”
“Let me take a look, “Dr. Marshall said.
He took his rubber gloves off and threw them in the closest garbage.
“What you’re experiencing are Braxton Hicks contractions,” he explained.
He noticed the concern in Dave and Sarah’s faces.
“This is normal. What you’re having are false contractions. I still think you have about a five-hour window until the real action starts.”
Sarah stood up, thanked the doctor, and then walked into the locker room.
Dave hung back and asked the doctor, “How will she know when it’s time?”
Braxton Hicks may not have been a player on the court that day, but the contractions were definitely rumbling around in Sarah’s body. It was late in the fourth quarter and Sarah could see that Ashley Carter was running out of gas. This time around, Bailey Woods had an opportunity to take the last shot.
Sarah drew up a play on the dry erase board, and then was helped back up to her feet by her players. She grabbed Ashley’s arm, as the other four players walked back onto the floor.
They were a similar height, which made it easier for Sarah to talk into her ear.
“I see that you’re tired, but I’m about to give birth. You wanna’ switch places?”
Ashley took a step, looked back at Sarah, and shook her head saying, “No way.”
The clock ticked down from eight as Ashley waited like a cobra for the ball to be swung her way. Five seconds left.
Ashley came from under the basket to the top of the left side of the foul line without slowing down. Ashley caught the ball on the move and dribbled once into the middle of the lane. Three seconds. Two defenders greeted her, so she rose and fittingly shot a baby hook shot. Two seconds. The ball floated toward the basket, as peaceful Sarah Abrahams started walking from her sideline to shake hands with Grady’s coach, Gail Morton.
She had seen her star take that shot a thousand times and was certain of the outcome. Sarah also wasn’t sure if she would make it through overtime, being that the score was tied at the time.
The fine members of the Nassau Coliseum security force lined the court to ensure that the fans would not create a melee on the high-priced floor. They braced themselves as Ashley’s flip found a cushy home in the net, setting off a massive celebration. More than half of the crowd was from Bailey Woods – the town was only a three-minute drive from the home of hockey’s New York Islanders.
The uniqueness of the Class 1-A Boy’s and Girls’ Basketball doubleheader taking place on the same day for the first time ever, made Bailey Woods’ participation in both games even that more special.
Dave was ecstatic, but rush to his wife’s side to ensure her safety. They hugged and she said, “I can’t believe I’m having a baby today.”
He replied, “How do you know it’s going to be today?”
She grimaced, “A mother always knows.”