It was a Court-Storming
As the team introductions ended and the tip-off of the 2017 Court-warming game began, something seemed off. The LHS student section is known for bringing the noise to sporting events but this time was different. From the beginning of the game every person in the student section remained completely quiet and seated, despite wearing “#GlowCrazy” colors that were still plenty loud.
Meanwhile, on the court, the Jays got off to a strong start in the silent field house as they jumped out to a quick 8-3 lead over Truman High School. The game had an odd atmosphere because every shoe squeak and bounce of the basketball could be heard.
After a good defensive stop by the Jays, junior Jordan McClellan took the ball down the court and hit the first three-pointer for Liberty, putting them up 11-3. All of a sudden the student section erupted from the stands. Every student in the section began storming the court, jumping up and down while cheering. A wave of neon littered the court with bursts of confetti being thrown.
“It was crazy,” junior Andrew Stepp said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before, especially at a high school game.”
Coaches from both teams looked shocked and dismayed at the interruption. The mob of students wasn’t on the court for longer than a few seconds before administration stepped in, sternly ordering the crowd back to the stands.
Everyone returned back to their seats as the court was cleared and a handful of students were escorted out of the field house by several principals and athletic director Jason Cahill. The students were not allowed to return for the rest of the game.
The court-storming stunt continued to delay the game because water had been thrown on the court. A custodian had to mop the floor before play could resume.
LHS was given a technical foul, giving Truman two free throws and the ball back. Truman converted both free throws and the extra possession, making it a four-point turnaround.
From there, the game continued uninterrupted, but included many nail-biter moments. At the end of first quarter it was 19-7, Jays.
During the second quarter the Jays still had the lead. Truman couldn’t seem to stop them from scoring. Only 30 seconds in the Jays made their lead 22-7. Truman didn’t score in the second quarter until halfway through the clock. The student section chanted for every play the Jays made.
“There was a lot of energy among the crowd,” freshman Allison Allain said.
With 30 seconds left in the quarter, the Jays had a foul on Truman: Truman scored two more times making the second quarter end 31-13.
During half-time, multiple students who actually belonged on the court led the show. The sapphires and cheerleaders performed right before the king and queen were announced. This year’s king was senior Brett Schwe
itzer and the queen was senior Kasey Allshouse.
In the third quarter the Jays hit 44 points and Truman had 15. They ended the third quarter with a 53-25 lead over Truman. Truman made five more points to start the fourth.
Despite the advantage gained from the technical, LHS went on to win the game 75-50 in a dominating fashion.
Despite the court-storming debacle, the student section roared their approval at the end.
