By: Joel Melidona, BDTV228 Sports Intern
On Friday, December 13, 2019 the Oak Forest High School Bengals took on the Richards Bulldogs in an epic home court showdown. The sophomore teams were head to head the whole game until the finals seconds.
In the fourth quarter, the Bengals made a push to make a comeback. After multiple scores on both ends, and a clutch fade-away made by John Tormey (Bengals). The Richards Bulldogs coach took a timeout. The starting guard, Tormey came into the huddle with immense confidence.
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“I feel like Jordan," Tormey stated.
Coach Jason Pierson continued to cheer on the team. He told them stay strong and continue to play hard - even on the very last play.
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Pierson's mentoring and wise words payed off.
Tormey drew a foul off a layup and got to shoot two free throws. He sunk the first one and put the game to 49 a piece. He then missed the second one. With hustle though, Tormey grabbed his own rebound. The ball had then been passed around to play maker Myles Henderson (Bengals), who drew the defenders to the middle of the lane and then kicked it out to Tormey. With only a few seconds left, Tormey got the ball on a strong pass and hit a three to take the lead.
BDTV228 Sports Intern and OFHS Bengal Joel Melidona covered the thrilling sophomore boys basketball game on Dec. 13. Didn't attend? Curious what happened? Thank Joel, he has the scoop at https://t.co/CMIv6064Fs He even captured the big moment for you! pic.twitter.com/YLRBGwz3TG
— Oak Forest High School (@ExperienceOFHS) January 10, 2020
On the final play, with 0.4 seconds left, Nathan Phillips (Bengals) stood in front of an inbound Bulldogs player denying any ball that would come past him. With not many options, the Richards in-bounder kicked it out to his fellow player Santiago Rios in the corner to try and send the game to overtime. With a bounce off the rim, the ball fell to the ground and sent the Bengals to their first home win of the season.
In in varsity basketball news, the Bengals continue to demonstrate command after court with an impressive season that currently stands at 14-1. Tonight, they'll take on the Oak Lawn Spartans at 6:30 pm at home. The Spartans are currently 14-2, so it's sure to be another thrilling game!
Stay up to date with all Bengal basketball related news by following the teams on Twitter @OFHShoops
