Last night was an intense match for basketball between the North Forsyth Raiders and the Lambert Longhorns inside the electric Raider Arena. The varsity girls started off the night and they narrowly lost to Lambert, setting up some high expectations for the next match between the boys.
Not only was the crowd huge for both games, but the North Forsyth Raider Marching Band was also performing in the stands, lighting up the arena with some fun tunes! Sophomore Caleb Meeks says, “I think the band provided a bunch of hype and energy to the atmosphere.”
To kick off the boys’ game, there were five starters: Kobe Moore, Sam Hazlewood, London Callaway, Michael Akinrinmade and Patrick Carnes. These players would push North Forsyth very far throughout the game.
Once the game began, the Lambert Longhorns took charge and at the end of the first period, the score was 11-17. North was showing a mild frustration as many of Lambert’s defenders were very skilled. However, North continued to keep their head on the court.
By the end of period two, Moore was noticeably providing the majority of three-point shots, which in turn racked the score up to 23-33.
Once the Raiders had a half-time to gather their thoughts, it was time for the third period. It was even more evident that they possessed so much more passion behind every pass, showcasing some efficient teamwork.
North bounced back, following very closely and by the end of period three, the score was 41-45. With North catching up quickly, there was an evident tension between the crowd and the court; many spectators were on the edge of their seats.
Once period four began, spectators began to stand up all around the Arena, screaming for their team. Tension on the court built exponentially, especially as Callaway scored two one-pointers, bringing North even closer with the new score of 43-45.
With one minute left in the final quarter, it was hard to tell the outcome, as both Lambert and North were striving for victory; however, North racked it up to a tie at 55 points. The crowd became insanely heated as they played into overtime.
At the end of the first overtime, Callaway made another appearance and gained two free throws, pushing the tie even further to 61 points.
Miraculously, the game went into a second overtime. North was pushing hard, but Lambert met them with equal force. Spectators began to move to the lower levels of the Arena, both teams became tired and Lambert swooped in for the kill. The final score was 71-77.
