On Thursday afternoon, the Summit Sharks played the Day Creek Coyotes for the first time in over a decade. The gym was filled with the screams and roars of parents and students on both sides of the bleachers.

“I felt confident in my team that they would lead us to victory. I was stomping on the bleachers and yelling as loud as I could,” said Jack R., a seventh grader at Day Creek.

The rivalry game started with a tense atmosphere. Day Creek students held onto their seats as Summit jumped to a 10-0 lead.

“I felt very nervous. My confidence was lost. I thought we wouldn’t be able to come back and take home this win,” said Jack.

But Day Creek made a stunning comeback in the second quarter, scoring fifteen points in less than six minutes, giving the Coyotes a three-point lead over the Sharks.

The team didn’t stop there. In the final four minutes of the same quarter, the Coyotes stretched their lead, adding an additional nine points in only four minutes. While the two teams fought back and forth, it was evident that the Coyotes would overcome the challenge and beat the Sharks on their own home court.

“We gained a lot of points that quarter and put ourselves on top. It boosted our self-esteem to play harder and win. We played hard that quarter to get on top,” said Hudson P. a basketball player for the Coyotes.

The teams battled back and forth in a nailbiter. By halftime, the Coyotes were down 24-21. They used the break to focus on their weaknesses and listen to their coaches’ advice.

“I believed in my coaches, [that] we could regain the lead and we did. Our coaches gave us a lot of inspiration,” said Hudson P. who helped during the game with four rebounds, one point, and two assists.

This confidence did not last for long. During the third quarter, the Sharks dominated the Coyotes gaining a fifteen-point lead.

“They were ahead of us by a lot. I felt kind of nervous, but you still got to have a good mindset. You can’t let yourself down or else you may never be able to get back up. Our team didn’t do that,” said Brandon H. who finished with seven rebounds and four assists.

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Coyotes were down by eight points. Day Creek spectators met the moment with silence, wondering what would happen next.

“It got quiet all of a sudden; nobody was talking. Everyone was just nervous and anxious,” Hudson said.

Then all of a sudden, Day Creek came alive, scoring point after point, while fighting for rebound after rebound. The crowd was up on their feet, standing and yelling once again. In contrast, the Summit side went dead; not a whisper was heard.

The game was tied with only forty-five seconds left, and the Sharks had control of the ball. But the Coyotes snatched it out of the air, ran down the court, and put up a three-pointer, taking the lead.

“It felt good scoring all those points; I knew we were still gonna win. I was confident in my team and my coaches,” said Jackson T.

Each of the following Sharks’ drives ended with missed shots, and the Coyotes finished on top, 42-39.

“I’m happy that the boys won, going into our break for Thanksgiving with a 2-0 start. We are also going into a game with Heritage the same week we come back, so it will be a lot of pressure. That game will determine the [championship],” said Coach Griggs.

Jackson led all scorers with 22 pts. Jacob W. added 11 pts. Jaden T. finished the game with 4 assists.