LJ BB: WGTL

As I stated in the game story on La Jolla's loss to Bishop's in the first round of the Division II CIF boys basketball playoffs, the Viking basketball players didn't show the signs of "WGTL"--an acronym I just made up that stands for "We're going to lose."

As they warmed up before the game, as they got closer to game time, as what turned out to be a pretty good-sized crowd continued filing in, the La Jolla players didn't carry expressions of impending doom. They didn't move around like they were headed to the chopping block. And that was very refreshing.

Their point guard was injured and unable to play again. But it was different this time. The coach didn't make an issue of him being out. At the team banquet Sunday afternoon, Feb. 22, in the campus cafeteria, Coach Paul Baranowski spoke, team members spoke, and nothing was said about the lineup change. I know it was discussed, because someone had to start in the guard's place and fill his particular roles.

But it was atmosphere of "We've done this before." Reed Farley had been out for almost four full weeks earlier in the season. Another factor contributing to a can-do attitude this time around was the fact it was a CIF game. All the regular-season rules are off. Anything can happen. Unexpected things happen all the time in playoff games. New heroes are made.

Look at Owen Porter. He canned four three-pointers in the second half, a performance he had never delivered before. After he made one or two, he was positioned at the top of the key, where he never strays. He's usually on the wings at the free throw line extended, or along the baseline. He said he didn't go into the game planning to shoot from afar, but normal patterns are suspended.

Despite the loss, the valiant effort without the deer-in-the-headlights panic was a good way for the seniors--I'm thinking especially of Zach Duffy, Ladd Castellano, and Porter--to go out. They gave their all. They broke through the mental barrier of WGTL. The large crowd, hundreds of LJHS students, sure weren't acting like it was inevitable their team was going to lose.

At the boys soccer playoff just before the basketball game, while taking photos, I overheard some LJHS boys debating whether to go to the game. "Reed probably isn't going to play," said one. "There's really no point in going. He's the whole team. His Top Gun club team was ranked tops in the nation a couple of years ago."

Inside the gym, before the game, I relayed this to Reid Martin, who I know from covering the football team. I asked him what he thought of it. He smiled: "We're above that." It was already loud and hard to hear, but his point was no, he and others were there expecting a real ballgame.


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper