First Game of the Season IV

{This story is ready to read on my P-a-t-r-e-o-n. If you wish to read ahead then the link is https://www.p-a-t-r-e-o-n.com/easyread. Be sure to remove the dashes. I hope to see plenty of you there and enjoying this novel.}

{This story is going on hold for a while as I write for a new one on P-a-t-r-e-o-n.}

~~~(POV: Ellie)~~~

~~~(Date: October 28th, 2025)~~~

~~~(Time: 5:08 PM)~~~

~~~(Location: Nicolas-John Highschool)~~~

I feel bad for Coach Rodgers right now. He's a fantastic coach, but the team this year isn't as good as last year. I watch Ulysses run back on defense and get ready. The score is 15-8, and NJ isn't going to disappear anytime soon.

The team is flowing way better than ours. Tyler and Laden are having a hard time adjusting on their first road game. Ulysses is doing his best to help in any way he can, but they're struggling really hard. NJ brings the ball down the court, and they start running great plays, ensuring that Ulysses isn't getting a chance to defend the ball handler.

NJ runs some screens, and Tyler accidentally gets in the way of Ulysses again. Causing a collapse in the defensive rotation and an easy 2 points for NJ. Making the score 15-10 and closing quickly. I look down to where Coach Rodger's is, and it looks like he's frothing at the mouth.

He's yelling at Tyler, trying to get him to do better. I look toward Tyler's parents and see they're extremely unhappy with how Coach Rodgers is treating their son. If I were them, I'd be too. I'd complain to the school, and that's what they're likely going to do.

I don't have a problem with Coach Rodgers since he doesn't treat Ulysses like that. I turn my focus back to the game, and Laden is bringing the ball down the court.

He calls for a play, and they try their best to do it, but it ends horribly. It's because of Tyler again. The poor kid is just having a hard time getting into a rhythm. "FOR GODSAKE, TYLER!! DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE!!" Coach Rodgers is livid. Luckily, Ulysses gets the rebound and passes it out to Lenny. Lenny takes the shot just inside the 3-point line.

Sadly, it hits the brick and comes out into one of the hands of the NJ players. A fastbreak starts, and Ulysses is running down the court to help on defense.

Ulysses could've gone for a basket there, but I think he didn't because Lenny was open and ready. Ulysses had 3 defenders around him and didn't want to take a shot with the risk of a dog pile happening on top of him. It's happened before.

Going for a tough shot in the paint to end up getting a hard foul and on the ground getting crushed by other guys. I was livid with Edwin that day. I thought it was intentional.

Ulysses chases down the leading fastbreak man and leaps up as the player goes for the layup. He blocks it off the back of the glass and lands.

He dives for the ball and gets it. He has to hold it in his stomach as the NJ players all try and take it from him. None of them are strong enough to make it budge. The refs blow their whistles, indicating a jump ball. Ulysses stands up and walks over to the key.

There are around 2 minutes left this first quarter, and Ulysses has 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks. As well as 100% from the field with 3/3 made, 1/1 from 3 point, and 1/1 from the free-throw line.

Ulysses stands across from NJ's tallest players, but Ulysses is still much taller than he is. There is a 4-inch height difference. The ref throws the ball up, and Ulysses jumps and grabs it with two hands.

He passes it to Laden, and he starts running down the court with it. Laden gets all the way to the key when NJ's coach calls a timeout and stops the game.

I can hear Coach Rodgers cussing and throwing a fit at the move, but there is no rule against it. Both teams head to their benches and start discussing. Coach Rodger's attention is fully on Tyler right now.

He's looking up at Tyler and pointing at his nose, and nearly spitting on him from talking so fast. He's waving his other arm around, trying to get some point across.

I watch something every mother dreams of. Ulysses gets between Coach Rodgers and Tyler and backs Coach Rodgers up. My pride swells, and I watch as Ulysses calmly talks to Coach Rodgers and tries to level the situation out.

Coach Rodgers sits down and takes some breaths. Ulysses turns towards Tyler and the poor kids trying not to cry. I watch my son put his hand on his shoulder and start to talk to him.