Chapter 115 – Quarterfinal Showdown: Wolves vs Titans

Title: "Strength in the Pack"

Part I: The Calm Before the Storm

The Wolves sat in the locker room, jerseys on, headphones in, locked in mentally. Coach Daniels stood at the whiteboard, drawing up the final notes. Ryan leaned beside him, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the team.

"Alright, listen up," Coach Daniels started. "This is the quarterfinal. I'm not gonna give you a speech—you already know who you are."

Ryan wheeled forward, clipboard in his lap. "You've trained for this. You've bled for this. Lakehurst plays fast. But today? We play smart. They'll try to rattle us. But we don't get rattled."

Ben slapped his hands together. "Let's tear 'em up."

Tyler looked calm, but fire burned in his eyes. Ryan caught that and nodded.

The buzzer sounded in the distance—game time.

As the team stepped onto the court, the crowd roared. Savannah waved from the cheer squad, banners waving in the air. Anna sat front row, eyes never leaving Ryan.

The lights dimmed slightly as the announcer's voice boomed.

"Welcome to the State Tournament Quarterfinal—Rosehill Wolves vs the Lakehurst Titans!"

And just like that, the ball was tossed into the air.

Part II: First Half – Making a Statement

From the opening tip, it was clear—the Wolves came to play.

Ben snatched the tip-off and dished it to Tyler, who darted down the lane, split two defenders, and laid it in off the glass. The crowd erupted.

Lakehurst tried to respond with pressure defense, but the Wolves had studied. They passed through the traps like clockwork—sharp, clean, fast.

Midway through the first quarter, Ryan called out a set from the bench. Tyler motioned, then executed a perfect backdoor cut, catching a bounce pass from Jamal and finishing with a reverse layup.

"YES TYLER!" Ryan shouted, fist in the air.

Coach Daniels high-fived Ryan as the defense locked in. Ben guarded Deshawn Moore like a shadow—no easy buckets, no breathing room.

Second quarter came, and the Wolves kept piling it on. Jamal hit a deep three. Elijah pulled down key rebounds. Even the bench was getting minutes and contributing.

Halftime score: Wolves 39 – Titans 28

Ryan addressed the team in the locker room. "We're not done. Ten more minutes of smart, fast, unselfish basketball—and we send them home."

Part III: Second Half – Taking Over

The third quarter was all Wolves.

Tyler was in the zone. His passing had matured—less flash, more purpose. He saw angles before they opened. He hit Jamal on a no-look cut that made the crowd gasp and the Titans call time out.

"Who is this kid?" a reporter whispered from the sideline. Ryan heard it and smiled.

Ben, meanwhile, put on a defensive clinic. He stripped Deshawn at midcourt and took it all the way for a two-handed dunk. The Wolves bench exploded.

Ryan clapped hard from his chair, yelling plays, adjusting defenses. He was a natural on the sideline—calm, sharp, commanding.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was Wolves 58 – Titans 43.

Fifteen points up, but the job wasn't finished.

Coach Daniels looked at Ryan. "Wanna close it out?"

Ryan nodded, then turned to the team. "Fourth quarter. They're gonna press harder, but we don't stop. We finish strong, with discipline. Don't give them a second of hope."

Part IV: Closing the Door

Lakehurst came out swinging, trying to speed up the game, but the Wolves never panicked. They passed, moved, and trusted one another.

Jamal hit another corner three. Ben blocked a shot into the stands. Tyler faked a pass, then lobbed it to Elijah, who dunked it home and pointed right at Ryan.

Ryan grinned wide.

With two minutes left, and the lead stretched to 17, the Titans were defeated. Emotionally and physically.

Ryan called one last play—an isolation for Ben. He spun, stepped back, and drilled a jumper that sealed it.

Final score: Wolves 73 – Titans 58.

The buzzer rang. The gym went wild. Savannah and the cheer team ran out. Anna reached Ryan and hugged him tightly from behind.

They had done it.

Quarterfinals? Conquered.

But the fire in their hearts said one thing:

They weren't finished.