Alright so I finally got around to checking out this year’s regional hoops madness, right? Been circling this date on my calendar since November. Woke up stupid early Friday – like, crack of dawn early – because ain’t no way I’m missing tip-off. Dumped cold coffee straight into my travel mug, grabbed my beat-up notebook, and hauled butt to the arena.
The Chaos Before Tip-Off
Parking lot was already jam-packed by 7:30 AM. Seriously, felt like the whole county showed up. Saw this massive line snaking around the building – folks wrapped in team blankets, parents waving those giant foam fingers. Security took forever checking bags. Me? I’m just clutching my coffee thermos like a lifeline.
Scouting Those Top Dogs
Got my bracket printout crumpled in my back pocket. Knew exactly who I wanted eyes on:
- West Creek Coyotes: Heard their point guard’s got handles like glue. Watched ’em warm up – kid was sinking threes from the dang parking lot.
- Oak Ridge Owls: Defense looked MEAN during drills. Big dude under the net swatting shots into the bleachers.
- Hendersonville Commanders: That fast break? Lightning. Nearly spilled my coffee watching ’em sprint.
Took pages of messy notes in my notebook – “Coyotes #3 quick first step”, “Owls #22 rebounds EVERYTHING”, you know the drill. Pen smudging everywhere.
Games Started Getting Wild
First matchup: Oak Ridge vs. Franklin. Holy buckets. Oak Ridge was up 10, then Franklin clawed back with steals and a crazy half-court buzzer beater. Crowd went absolutely nuts. My buddy next to me screamed so loud he lost his voice. Oak Ridge pulled it out in overtime though – their bench exploded like they won state. Notebook entry: “OT = HEART ATTACK MATERIAL.”
My Bracket? A Mess
Thought I had it all figured out. Had Hendersonville cruising past Riverside easy. Guess what? Riverside’s coach pulled some wild full-court press in the third quarter. Hendersonville turned it over three times straight! Upset city, baby. My bracket looked like roadkill after that game. Just crossed out predictions with this big angry sharpie line. So much for that underdog story.
The Beer & Pizza Situation
Got hungry during halftime of the late game. Concession lines stretched longer than a freeway traffic jam. Finally snagged a lukewarm slice of “arena pizza” – tasted like cardboard with ketchup. Beer was flat too. Should’ve packed more snacks. Lesson learned.
Anyway, ended up staying till the last buzzer. Coyotes took down Hendersonville in a squeaker – two clutch free throws with 0.2 seconds left. Total madness. Drove home with a headache from yelling, a notebook full of scribbles, and exactly zero correct bracket picks left standing. Regional tournaments, man. They never disappoint.