Class A championship game

Just finishing watching the end of the Fort Sumner-Springer championship, which was truly one of the most exciting finishes this year. With the Foxes leading 67-64 and just 4.1 seconds left, Jesus Urquijo brought the ball down for a desperation 3-pointer. He was fouled as the buzzer sounded, leaving him with one of the most difficult moments a basketball player can face.
It might be the most difficult task for a player – hitting free throw that have the fate of your team in your hands.
Urquijo stepped up to the line and calmly swished the first one.
Then he rattled in the second.
Then he walked four paces away from the line, then back. He exhaled, dribbled and shot.
The ball skimmed the top of the rim and rolled out.
All five Red Devils player hit the floor as the Foxes celebrated their A championship.
Worse, Urquijo laid on The Pit floor and cried. His teammate, Johnny Chavez, came over to console him. Then, as the players lined up for the post-game handshake, he stayed on the bench for as long as he could before getting up to shake hands.
In the open area that leads to the hallway where Springer stayed had the Red Devils shuffling to their bus. Urquijo, a senior, was still red-eyed and empty. Brady Wagner was the last player out of the locker room and he was sobbing uncontrollably.
It's one of the saddest and most heart wrenching moments to watch, much less live.
It's the kind of thing that makes you want to grab those kids and tell them how much you admire their effort, their heart and their courage, because few things hurt as bad as this.
The good thing is that it is just a game, and the players will rebound and recover. At least you hope.
But when you give that much to something you love and cherish, it's hard when you come this close to the summit. And for Chavez, Urquijo and the Springer seniors, it's a moment they can't erase. At least, not at the high school level.
I hope they come to realize how fleeting these opportunities are, and to cherish the chance they had to play before their fans and community in one of the greatest places to play in the world.
Only two teams every year from every class get that blessing.
It's something to feel honored to do. And in five, 10 or 15 years, they can look back and realize how special that moment was.
I know the seconds and minutes after their game will live with me, because it's then you're hit with the reality of life – that we all come up short sometimes.
But the better person is the one who can get up after a hard knock and keep going.