High School sophomore Chester Locke (5’2″ 173 lbs) made an appearance for the Mayfield Cougars in the final 27 seconds of the fourth quarter of Sunday’s basketball game. With a 24 point cushion, Coach George Elders substituted the chubby Chester at power forward.
Within the allotted time, Chester darted up and down the length of the court a full two times, during which he dove for a loose ball, drawing a personal foul, and took the final shot of the game to the roar of 35 fans yelling “Shoot, Chester!” The shot rimmed out.
“The kid shows a lot of heart. That’s why we put him out there for the final 27 seconds. Even with a 24 point cushion and inevitable success, Chester plays like we were down by two points, diving for balls and playing tough defense,” said Elders.
“I didn’t mean to foul their team in the final moments,” said Locke. “I tripped on my shoe. It was an accident.”
According to the assistant coaching staff, it is not uncommon to play Locke in the final moments of the fourth quarter. “Actually, [the Cougars] are 11-0 when Chester plays,” said assistant Kraigher O’Keefe. The average margin of victory is also 26.3 points in those games.
“If Chester scores, it’s like we’ve won twice in one night. It’s total domination by the team and Chester,” said a fellow teammate.
