Rattled Sabre

"Southwestern senior forward Reggie Street tries to control his emotions as his team's season and his high school basketball career come to an end after they were defeated, 70-31, by Perry Hall during the first round of the regional tournament at Perry Hall High School on Friday."

Woah, sorry for the lack up posts, last week was slow, and then things got really busy and I really wasn't in front of my computer for an extended period of time.

I've been shooting a lot of high school basketball this year and the game action and post game reactions have only gotten better as the season has progressed.

With playoff season in the air, I got started by first shooting the first-round Class 4A North regional playoffs with Southwestern facing off against host Perry Hall.

Knowing my deadline wouldn't be immediately after the game, I made a full-day effort of phone calls and e-mails to the Perry Hall Athletic Director to get approval for a backboard remote camera. I had not run one in a good bit, and knew it would have been a perfect opportunity.

Well, to limit my words, multiple phone calls, messages and e-mails later, I didn't get one response. Not even an simple answer of: No. I was thoroughly disappointed, especially when I saw the AD walking around at the game.

Anyways, most of the action I've shot this year has been city schools playing one another, so getting a game in the county I thought would be a nice change of pace.

But I was in a for a long night. First off, there was no one at the game, it was empty and the gym radiated the most disgusting, yellow sodium vapor lights I've ever witnessed. Ever.

Perry Hall was also matched up against Southwestern, who posted a 4-15 record before the game.

Now, I am firm believer of not needing an extraordinary situation to make an extraordinary picture. But this game was just a drag.

Perry Hall jumped out to a 19-2 lead in the first six minutes. It was setting up to be a demolition. Not to mention, I've never seen to many bricked shots in a high school game game that wasn't in my own driveway.

The action was sub-par, Southwestern looked rough, and Perry Hall was fired up like they were running the table on Lake Clifton (an undefeated team).

By halftime, Perry Hall had a commanding, 42-9, advantage. As they looked for their next match up, I was looking for the door.

By the third quarter, I was so drained of shooting the blow out game and a bit outraged that Perry Hall was still playing their starters, I began making pictures that would never see the day in the small community paper I was stringing for.

I was hoping for some better dejection images, but this guy was standing in the hall like he was about to lose it, after being crushed, 70-31. Might not read that way initially, but I liked it way better than anything else I made that night.