The two shook hands and Barry Melnick walked away as confident as ever that Pete would grow up enough to make his own decision. After all, as a teenager he also had to follow his heart, so he was confident that Pete would come around in time.
Pete's B game was nowhere to be found at the beginning of the third quarter. He scored eight points in the first three minutes and finished the quarter with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal, as West Valley surged to a 47-35 advantage. Gerry Williams tallied five points and three rebounds, and Eric Spalding had six points and four assists in the period. Three quarters through, Pete had outscored Gerry 32 to 15 and outrebounded him 15 to 6. Eric Spalding continued to impress, with his 15 points and 9 assists.
As West Valley huddled, Coach Andrews pulled Pete aside:
"Only 10 away from the record."
"What record? We're only eight minutes away from a championship."
The coach smiled, as Pete said exactly what the coach expected to hear. He also thought that the season was not over yet. If he had learned one thing about Pete Berman, it was that nothing would stop him from finishing the job. That night his job was to win the championship and keep Carmine Pagnozzi from yet another division title.
No opposing player had ever scored 40 points in a game against Fellingwood, and Coach Carmine would be dammed if a West Valley player would break that string. He told his players to double team Pete every time he touched the ball. Pete welcomed the opportunity to throw a variety of touch and behind-the-back passes that dazzled the crowd a lot more than a twenty-foot shot. When Pete passed for his tenth assist mid-way through the fourth quarter, Mark Albright announced, "Pete Berman now has a triple-double: 36 points, 22 rebounds and 10 assists."
West Valley held a seemingly insurmountable 57-47 lead with three minutes remaining. Following two turnovers by Tom McNally, which turned into lay-ups by Williams and Spalding, the lead was trimmed to six with 1:45 to go. Time out West Valley. Coach Andrews took control: "Okay guys, I'm going to make this real simple. Give the damn ball to Pete!" He looked at Pete and said, "Mr. Berman, take us home." All Pete had to do was nod.
West Valley held the ball until there was about one minute left, until Gerry Williams fouled Pete near half court. The buzzer sounded sending Williams to the bench with five fouls. The crowd roared and chanted, "Goodbye, Gerry! Goodbye, Gerry! Goodbye, Gerry! We hate to see you go!" Gerry's 18-point, nine rebound night was over. The rivalry had taken Pete to another dimension and left Gerry shaking his confused head.
Pete calmly sank both free throws and West Valley again led by eight. Eric Spalding weaved in and out of defenders, as Pete yelled "Don’t foul!" Spalding converted a running bank shot with 45 seconds remaining and immediately called for time. Following the time out, Pete was triple-teamed on the inbound pass and Tom Sullivan was fouled instead. Tom shot quickly and clanged the front end of a one-plus-one. Spalding again made a dash down the court but dished off for any easy basket with 23 seconds left. 57-53. Fellingwood took their final time out. Coach Andrews was adamant in the Rockets huddle.
"Pete! I don't care if the whole team is on you! Get the ball! Tom! You take the ball out and throw it up in the air to Pete! We're almost there guys!"
Tom Sullivan listened to the coach's orders and threw the ball in Pete's direction. Pete shed off a few defenders and gathered the ball long enough to draw a foul. The first foul shot went straight though giving Pete 39 points. Carmine Pagnozzi paced uneasily along the sideline as Pete swished the second free throw. The six-point lead and 40-point effort sent Carmine to his seat on the bench. Fellingwood missed a few last-gasp attempts, and the clock ticked down to six seconds by the time Ron McNally was fouled on the long rebound. He made one out of two shots and Fellingwood missed a long heave at the buzzer, sending the excited West Valley student body pouring onto the floor in celebration.
Pete smiled broadly following his 40-point, 24 rebound, 11 assist, 5 blocks, and 4 steals performance. Playing his A game in a big spot did not go unnoticed. Once the celebration ebbed, the college coaches in attendance were all over Pete like flies on fresh crap. They were promising the world, but Pete looked over the crowd to a smiling Barry Melnick, who was sitting near the scorer’s table talking hoops with Isabel.
Pete collected a bunch of brochures and cards and handed the paper waste to his dad. Without hesitation, he strolled over to the Melnick-Mitchell table and a conversation ensued.
"Three of the coaches offered me a full ride on the spot. The other had copies of letters of intent." Pete said to Barry Melnick.
"Do you need my pen?" Melnick countered.
"Isn't that illegal?" said a serious Isabel Mitchell.
Barry and Pete look painfully at each other.
"That was some performance, Mr. Berman" Melnick said.
Melnick stuck out his hand and Pete shook it at first and then they quickly hugged. The remaining scouts saw the action and quickly head for the exits. Pete looked at Melnick, "I don't know. I still think I have a game, or two, better than that."
Isabel interjected, "Well, save it for the playoffs."
"Yeah, you never know when Gerry Williams might want to make your day again," Melnick said.
"I never get tired of seeing that green and white uniform with the number 45 on it," Pete replied.
Melnick nearly mentioned to Mitchell about his school having a decent girls’ basketball team, but wasn't sure if that would be well received by Pete. After all, he remembered that when he left for college, the only things from high school that made the trip were his team shorts and a favorite pair of socks. But, these items were also banished to the closet in his Lessing bedroom during the Thanksgiving break of his freshman year.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
The weekend was usually a time for Pete to heal his wounds and rest up for another week of rough-and-tumble Conference 1-A action. This February weekend would be the exception rather than the rule. Lou Berman had seen the interaction between Pete and Barry Melnick after the Fellingwood game. He also had heard his son talk about the day the two spent together. The one thing he hadn't heard was a single mention about East City. In Lou's mind, this was the obvious choice for many reasons, including:
* East City was only a 20 minute car ride from the Berman's home.
* East City played a few games each year at Madison Square Garden.
* East City was going to be coached by Larry Boswell, and then Ross Parker.
Pete arose from his slumber about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday morning. He headed straight for a box of Cocoa Krispies and poured himself a huge bowl without milk. Pete preferred his milk on the side to protect the crunch and integrity of these chocolatey-glazed rice morsels. About half-way through the bowl, Lou walked in with an agenda clearly on his mind.
"What are your thoughts about East City?" Lou intensely inquired.
"Oh yeah, good morning. What about East City?"
Pete was obviously not your classic morning person, but Lou continued.
"Well, are we considering it?"
Pete thought to himself, "We? We? What's with the 'we' stuff?" He then responded, "Yeah, I guess?"
"Have you heard from them lately?"
"Yes. I talked to Coach Parker after the game last night."
Lou continued to probe, "What did he say?"
"I don't know. Something about coming to visit the school after the playoffs."
"Don't you think that's important?"
Pete shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."
"You going out tonight?"
Pete thought, "Why do we have to always go through this song and dance?" He then answered, "Yeah."
"Who with?"
"We're going to the movies."
"Who? You and that girlfriend of yours? You know your mother and I don't approve of this relationship."
Pete muttered "Yeah" under his breath.
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Lou raised his voice, "Did you say something?"
Pete sat still in his chair. He fixed his gaze on the cereal.
"I didn't think so. You ready for Bernaqua?"
"Yeah, whatever."
Lou walked out of the room and Pete started eating his cereal again.
A typical teenager’s response to undue pressure. Lou wasn't getting anywhere with his hardline stance, and was completely in denial that the ultimate decision would be Pete's to make. A full ride had a way of leveling the playing field between father/dictator and son. In the meantime, Lou would continue to try to penetrate Pete's casual defense system and make a push for nearby East City.
Pete, on the other hand, wasn't buying any of this East City crap. The school was average at best, the coach was more of a figurehead than a mentor, and the campus was way too close to home. When Pete heard that he would be living at home while attending East City, all bets were immediately off. With East City having little, or no, on-campus housing, the thought of limiting his college experience was not sitting well with Pete. So, he wouldn't be playing in the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. When Pete really gave his future after college some thought, he really had no shot of playing in the N.B.A. Playing ball in Europe was also an option, but Pete wanted to use his skill to pay for college and then use his brain once he got there.
Lou Berman felt he and Pete weren't as close since Barry Melnick came onto the scene. The perception and the reality couldn't have been further apart. Pete's attention had been split between basketball and Isabel, and the more his parents protested about his relationship with her, the more he wanted to make his own decisions. It might have been possible for Pete to have strongly considered East City if his parents hadn't been so meddlesome. Barry Melnick was the beneficiary of extremely good timing, and Pete knew he'd be better off in the long run out of the shadow of his West Valley roots.
The Tuesday night match-up with Bernaqua was highly anticipated by only one side. West Valley had sewn up the division title, with an 11-0 record, and Bernaqua was holding firm at 8-3 and looking to finish with its best conference standing ever. Bernaqua was sky-high for the final home game of the year and another shot at West Valley, which it lost to at the buzzer in their previous meeting. The West Valley players didn't have a care in the world. The game was meaningless. Pete felt separated from the game. While the junior varsity teams were playing, he went into the locker room with Adam Baum, Stuart Plotkin, Ron McNally and Steve Christian. The group was on a mission to keep the pre-game mood as light as possible, and when Steve came out of the bathroom wearing his shorts up top and jersey on the bottom, there was no turning back.
The game's outcome was never in doubt, and the West Valley players appeared disinterested. Even Coach Andrews was smiling on the bench in the fourth quarter. He pulled his starting team mid-way through the third quarter with his team down 25 points. West Valley needed to mentally and physically recharge after a tough and draining, but very rewarding season.
West Valley's number two seeding behind Helmsdale in the playoff bracket was secure. It would take only two home wins to get the Rockets into the semi-finals played at the 5,000-seat East City College gym. West Valley wouldn't face Bernaqua or Fellingwood until the semifinal game at the earliest, and would not meet Helmsdale until the championship game. The team was fully primed for the playoffs, and their captain would be back in destroyer mode following the sleepy performance against Bernaqua.
CHAPTER FORTY
Isabel's confidence had been growing with the town's exuberance. She was doing quite well in her first real relationship, and had fallen in love for the first time. Love was the softest of rides for Izzy. She felt at peace when she was with Pete, whether it was lying in his arms, greeting him after a big game, or holding hands while watching a movie in a dark theater.
The real question was: What was in the cards for the future? The answer was as plain as the nose on Adam Baum's face. The future didn't matter, only the present and the past. Isabel would have liked to believe that she and Pete would be together forever, but deep down she knew that they were both destined for separate, yet connected paths. They were like two children holding each other’s hands until they found their way home.
Pete had grown up over the past few months, and had Isabel to thank for making him feel that he could conquer the world. For the first time in his life he was complete. Complete on the court. Complete in the classroom. And, last but not least, complete in the connection forged by two people. The training wheels were off, and Pete's parents were feeling the impact of his lessening dependence on them. A college scholarship would push even further to cutting the chord. Pete was ready to abdicate his couch throne, but doing so would not be painless. The Berman’s wanted the ride to continue, but only Pete had a ticket that would be valid for future destinations.
With a week before the team's second round game, courtesy of a first-round playoff bye, Pete and Isabel had a rare chance to focus on their relationship and get somewhat reacquainted. Pete also needed a week to clear his head. With the hopes of a town on his broad shoulders, it was time to fill up this rocket's tank with some supersonic fuel.
Pete was so tempted by the flesh that he dove head-long into a week of sin. Isabel was happy to see Pete so relaxed and the two felt safe in each other’s arms. All of their nagging problems melted away. Pete was on cloud nine when he walked through the door of his parents’ house Friday night at 12:30 a.m. His mother was crying and his father was in full rant mode by the time Pete threw some Oreos in his mouth and washed them down with a large glass of milk.
Pete never knew what to say during these types of situations. His parents continually demanded that he break with Isabel, using lines like:
"Look what you're doing to your mother."
"It's the best thing for you."
The two parents performed like a well-oiled machine but were rusted over by their rain-making son. Pete was respectful but firm in his evasive responsive. He used statements like:
"What's the big deal?"
"Why do you care?"
Pete had become so desensitized by his parent’s guilt-seeking displays that he continued to munch on the Oreos on the kitchen table until the package was gone. After washing down the irresistible chocolate and cream cookie with the last of the milk, he said:
"Mom, we're out of milk. I'm tired, good night."
Pete was in his own fluffy world. He closed the door to both his room and any further mindless banter. He took a deep breath into his shirt and let the aromatic scent of Isabel fill his lungs, clearing the stench of his parents' smoke screen away like a bed of roses. Pete was determined to discover the world that existed beyond his parents’ house on 1213 Bailey Road in West Valley. From his initial findings, he concluded that the outside world didn't exactly suck.
“Hey, Isabel. Cut seventh period and we’ll go back to my house.”
“Is that all you think about?”
“What else is there?”
She shook her head. "Good point. I’ll meet you at my locker after sixth period. You think we’ll beat your sister home?”
“We’ll have a good hour before she ruins the mood.”
“I don’t know, I get nervous.”
“How often do we have the chance to be alone in something other than a car?”
“Another good point. You’ve become quite the debater.”
Words had become Pete's best friend. He had never convinced a girl to take her shirt off. In fact, he had never seen that much skin since his family threw a New Year’s Eve party and served chicken and baked potatoes. Ah, the female form. Even more perfect than the flight of a basketball. He never got tired of looking at either of them.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Coming off the first-round playoff bye, West Valley's second round opponent was 3-13 (2-10 in Conference 1-B) Colts
Neck. The Pirates barely beat Pikesville, 50-49, which played like it wanted no part of West Valley again. Colts Neck and 2-14 East Shores had the unenviable task of playing West Valley and Helmsdale, the respective second a first seeds in the county tournament. The Friday match-ups would put the players in a game situation for the first time in a week, but would do little to test either teams resolve. In fact, none of the top four seeds in the county tournament were even challenged.
Colts Neck had an undersized team, with the lone exception being their 6'7" center Corey Bradford. Pete noticed the first time down the court that Bradford used only about 5'8" of his frame, and could have played the entire game in a tuxedo and never become dirty.
West Valley had its way in the first half, and raced to a 36-16 lead. Pete was coasting but put up a respectable 20-points and 12 rebounds, which represented the fifth time during the season that he had outscored the other team at the half.
Coach Andrews was still preaching ball movement and defensive pressure in the locker room during the intermission. His team obliged him in the third quarter and stretched the lead to 50-25. After an 8-0 start to the fourth quarter, the coach called off the dogs. Five minutes and 20 seconds remained in the game, and Pete sat his sweaty body down in the yellow plastic seat after an average 29-point, 16 rebound night.
The resounding 57-36 victory was only a small step in West Valley's quest to play at East City College in the semifinals. Deep down, Pete knew he wouldn't be attending East City in the fall, but he was curious about playing on the big stage. He liked performing in front of people and felt like the larger the stands, the better he would play.
Pete's appetite was barely sated, and he was already looking forward to potential second round match-up with one of his favorite schools, Rosewood Village. That team had taunted West Valley after eliminating them from the playoffs the previous year. The game would be a tough test for West Valley, but Pete felt he would be locked in the zone regardless of the opponent.
Eight teams remained in the county basketball tournament. The top four seeds were playing at home, with the match-ups being: #1 Helmsdale (17-0, 12-0 in league) vs. #12 Crest Hill (12-6, 7-5); #2 West Valley (15-2, 11-1) vs. #7 Rosewood Village (14-4, 9-3); #3 Fellingwood (16-2, 10-2) vs. #6 Bernaqua (14-4, 9-3); and #4 Bays Landing (15-3, 11-1) vs. #10 Northside (13-5, 8-4). The way the brackets were arranged, Helmsdale was headed for a matchup with Bays Landing's Keith Reidy, and West Valley was on a collision course with conference rivals Bernaqua or Fellingwood. But first, Pete had a score to settle with Miko Mike Stavros and the pack of loudmouths from Rosewood Village. Dino Rizzo would head up a group of alumni that would be front row at The Launching Pad to pay back all the verbal abuse, proving once again that you can go back to step forward.