PORTER TOWNSHIP -- Sometimes, there are moments in games that transcend the game themselves, even if they didn't really have an impact on the outcome of the game.
One of those happened Friday at Boone Grove, when in the final seconds of the Wolves' victory over South Central, senior Logan Wachowski, a special needs student, made a basket to account for his first varsity points and the last points in a 75-57 score that, in that instance, was a distant second in significance to joy on Wachovski's face.
"I'm not lying, I had to choke back tears a little bit," Boone coach Matt McKay said. "You could tell it was a big moment for him."
Wachowski checked in with a group of reserves from both teams with under 30 seconds remaining. At that point, South Central coach Eric Speer noticed what was going on and promptly talked to both his players and McKay about setting up something for Wachowski.
"I said to our guys, hey, let's get him a bucket," Speer said.
As play resumed to chants of 'Let's Go Logan!' the Satellites left Wachowski open on the left side for a 15-footer that rimmed off. S.C.'s Jimmy Ward got the rebound and tossed the ball back to Wachowski, who had actually turned to head back on defense. The ball glanced off his leg, but he retrieved it and tossed up a running one-hander in lane that the basketball gods may have lifted over the rim and into the basket.
"That was awesome for everybody," Boone star Trey Steinhilber said. "He's been here for four years. He comes to practice every day. That was great of (South Central), too."
The crowd roared as Wachowski pumped his fist, skipping his way back down court, clapping as he went.
"That was tremendous, a great gesture on (Speer's) part," McKay said. "He didn't have a clue the guys were throwing the ball to him. He just put the ball in the basket, pumping his fist. That was cool. Now he's on Keith Nuest's (scoring) list for Boone Grove."
Wachowski had played on Boone's 'C' team the last three years, scoring a few points, as close as McKay could recall, along the way, but that option nor junior varsity were a consideration this season.
"I told him, you can't really play varsity," McKay said. "He was going to get hurt, especially with Drew (Murray) running around during practice. I said, you can do full-court drills, dress out if you want to and we'll get you in a game at some point. He comes to all the open gyms, all the conditioning. He doesn't miss anything, he doesn't say a word. He does transition drills, shooting drills. We've used him on days when were kids absent. He gets help-side defense."
By chance, Boone has had sizeable leads late in all of its games so far and whas seen action each time.
"We put him in to shoot the free throws on the technical foul against Hobart, even though you're not supposed to do that," McKay said. "We were hoping he'd make one."
Wachowski didn't stick around for an interview afterward. He undoubtedly had bigger post-game plans.
"That's a memory he's going to have for the rest of his life," Speer said.
