We played our first district game tonight, and won 59-56 in TWO OT'S! For a young team busting their butts for that long, I felt so happy for them to get the W, they deserved it.

I emphasize to them that winning is not the most important thing we do, learning to care for others, which right now is our teammates and in the future, our wives, children, co-workers, and fellow church members...is the first priority.

However, I can't help but be so happy to win a game like to see the looks on their faces.

If you want to follow the team, I keep up our MaxPreps site:

Hawley Bearcats

Looked at the schedule. How many Merkin jokes are made about Merkel?

Merkin jokes aren't that big at our high school. Thanks to hard work on my part, "your face" cut downs are all the rage.

Merkel dropped from 3A last realignment and they are the ones that played dueling banjos for us last year, and laughed at us...and then we beat them by near 40.

They have room to make fun though, because we all know Merkel, Texas is the epicenter of culture in the Western hemisphere.

We play Coahoma, the defending district champs, at their place Friday, and they have 6'5, 6'5, 6'7 in the starting lineup.