SOLON — 2:30 remained in overtime. The win-or-go-home game between Solon and Nevada was in a gridlock, 58-58. The Spartans needed a bucket to capitalize on an energetic home crowd— the biggest of the season for the boys. The Spartans put the ball in Caleb Bock’s hands, their leading scorer. Bock had 26 points in the game and looked nearly unstoppable when he drove inside. Bock jab stepped then used a crossover to create enough space to drive – yet again – forcing the Cubs to send a second defender to try to silence Bock. They stopped Bock’s drive, but the help defense left a Spartan wide open from the left corner.

There was Grant Gordon – in front of the Spartan student section on their feet, ready for a reason to celebrate – already setting
his body up for a three-point attempt. Bock zipped the ball Gordon’s way and the moment was his. As he brought the ball over his shoulders, the Spartan faithful raised their hands with excitement, most holding three fingers to the sky.

The lanky sophomore flicked his wrist, and the ball flew toward the basket. The gym went silent with anticipation.

A moment later, it was chaos.

“I thought it was going to rim out because it looked like it was going right,” said Gordon.

The ball scraped against the iron and fell through the net to give the Spartans a 61-58 lead, one they took to the finish as they beat the Cubs 68-59 to advance to the state qualifying game.

“As soon as it went in, I was happier than ever,” said Bock, “A big-time shot by a sophomore.”

“When that ball went in, I was ecstatic,” Gordon recalled through a wide smile. Solon’s fans jumped around in a chaotic celebration, hardly able to stay off the floor. Many in black and orange were left in pure excitement, jaws dropped, and arms raised.

“The place went nuts,” exclaimed Gordon, “I jumped up and screamed, it’s crazy!”

Gordon came into the season as a young athlete, with minuscule varsity experience, but with the potential to become a key piece
on the roster.

“The beginning of the season, he was just a little wet behind the ears,” said Jared Galpin, the Spartan head coach.

Now, Gordon is averaging seven points per game on just over 50% shooting from the field. The three-pointer was his eighth point of the night and was the biggest shot of his career.

“That’s just who he is,” said Galpin, “He’s just a player.”

The Spartans built a nine-point lead heading into halftime. They looked comfortable and confident, ready to close out the game. But Nevada had other plans.

The Cubs scored 36 points in the second half. They showed they were able to score from anywhere on the floor and had slowed the
Spartan offense down just enough to bring themselves within a possession in the final 10 seconds of regulation.

John Nelson, Cub forward, heaved up a desperation, fadeaway three-point shot over three Spartans. He drained the shot and the life out of the home crowd. The air was now filled with the excitement of a small group of Nevada fans who made the 100-mile trip.

However, the Spartans were unfazed by the setback.

“Were they disappointed? Absolutely. But they came to the bench and flipped theswitch,” said Galpin, “Alright, now it’s four more minutes… you just got to lock back in, just got to go get stops.” The Spartans did exactly that. They only allowed two points in overtime, just by way of the charity stripe.

The field goal-less overtime period ended the Cubs season. As the buzzer sounded on the nine-point victory, the floor filled with students ranging from the high school student section to the group of 20 pre-teen boys, the Spartan’s die-hard fan section. For the high schoolers, the celebration extended into the school’s weight room when Galpin invited them into the team’s postgame meeting.

“They’re awesome,” said Galpin, “Down the stretch for us, they were the sixth man. Especially when we got a little shaky in the fourth quarter, they gave us the energy to carry through.”

Caleb Bock achieved a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds in the victory, leading the team in both categories. The senior turned into the anchor for the team down the stretch and has carried that momentum into the postseason.

Maddox Kelley scored 19 points in the victory, despite going cold from three. The sophomore scored three points in overtime and padded the Spartan lead with a steal and quick assist to Bock in transition to give the Spartans a three-possession lead in the final
minute of the game. The win earned the team a date with the undefeated Clear Lake Lions in the state-qualifying game Monday night in Clear Lake.

“A lot of these guys are multi-sport athletes, so the moment doesn’t shock them,” said a proud Galpin.