There's still nothing quite like covering high school basketball

How I’ve been charting high school basketball games for more than 30 years.

Author’s Note: I spent last weekend covering the Community Christian Classic in Norman for my old newspaper, The Norman Transcript. As many may know, but some do not, CCS — Community Christian School in its longest form — is a thriving private school in north Norman with enough students in ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th grades to complete in Class 3A at a high level in a number of sports. And, as it typically does, coming back to high school hoops as a sportswriter remains so much fun. This column, which will also appear in The Norman Transcript, is about that.

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I hope I never quit covering high school basketball.

The NBA’s amazing, the college game’s terrific and though the meals are better in the pros, the Diet Coke’s still free at Lloyd Noble Center and I presume everywhere else in Division I, too, and still … the preps, man.

The preps.

I was reminded again over the past weekend covering the Community Christian Classic and, though it was fabulous, the host team girls winning it for the very first time, I’m certain being at the NHS Gym to watch and cover the Norman High girls claim the Joe Lawson Invitational would have been just as great.

It’s hard to put into words what separates it from the next level and the one after that, but I’ve got some ideas.

One, you’re valued for being there and, believe me, it never gets old.

Once, covering Russell Westbrook, the day he signed long term with the Thunder the first time around, after Kevin Durant departed for Golden State, trying to capture just how happy he was striding into the arena, slapping hands with fans on his way to a press conference, I wrote this:

“We are all capitalists and still there is no currency like appreciation.”

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Everybody wants to be wanted.

Two, there is no seat like a front row seat and, more and more, that’s only available to a sportswriter in a high school gym.

Once upon a time, we were courtside for the Sooners. After which, for several years, we were court level, but behind the basket and I used to hate it when the stanchion holding up the hoop prevented me from watching, say, Erin Higgins or Michael Neal launch 3s from the left corner. Like, how could I write about a shot I couldn’t see?

Now, though we’re back at mid-court, we’re in the upper deck, so we don’t see anything all that well, nor may we run up the tunnel and refill our drink during a media break.

Too far away.

The high schools?

I’ve spent so many nights between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m., mostly on Tuesdays and Fridays, but other nights, too, and mostly at Norman High and Norman North, but many other gyms, too, at scorer’s tables.

The best.

If you miss something, the PA person will know, or whoever’s keeping the book will know or even an assistant coach might help you if you catch them right after a whistle.

While keeping your own stats is necessary and so hard at a high school football game, especially if they’re running tempo or the numbers on the jerseys aren’t big and clear and the PA person offers names but not numbers, hoops remains manageable.

Just being in the front row makes it more doable and, though some benches keep their own stats and will share them upon game’s end, it’s still good to keep them yourself even if they aren’t perfect — makes and misses; 2s, 3s and free-throws; rebounds, steals, assists, turnovers — alongside a running score like a real sportswriter from back in the day, and the challenge, more than 30 years after doing it for the first time, remains thrilling.

The night Jessika Evans set Norman North’s single-game rebounding record with 20, she might have stayed in the game a minute or two longer than her fellow Timberwolves’ starters against outmatched Putnam City because I made sure coach Rory Hamilton knew she had 14 at the half and the standing record at the time was 18.

So much fun.

Three, the stories from those games will always, always, always be read by at least some of your readers with greater interest than anything you’ll ever write about the colleges and the pros will to anybody.

I promise.

Four, a great game is a great game is a great game and you get great ones all the time inside high school gyms.

And, around here, the teams tend to be very good.

Currently, both unbeaten, the Norman High girls might be Class 6A’s best team and the CCS girls might be Class 3A’s best team.

Five, the electricity.

Some may contend the high schools are the best because they’re the most pure, most fundamental, most team-oriented. As far as we know, nobody’s being paid to play.

Maybe, but that’s not the thing for me.

For me, it’s the smaller gym, bringing everybody close to the action and everybody knows each other, too.

So much of the crowd, even a big crowd, are family, friends and other students: the same people who populate the lives of the athletes on the floor and the connection’s palpable.

For so many years I could pick where I wanted to be and for so many years, though the Thunder or Sooners might have been my beat, I never quit sending myself to high school gyms.

They may not give you the front row, but you should visit one, too.

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