Chapter 246: Three

Wednesday, January 25th, Evening

Today kept her busy, making Ashlyn stressed, and with Coach Scott leaving early from practice, it didn't help matters. Once she got home so she could now decompress. Ashlyn dismissed Eilish and made sure that Brett had the kids under control. Ashlyn walked into the small office and collected her tablet.

Ashlyn got comfortable and started going through the website. Finally, she came across today's video. Taking a deep breath, Ashlyn pressed the play button and watched the video buffer. After the buffering stopped, the video began to play the standard opening for the series.

(Song Lyrics in Italics)

I

Will

Be

I will be heard.

The opening ended and faded away to the studio. Trey sat behind the desk, as always, and looked at the camera. "Hello, I'm Trey Terthero, and this is Be Heard: A Championship Defined. Today we return to the Wonder Freshmen, and we're covering the most decorated of the four. Today's athlete was the hero of the championship game, making what turned out to be the most important shot of the season. Let's hear this story, today on Three," Trey said, and slowly faded away.

Anna was the first to appear on the screen, "Kay," she said.

Monica appeared next on the screen. "Kay," she said.

The black-haired woman at the River Court next arrived on screen. "Kay," she said.

The Woman in European Sports Livery appeared next. "Little Scott," she said.

Devyn was next on the screen. "Kay," she said.

Cara looked at the camera. "Kay," she said.

Ashlyn looked at herself. "Little Scott or Kay," she said.

Angela appeared on screen next. "Kay," she said.

Coach Sinclair sat behind the coach's desk. "She was our last choice for the team. There's a fight about her, but she was talented and a good shooter; that's why I pushed for her," she said.

Coach Scott appeared sitting on the bleachers. "I've been on the record that I didn't want her. Yes, she's my daughter, and I didn't think she was ready. The other coaches voted and overruled me for this choice, and as it turned out, I was wrong," Coach Scott said.

Kay appeared on the screen next. She sat in her chair and had her earbuds in her ears. Nodding, she looked at her laptop's camera. "Are we ready?" she asked; she then nodded, "I was lucky to make the cut. Somehow I ended up being the backup shooting guard. Somehow I found myself out on the court for the last play. The ball came to me and I took the shot to win it all," she said, then shrugged, "It was just a time and place situation."

Kay nodded and looked away, taking a far off look. Clearly, visible on the screen were bits of ink of her right shoulder tattoo could be seen under her shirt. Finally, she sighed and looked back at the camera. "My name is Karen Scott; I'm better known as Kay. Back then, I was the backup shooting guard, backup point guard, and later that season the starting shooting guard, also I was number three," she said.

The screen changed to a past basketball game. It was Kay's first high school basketball game against New Brunswick High School. The ball came into Kay from Faith; Kay squared up and took a three-point shot in a beautiful fadeaway jumper for her first three points as a Tree Hill Basketball Player.

"When Kay came to us, she was already a good shot, a little rough around the edges, but with a bit of polishing, she worked out better than expected," Coach Sinclair said.

"Kay was Angela's pet project that year, and they worked together starting the summer before, and it helped advanced Kay along," Ashlyn said.

Anna looked out on the court then turned to the camera. "Was there tension? Yes, probably, she is the coach's daughter, and she ate into my playing time, of course. Kay also doesn't have the friendliest or outgoing personality, but working together for those four years, we became friends, and she let her guard down," she said.

Devyn sitting in her living room nodded. "Kay was a nice surprise, she gave us another scorer, but like most freshmen, even me, needed to be kept calm," she said, "There were times she got excitable or nervous."

Some more old basketball footage appeared on the screen. Kay was bringing the ball down the court as the point guard. She held up three fingers and ran the offense she called. The video ended with Kay passing the ball to an auburn-haired girl who took the shot for two points.

Kay appeared on screen again. "At first, I didn't want to run the point. It was a thing on the team to teach all the guards both positions. I didn't play it much as there were always other point guards, who were better," she said.

"Kay was a good point guard. I've played with her at the point," Angela said, "Her heart was always in playing shooting guard, though."

Another video filled the screen; it was the end of the game; the freshmen on the court. Ashton was playing center and set up in her position in the key. The ball moved around, going first to Ashton, then back out to Anna. Finally, Kay took the pass from across the court from Anna and took her shot, sinking it. Kay turned down the court, getting ready to play defense.

"Kay was a good shot, had good hands, and could run," Coach Sinclair said, "Her ball handling wasn't great but was getting better. When we started working on an offense to take on Olympic, we needed another guard; Kay was one of our choices for that offense."

Coach Scott looked up at the banners. "She was a versatile player and worked for us where ever we needed her; we could put her," he said.

Ashton was the next on the screen. "That last play, I was on the baseline. My primary target was Angela, which makes sense, but they tripled teamed her. My next pass was to go to Kay. I sent the ball downrange to Kay. It was my best pass; Kay fielded it cleanly. Cara and Kelly screened her as she took, ultimately, what turned out to be the most important shot of the season," she said, "The youngest player on the team made us champions, how poetic."

Angela was on the screen. "Everyone expected me to take the shot. Adams-Friendship put three players on me. Kay was second in progression, unexpected since she's a freshman. Kay had been killing them all game, so it made no sense to leave her uncovered. It was a perfect fadeaway shot, and she stuck it," she said.

The screen changed to the final play. Ashton sent the ball down to Kay. She fielded the ball and settled behind the forming screen for a perfect shot, which sank for three points and the victory.

Kay appeared on the screen; she made a face and nodded.

"Coach Scott always talked about moments that define their career. Mine was, well, that shot. I was the one who won the championship for the team. That's my moment, my legacy, and I was a freshman, a green player. Which was my fault, my greatest fault, I tried to be Angela, but I couldn't be Angela, and I missed out for the longest time on being Kay," Kay said.

The screen changed to the aftermath of the buzzer-beater with the team on the court swarming Kay. After the celebration, the screen changed to show Kay sitting in her apartment.

"Be heard," Kay said, paused and disconnected the call.

The screen changed to several pictures of Kay playing for Tree Hill over the years. It finished with Kay standing next to the two championship trophies. It faded away to the studio and Trey.

"Kay was not only the youngest player but one that went to go further in basketball. Only Angela made it further. Tomorrow we finish the Wonder Freshmen in episode Fifty-two," Trey said.

Ashlyn nodded as the video ended. She sighed, put down her tablet. Ashlyn sighed and went out to relieve Brett.