Riaan 
Uma u-Caleb Foster engena kumodi yokuhlasela, vala izimbobo, futhi ulungele ukunyakaza okufana neqhawe elinamandla. Unogada omkhulu oboshelwe u-Duke wase-Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High akanandaba nokuthi ubani osendleleni – uvele ashaye igoli adale isiphithiphithi.
NgoLwesihlanu ebusuku kumdlalo womqhudelwane wesifunda we-basketball wabafana be-Division I e-Golden 1 Center, u-Livermore Granada ube nesikhungo samafidi angu-7 u-Andrew McKeever. Ukushayela kukaFoster kubhasikidi kusize ukuthumela uMcKeever eceleni namaphutha amahlanu kusele u-4:42, okwenza umqeqeshi u-Matt Sargeant amemeze, “Uphumile! Uphumile!”
Kwaba umoya wokugcina wokuphila eGranada. I-Notre Dame’s fantastic trio ye-Foster, u-Gonzaga wenza u-Dusty Stromer futhi u-Houston azibophezele ukuthi uMercy Miller wayemuningi kakhulu.
Icala likaFoster liqhubekisele phambili ama-Knights emqhudelwaneni wawo wokuqala emlandweni wesikole, ukunqoba ngo-67-58 kuGranada. I-Knights izihola phambili ngamaphuzu angu-16 esiwombeni sokuqala. U-Foster uqede enamaphuzu angu-33, ukudlala kahle kakhulu komuntu ngamunye emlandweni womqhudelwano wesifunda sika-Division I futhi washiya ukungabaza okuncane ukuthi ukufanele ukuqashelwa i-All-American ngisho noma enqatshelwe ukukhethwa ku-McDonald’s All-American Game.
“Wayemuhle kakhulu,” kusho uSargeant.
UMiller uqale umdlalo enamaphuzu asheshayo ayisishiyagalombili. UFoster uqede ikota yokuqala enamaphuzu amathathu nayisikhombisa. UFoster ubesanda kuqala ukushisa waqeda isigamu ngamaphuzu angu-18.
Bobabili abadlali bavela ku-Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy. Kuthathe amasonto ukuthi i-Notre Dame ithuthukise i-chemistry edingekayo ukuze iwine imidlalo emikhulu. Kwenzeka ngoFebhuwari nangoNdasa. Amawini amane ehlula i-Chatsworth Sierra Canyon, ukuhlulwa isikhathi esengeziwe kabili yi-Studio City Harvard-Westlake, ukunqoba ngokushaywa kuka-Santa Ana Mater Dei, kanye nokunqoba kuka-Torrance Bishop Montgomery kanye no-San Diego St. Augustine kubonise ukuthi ama-Knights afunde ukudlala njengeyunithi. . Okubalulekile kunguquko kwaba ukuthi u-Stromer wamukele indima ecasulayo.
UStromer udlale isizini yakhe yesibili, isizini efushanisiwe ye-COVID-19 ka-2020-21, wabe esekhula waba umdlali ovelele unyaka wakhe omncane, efinyelela cishe amaphuzu angama-20 kumdlalo. Bambalwa abadlali abaguquguqukayo. Noma ngabe yini uSargeant amcela ukuthi ayenze kule sizini, uStromer wathobela ngokushesha nangempumelelo. UStromer ubenezinhlungu emhlane kuleli sonto, kanti uSargeant uthe mhlawumbe akufanele adlale. “Ukuqina bekungekona okwangempela,” esho.
NgoLwesihlanu, u-Stromer, i-Knight omude kunawo wonke ohlwini lonogada abahlanu, wayecelwa ngezinye izikhathi ukuthi agade uMcKeever futhi agxile ekutholeni ama-rebounds.
“Ngesinye isibonelo sokusebenza kwakhe ngezindlela eziningi kuzo zombili iziphetho zenkantolo,” kusho uSargeant.
Ngokunikela kuka-Stromer njengesibambi futhi nomvikeli, kukhulule i-Duke-bound Foster ukuze kuthungele icala. UFoster uthole amaphuzu angu-12 emizuzwini engu-10 yokuqala yomdlalo. Ngokumelene ne-Granada’s 2-3 zone, ama-Knights athole ukuvulwa kwesisekelo, okuvumela u-Dante Ogbu ukuthi axhumane namaphoyinti amathathu. I-Knights iqede isigamu ihamba phambili ngo-39-27.
Manje idlulele ku-Gonzaga ye-Stromer kanye ne-Duke ye-Foster. Bazitholele indawo ekhethekile encwadini yomlando wezemidlalo ye-Notre Dame.
“Kusho konke kimina,” kusho uStromer ngokuwina ubuqhawe. “Ngathembisa ozakwethu ngonyaka odlule ukuthi ngizokwenza lokhu.”
