by TCCNN Reporter Randy Pifer
Updated on 2/8/16 at 10:35 pm
It was a banner day for TCC sports! The fans came out in droves and packed the Taylor's First Baptist gym as The Fightin' Reformers completed the improbable #StriveForFive to finish the year with a 5-5 record! Tyler and Jennifer Moody, taking in their first Reformer game, remarked on how well TCC looked during warm ups. "They look unstoppable" Tyler said as Jennifer nodded in approval. Super fans Stephen and Christina Rutland, season ticket holders, quickly corrected the Moody's assumptions by saying "they always look this good during warmups, its the games that they struggle with!"
During pregame warm ups, the team ran through a special banner that was made by the TCC children. Amber Mathis was insistent the team run through it, even making them do it again during halftime. This drew quite a spectacle as you can imagine as even the league director and players on the opposing team pulled out their phones to capture the magical moment. Amber was tasked with the duty of broadcasting the game live to all of TCC's faithful fans who couldn't make it. This cause an abnormal amount of hits from Russia! "Thanks again to our Russian fans, they are some of or most loyal blog readers" said GM Randy Pifer.
The Fightin' Reformers fame has spread beyond just the walls of the church. There were other fans in attendance as well. Caleb and Cheryl Bixby, AJ and Rebecca Gillespie, and Stephen Donovan all made their first games! Caleb and Cheryl brought noise makers, posters, and stickers for everyone in the crowd! AJ and Rebecca brought t-shirts depicting their favorite player, Pifer, and distributed them to other fans. It was defiantly a family affair as there were numerous player wives and children in attendance as well.
Tim Smerdon played his final game in a TCC jersey tonight. After the game, Tim snuck out the back door to avoid any reporters questions doing the classy move and giving the spotlight to his teammates. Tim's veteran leadership will be missed both on and off the court.
TCC, fueled by the Rutlands pregame remarks, jumped all over Berea First in the first half behind Hugh Carson's magical 11 point first half which was punctuated by a half court three pointer at the buzzer. Donny Mathis played aggressively as well and had a strong 6 points in the first period. TCC led 17-9 at the break. Karla Simpson was quick to point out that they played well, but still were missing on opportunities. "Randy sure did miss a lot of layups that first half, didn't he?" she asked the crowd. A collective groan could be heard in response.
The second half didn't go as well, as TCC gave up their 8 point lead almost as quickly as they got it. With the scored tied at 19, Pifer hit a three from the corner and TCC never trailed again. Jonathan Chasteen played well in the second half to close out his strong second half of the season. Daniel Brown hit a key free throw down the stretch and numerous big defensive plays to put the icing on the cake and TCC won by a final score of 32-24.
Ashley Williams remarked on the cohesiveness of the team, "they look they they have played together approximately ten times". Tom Kline answered her statement by saying "it's like they have played together EXACTLY ten times!" Before the game Hollie Carson told her Husband Hugh, "you have to win this game!" Hugh replied "we will win, or we will die on that court!" Joe and Perrin Hall were inspired by this rhetoric and took it upon themselves to make sure the crowd stayed as engaged as possible. Aaron and Casey Markam led a second half wave cheer. Aaron and Joe are sitting in the wings waiting to turn 30 years old so they can join the prestigious 30 and over TCC Fightin' Reformers. Toby Dix laughed at that thought saying no one on the current team will still be able to play by the time Markham and Hall are old enough to join.
TCC's season is now over. They finished the season with a 5-5 record on the season and become the first team in TCC history to finish .500 or better!
Congratulations on a great year from all of us here at the TCCNN!
Special thanks to Zach Halleck for help with the Game Day Program, and Caleb Bixby for his help with the #StriveForFive stickers!
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