By Marty Hastings/Kamloops This Week
Meghan Faust heard two sounds, neither of which she cares to hear again.
The first was the sound of an ACL tearing and the second was Emma Parmar screaming in anguish.
Faust, head coach of the Kelowna-based Okanagan Mission Huskies, knew her Grade 12 student乌鸦传媒檚 season had ended before it started, the injury coming in the team乌鸦传媒檚 last practice before their first game of the 2017-2018 B.C. Secondary Schools Girls Basketball Association campaign.
乌鸦传媒淚 ended up on the ground screaming,乌鸦传媒� Parmar said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e never been in that much pain before. It was devastating knowing I乌鸦传媒檓 in Grade 12, this is my last year and it was all over. It was heartbreaking.乌鸦传媒�
What made the moment worse was it stamped out three years乌鸦传媒� worth of rehab. Parmar sprained her left ACL in Grade 9 and missed most of her Grade 10 and 11 seasons.
Parmar toiled strenuously to rehab the knee last summer.
乌鸦传媒淏asketball has always been a passion of mine,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 was doing really well with my rehab and I was ready乌鸦传媒擨 was ready to play this year. I was super excited.乌鸦传媒�
Her torn right ACL on Nov. 29 should have been the sad ending to the story.
Then the Saints came marching in.
One of the saints was coach Faust and the other was Cassie Ferguson, a Grade 11 point guard for the NorKam Saints. The Kamloops school was invited to play in Okanagan Mission乌鸦传媒檚 New Year乌鸦传媒檚 Classic last weekend in Kelowna.
Parmar is still a registered member of the Huskies. She has gone to practices and games all season. If she can乌鸦传媒檛 play post, she乌鸦传媒檒l post up on the sidelines and cheer.
乌鸦传媒淲e had our team picture on Friday,乌鸦传媒� Faust said. 乌鸦传媒淚 could see the tears in her eyes. She had her uniform on. I knew it was going to be a really hard weekend for her. I乌鸦传媒檝e known her since Grade 8. She乌鸦传媒檚 always been that one kid that sticks out as the hardest-working, that wanted it the most.乌鸦传媒�
Fast-forward to Game 1 of the tournament, the Saints and Huskies playing during school hours in front of a partisan Okanagan Mission crowd.
The Huskies, the fourth-ranked AA school in the province, went up big in a one-sided affair that would end 75-31, a scoreline rendered meaningless and forgettable by an act of sportsmanship by NorKam乌鸦传媒檚 Ferguson.
Coach Faust remembered Parmar had her uniform with her at the team picture. With the game already in the bag and a competitive schedule ahead, it may have been the only time to give the hobbled athlete a chance to reach the scoresheet in her senior year.
乌鸦传媒淚 looked down and thought, 乌鸦传媒極K, let乌鸦传媒檚 just put her in and see what we can do,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 said Faust, who has been teaching for 11 years. 乌鸦传媒淗er face was something I乌鸦传媒檒l never forget. She walked off to put her uniform on. She had the biggest grin. It was one of the most special moments of my coaching career and life.乌鸦传媒�
Parmar was having a moment of her own in the locker room.
乌鸦传媒淭he smile on my face was huge and I could not get it off,乌鸦传媒� Parmar said. 乌鸦传媒淚 went to put on my jersey and looked at myself in the mirror for the first time. I just started crying. It was really emotional.乌鸦传媒�
With 1:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, Parmar entered the game.
She was unable to run or jump. She could barely even move. But she set up shop in the offensive zone and her teammates fed her the rock.
One shot乌鸦传媒攎iss. Another attempt乌鸦传媒攏o good. A third and surely final prayer乌鸦传媒攗nanswered.
乌鸦传媒淚 was embarrassed,乌鸦传媒� said Parmar, whose peers in the crowd could barely watch. 乌鸦传媒淢y stomach was in knots. I was super anxious. I just wanted it really badly.乌鸦传媒�
Ferguson乌鸦传媒檚 elder sister, Emily, played with Parmar on a select club team two years ago. The Saints乌鸦传媒� point guard knew enough about Parmar乌鸦传媒檚 situation to do something about it.
乌鸦传媒淗er shots just weren乌鸦传媒檛 dropping,乌鸦传媒� Ferguson said. 乌鸦传媒淢y teammate inbounded it to me. There were five seconds left. I just passed Emma the ball and told her to shoot.乌鸦传媒�
Once again, Parmar was unable to drain the basket. Ferguson snared the rebound and gave her opponent one last shot.
乌鸦传媒淎t that point, there was only one second left on the clock,乌鸦传媒� Ferguson recalled.
The Huskies held their breath. 乌鸦传媒淭he shot went in, the buzzer went and everyone started crying,乌鸦传媒� Faust said.
Parmar was mobbed.
乌鸦传媒淭here was not a single person in the gym who had a dry eye,乌鸦传媒� Parmar said.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檒l never forget that moment and that feeling. I乌鸦传媒檓 so thankful and grateful to her [Cassie]. I was in shock. We乌鸦传媒檙e not little anymore. It乌鸦传媒檚 very competitive. For her to make it about more than the game and recognize that, for me, it was greater than that乌鸦传媒t was just incredible.乌鸦传媒�
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