Google’s definition of the butterfly effect is “(in chaos theory) the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.” The butterfly effect suggests that small events can lead to significant consequences. A single moment, seemingly minor, can change everything.

Looking back on the basketball season, I can’t help but wonder—what if? We had been chasing a district championship for four years, getting closer each time. This year, we had a strong starting five. Even with one of our best scorers, DJ Kelly, being out with an ankle injury, we were rolling. Shots were falling, we were just flowing. We weren’t pressing, we weren’t thinking, we were just out there hooping.

One night, after a game, I cut my toe on a parking curb—an injury so random, it felt ridiculous. But it kept me out of the next game. With DJ and I sidelined, Huggard found himself out of position. Against Catholic High, getting to the paint late, he went up for a block. Getting hit from underneath, he fell on his elbow breaking it. Huggard was our best scorer, and I was devastated to see him get hurt like that. Shortly after, in practice, Christian Singleton—filling a spot he likely wouldn’t have been in if Huggard was healthy—retears his ACL. In a matter of days, three key players were out, and our offense struggled.

Despite adversity, our team fought. A big win on senior night against Westminster Christian-Lafayette gave us momentum. But back-to-back losses to VC knocked us out of the district title race. We finished second—disappointed but proud of how hard we played. Our regular season success earned us a home playoff game, only the second in school history. It came down to the wire, but we fell short.

Looking back, I am happy with the effort through the obstacles we faced, but I could speak for all of us by saying we are disappointed in the results. I learned a lot from this year and appreciate the dedication everyone displayed.