TRUE CHAMPIONS

Why these high school hoopers gave their trophy to the other team

- Caroline Fanning

THE PLAYERS ON the girls basketball team at the Academy of Classical Christian Studies in Okla homa City, Oklahoma, knew something wasn't right. Their coach, Brendan King, never contacted them on a Sunday. But on this Sunday, he said he needed them back at the gym. Many players arrived straight from church, still elated from their championship win the night before, but now jittery.

The score had been miscounted in last night's 44-43 win, he told them.

Academy had actually lost to their opponents from Apache High School 43-42.

"This doesn't take away how proud I am of you guys and how hard we worked to get here," King assured them.

Still, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Players asked questions: Was he sure? What did this mean for the rest of their tournament? Together, they debated next steps. Policy states that once the game is finished, it's finished; there's no overturning the final score. But within 20 minutes, the team decided there was only one thing left to do: turn the trophy over to the rightful champions, Apache.

"There wasn't really any hesitation in our minds," team co-captain Sydney Kitchen told the New York Times.