Throwback Thursday: Basketball: The Titans Years

As promised, we're back with some more pictures from the Titans years. This week: basketball.

A lot changed in four years, though my inability to hold the ball right for the cameraman remained constant. My senior year I was told, "Sorry, three strikes and your out," so I made him take a picture of a moving ball.

My Titans career started with a couple years on the JV.

But I really practiced my free throws, and they let me ride the varsity bench for a couple years to finish out my eligibility.

It wasn't all bad. Back in my day, homecoming was held during basketball season. My senior year, I was nominated to be one of three males to represent the senior class.

Which boiled down to one real perk: You got to eat first at the homecoming dinner while sitting next to the homecoming king.

We played basketball, too. The gym was always packed and festively decorated by the students for the important occasion.

High school wasn't my first time playing on that historic green and maroon floor, though. Every year, ML would host a winter tournament for all the Lutheran grade schools in Southwest Michigan. There were so many of us at the time, we had large and small school brackets.

I'm not going to brag, but we won a trophy or two. They're probably still in the trophy case at the old school somewhere.

Between that tournament and the summer basketball camps, I was well prepared for my run as a Titan.