Madison vs. Thunder Ridge: A Free Throw Contest to Support a Worthy Cause
Halftime free-throw contest pitting Madison and Thunder Ridge students.
In an inspiring display of sportsmanship, 10 local kids—five from Madison and five from Thunder Ridge—took to the court during halftime of a basketball game to compete in a free throw contest. The event, designed to raise money for a young boy battling cancer, captured the attention of the community.
On the evening of January 27, fans gathered at Thunder Ridge High School for a thrilling basketball game between Madison and Thunder Ridge. But at halftime, there was an exciting competition that featured students McKay Manner, Tanner Johnson, Adam Rumsey, Crew Mortensen, and Tanner Scott.
The free throw contest started out with Thunder Ridge missing, and Madison’s McKay Manner making his free throw. It then went back and forth for the next 35 seconds, and at the end of the round, Madison was in the lead 13-10.
After a brief meeting, the organizers of the competition decided to do a second round—some believe this was because the organizers were from Thunder Ridge and wanted to rig it for them to win—and so it happened. Once again, McKay Manner made his first free throw, and the next 35 seconds were full of excitement and didn’t stop. When the buzzer sounded, Madison’s team won 28-21. The students of Madison celebrated as they hoisted their gift cards and t-shirts in the air.
Madison student Tanner Johnson said it was a night to be remember.
“Going into the competition, I just wanted to have a good time and grab the win. I’m thankful both happened,” said Johnson.
When asked what caused them to win by such a large margin, he said, “It was our grit and determination to win the game, and honestly, just our mental game because we all knew we were going to win.” These quotes from the senior show Madison spirit at its finest. It was definitely a halftime competition to remember, and all for a great cause to help beat cancer.
