Neon orange, sapphire blue, metallic grey, eggplant purple, and forest green. The Shirk Center stands were reminiscent of an artist’s palette. Fans were clustered with their like-minded and like-dressed peers in groups around the court, making it easy to identify the fan sections of each school. Normal Community and Central Catholic were the first Intercity face off, and it was clear from the beginning that the duel was going to be a hard fought one.

There is no defeat that stings worse than in an in-town rivalry game, and the Ironmen’s loss against the Central Catholic Saints was no exception. It was the first game for the Ironmen, the jump start of the entire season.

With only three points keeping NCHS from victory in the 57-60 game, the final buzzer sounded a little like a flatlining heartbeat.

“We started off slow, but by the end of Intercity we started playing good against Bloomington [High School] and we will continue to improve on our performance,” said junior Justin Myers.

The game was never a blowout victory for either team, and each team made crucial plays and fatal mistakes.

Central Catholic gained an impressive twenty four points from three point shots compared to Normal Community’s 9.

Throughout the game, Normal Community had consistent defense, but gave up twelve points to free throws after getting too aggressive. At the end of the night, the Ironmen had committed 17 fouls against the Saints, giving them the perfect opportunity for easy points.

When the game was over, it was hard not to think about the messed up plays, the simple fouls, and missed chances, but there were good memories too.

The team played very cohesively, regardless of who was on the court, but there were some stars of the game.

Every time Daylen Boddie took hold of the ball, he stole the attention of everyone in the stands. His impressive ball control and fancy footwork gave him the ability to weave through the defense and score often.

Even when the team was behind, their play was never frantic, never messy, and constantly strategic.

The loss was disappointing for everyone, but the team is very optimistic for the future.

Coach Dave Witzig, head coach of 18 years, hopes that team will “be playing [their] best basketball in March.”

With almost four months left in the season before playoffs, there are a lot of positives for the team to focus on.

“We have strong senior leaders who are doing a great job,” commented Coach Witzig.

The goal every good team is a championship, and even after this defeat, only one thing is certain.

Central Catholic might have won this battle, but the Ironmen are preparing to win the war.