In "Facing the Giants," a team of underdogs play a football powerhouse for the championship. It's a modern re-enactment of the David-Goliath encounter performed by church folks from Albany, Georgia. While the flick has been roundly flamed by mainstream critics, open-minded movie-goers have had a different reaction.
I saw the movie earlier this month. Honestly? The acting is clumsy, the outcome is predictable, and the message is captivating. By the time the credits rolled, I was eager to see a giant (or two) toppled.
The opportunity soon presented itself.
This past weekend, Wid III's basketball team - the Lancaster Bible College Chargers - played a bigger team with a deeper bench - the Valley Forge Christian College Patriots - for the regional championship. The Chargers had already lost - twice - to this team, and the Patriots had home court advantage, rabid fans, a 'coach of the year,' and the number one seed.
Brief re-cap: The Chargers never had a solid lead in the game until the last part of the last quarter. The guys also missed a bunch of free throws and were nine points behind during the second half. But perseverance, selfless team playing, and foul trouble on the Patriots' part helped put the Chargers ahead and kept them there when the final buzzer sounded. Score: 69-63.
It's the first time in Lancaster Bible College's history that a men's athletic team has won a banner, so this was an extra-special win. The Chargers next order of business is to take a trip, next week, to the Heartland. They've now earned the opportunity to participate in a national championship. Once again, the competition will be bigger and, in one case, even dressed to kill.
But Davids aren't fazed by such minor details, are they?
Update: The Patriots share their version of this tale, and it has a happy ending. (You guys deserve to go!)
