Two minutes remained in Wednesday’s game at Travis. The visiting varsity Knights had long since secured the victory to remain undefeated in district play.

With that essential task accomplished, head coach Carly Kehn allowed herself a moment to think about the larger issue that weighed on her mind and the team’s collective heart.

It was junior Annie Bauld’s last game in a Knight jersey. Bauld made the varsity squad as a freshman and has played varsity ever since. Next semester, she will attend a different high school.

Kehn thought about giving Bauld the star treatment by pulling her from the game with about 30 seconds remaining so her teammates and the Knights fans in attendance could show their appreciation for her contribution to the program. 

But as she kicked the tires on that idea, she came up with a better plan.

“I started thinking about the best way to honor her time with us,” Kehn remembered, “It just popped in my head: what better way to end your last game then with some of your fellow juniors and friends?”

Instead of summoning Bauld to the bench, she sent junior teammates Esme Barraz, Sam Cowles and Sam Shreves to the scorers’ table to enter the game.

All five juniors who have played together the past three years would finish Bauld’s last game together. The Fab Five would be together on the court one last time.

We would like to say that Bauld was immediately moved by the gesture, but that’s not exactly what happened. 

“It was a surprise to them and to me actually,” Kehn joked afterward. “Annie didn’t notice until we mentioned it after the game, but the juniors that were on the bench at the time were super excited. As soon as I asked Esme if she could run the 1, which of course she said yes to, they ran to go check in. I think it meant a lot to them to be able to be out there with her.”

The coach did not hesitate to say what Bauld has meant to her program.

“Annie was such a staple to our program and our junior class. She was a big part of the team and those are shoes we definitely won’t be able to fill. She always came in with excitement and added a spark to the game. Annie is a hard worker and always is looking to contribute to the team. Off the court, she was a great person and friend. She brought a lot of joy and laughter that we are going to miss greatly.”

Just ask anyone involved with the girls program and they will tell you that Bauld has touched everyone in the Mac girls basketball program through her amazing energy and leadership.

Junior Lily Hobbs is a long-time teammate and friend of Bauld, who has known her since the first grade. They started playing basketball together in second grade. Since then they have remained close, sometimes as teammates and other times as opponents. Since seventh grade at Lamar, Hobbs – and all of the other juniors on Mac’s current team – have been playing together at school.

“Annie has always been such a reliable force on and off the court. She was a big part of the team, and the dynamic will definitely change a bit. But, we’ll push through,” Hobbs said. “So many of us, including myself, have played with Annie since elementary and middle school so for me at least it’s just weird to think about how I won’t play with her anymore.”

For much of the team, Bauld’s absence will be a big adjustment, especially for many of the upperclassmen who have played with her for such a long time.

“The whole team is like a family, so losing anyone is really hard,” Hobbs said. “I don’t think I have fully processed it and won’t until we show up to practice again and she isn’t there.”

It’s going to be a tough adjustment for Bauld as well.

“I am going to miss the community we created and how you are always encouraged to be your best self and push yourself to your limit,” Bauld said. “Everyone is so welcoming and caring, and the coaches are very involved with the players.”

Bauld has been an important part of her team’s success. A strong leader both on and off the court, she played hard while always being welcoming to new players and freshmen.

“It has been such a great experience, and most of my core memories were from this program and the amazing people here,” Bauld said. “I am going to miss getting to play with my best friends the most. They bring the energy and are always such great people to be around.”

Bauld will continue to play basketball at Hyde Park but will be greatly missed in a Mac jersey. For varsity, Bauld’s absence in the post position will be a difficult adjustment for the team but, as Hobbs said, they will make it work. 

Coach Kehn agreed that the team will adjust but that Bauld, without a doubt, left her mark on the girls basketball program.

“We always talk about how we are a family, and that really holds true here,” she said. “We feel like we are losing a core family member. Even though we understand and want the best for her, this is going to be tough. Not only on the court but even more so emotionally. I’m just glad we were able to have a great couple of years with her. I told the team, tears of sadness come from being able to experience great joy. It was really nice that we were able to get all the juniors in the game to close out her time here at McCallum. Once a Knight, always a Knight.”

One might assume that a coach builds community in order to build a team that can win games, district titles and playoff games, but with this team and these players, it certainly is the other way around. The task of winning games and reaching their full potential together has built a community that will endure long after the final buzzer sounds.

As the team gathered after the game one last time before bidding Bauld goodbye, they reflected on the past three years together.

“We had the players go around and say what their favorite memory with Annie has been,” Kehn said. “It was really neat to hear that most memories had absolutely nothing to do with the actual game of basketball and everything to do with times they were spending together off the court.”

—with reporting by the MacJournalism Sports Team

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