Blind Your Ponies

The next morning, Diana and Sam go for a hike, and Sam feels better lying in the grass. Later, Axel tells Sam that a man with a badge was asking for someone named Granville Hamilton. Axel says that the man was describing Amos Flowers, but he did not tell him that he knew Amos.

At the end of the fourth quarter in the Twin Bridges game, one of the Twin Bridges players earns a flagrant foul. Olaf makes the first of his two free throws and Willow Creek is up by four points. As Twin Bridges gets ahead, Olaf scores an alley-oop but turns his ankle. They are down by one point and only have one opportunity to win. Rob fakes a pass but throws it to Peter, who has no one guarding him. Peter gets fouled in the final seconds. Peter makes both free throws, winning the game for Willow Creek.

As they drive home, Sam cannot believe that they are going to the state tournament. They bring the second-place divisional trophy to the Blue Willow for everyone to see. Amos stops by to congratulate Tom, and afterward, Sam talks to Amos about the man with a badge looking for him. Amos explains that the man is from the IRS because Amos has not paid taxes in years. He says that he stopped paying taxes because his son died in the Vietnam War, and he did not want to give his money to a government that sent children to die. Amos says he knows that he should leave, but he wants to see Tom win the championship.

Sam visits Grandma Chapman and asks her if she will sit on the bench with him and Diana during the final game. Between classes, Truly takes Sam outside and shows him that he had their bus professionally painted with the word “Rozinante” on the side.

Sam drives the team to Bozeman for their game. As they practice, the boys start to feel less nervous. Sam feels nervous about Olaf and Tom’s injuries, but he encourages each of the boys individually and tells them that he believes that they can win the championship.

At the game, Sam feels overwhelmed by the number of fans who come out to support them. As the game starts, Sam notices the Broncs make a lot of mistakes, but they start to get more focused as their nerves get out. Despite Wibaux’s imposing team, Willow Creek leads by nine points at the beginning of the fourth quarter. During a tussle with the ball, Curtis dives onto the floor to grab the ball. Sam notices Curtis holding his wrist afterward. Sam calls Curtis to the bench to ice his wrist. Sam sends Olaf in Curtis’s place, and Willow Creek wins by 18 points. Later, they find out that Curtis broke his wrist when he returns with a cast.

In the afternoon, the team meets in the gym for practice. Sam takes them to the Blue Willow for dinner, and he tells them the legend of the Crow warriors blinding their ponies. Sam tells them to take a leap of faith like the Crow warriors and believe that they will win their game.

During the game against Rocky Boy, the halftime score is Willow Creek 32, Rocky Boy 50. In the locker room, Sam tells them that he knows that the game is not over, even if they feel like it. Sam tells them about how Amy was murdered six years ago. He says that after Amy died, he stopped believing in everything; however, he believes in their ability to win.

With less than a minute to go, Rocky Boy is still up by four points. Olaf makes a shot and gets fouled. Olaf makes the free throw, and Willow Creek is only down by one point. They foul one of the Rocky Boy players, and the player only makes one of the free throws. Olaf grabs the rebound and rushes down the court. With three seconds remaining, Peter makes his shot right at the buzzer. The stadium explodes in cheers as Willow Creek wins the game.

As the team recovers in the locker room, Amos knocks on the door and asks to speak to Sam. A man stands next to Amos, but he gives them privacy. Amos congratulates Sam and tells him that the man with him is from the IRS. However, the man has let Amos stay to watch the game. Sam calls Tom out, and Amos congratulates him. Amos makes Tom promise not to sign up for the service until he talks to Sam, and Tom agrees.

Tom stays at Peter’s house, but George wakes them up in the middle of the night. He demands that Tom finish painting the barn before the game the next night. Grandma Chapman tells George to leave, but George gets aggressive with Tom and Peter. Grandma Chapman gets her shotgun from the other room and points it at George, telling him to leave. George walks out, and Grandma tells him that he should be ashamed of himself for not supporting Tom like any good father should.

Diana takes Sam for a hike to show him the great horned owls that live in the area. They sit in front of an old abandoned house and Diana tells Sam that she comes to sit in this area to watch the owls by herself. After a while, they leave and Sam feels refreshed.

Grandma Chapman runs into Sally and Denise outside of the grocery store. Sally tells her that George is Denise’s father. Sally tells her that she and George had an affair 18 years ago, before he started drinking. When she told him that she was pregnant, he said that he loved her but that he could not get a divorce because he was Catholic. Sally says that George’s refusal devastated her. Sally explains that George believes that Denise’s cerebral palsy is a punishment for him and Sally. Grandma Chapman promises that she will never tell anyone, but she feels sympathy for George as she realizes that every person has experienced hardship.

Sam and Diana go to the Blue Willow. Axel and Vera tell them that a woman came into the Blue Willow that morning and asked about the tandem bicycle on the porch. Axel tells Sam that she said that she was going to Missoula, but she would come back to visit again. Sam tells Diana that he must do something before the game. He rushes to Andrew’s house, but no one is home.

When they get to the stadium, the team feels shocked at the number of fans waiting to greet them. Even though they are the underdog, the Broncs have the crowd on their side. In the locker room, Sam tells the team that they have everything they need to win and that they are capable of succeeding. The crowd cheers as they head to the court for the tip-off.

Olaf controls the tip, and the Broncs take the ball. Diana holds her breath through the first quarter, hoping that they can win the game. At the end of the quarter, Willow Creek leads by two points. Sam asks Olaf about his ankle, but he tells him that he does not feel anything. At halftime, Willow Creek is up by four points. In the locker room, Diana ices Olaf’s ankle and Tom’s knee. By the fourth quarter, the score is close. Dean tries to block a shot from Seely-Swan but fouls the player. Diana realizes with horror that it is Dean’s fifth foul of the game.

With only three minutes left on the clock, Willow Creek must continue with four players. Sam tells the team that they have the advantage because they know how to play four-on-five. Sam cannot believe that they have two minutes ahead and are up by six points. Seely-Swan scores a three-point shot with one minute left and ties the game. Peter passes the ball to Olaf takes the shot, and Tom tips it in as he is fouled. Tom makes a free throw and they are up by three points with 49 seconds left. Peter goes up to block the other team’s shot and the referee blows his whistle. Peter fouls out of the game with 41 seconds left.

Seely-Swan makes their free throws, and the score is 63-62. Seely-Swan double-teams Willow Creek and steals the ball. However, Rob steals the ball back and races down the court to score, and Willow Creek regains the lead. With less than 20 seconds remaining, Sam yells at them to “blind [their] ponies” (914), reminding them that they need to take a leap of faith. Olaf blocks a shot, but Seely-Swan recovers the ball. Seely-Swan takes a three-point shot and they miss but get the rebound. One of the Seely-Swan players tries to take another three-point shot, but they dribble away from Olaf and only make a two-point shot. With three seconds remaining, Olaf runs out the clock as the buzzer sounds, and Willow Creek screams in disbelief over their victory.

Sam stands in disbelief as the boys lift him over their shoulders, screaming with excitement. After they put him down, Sam tells Andrew that Sarah came back and that she is in Missoula. After 10 minutes, the Broncs receive their championship trophy. The team hoists the trophy over their heads to the cheers of the crowd. Andrew gives the team, Diana, Sam, Grandma Chapman, Axel, Hazel, and Denise jackets with their names stitched on them because of their unifying effort in winning the championship together.

In the locker room, the team calms down with the realization of their win. When they reach the bus, they see that people have decorated it with streamers. Two squad cars escort the bus out of the parking lot as the other cars follow in a makeshift parade. As they drive through the streets, people come out of their houses to wave at them. Sam knows that he will miss the boys when he leaves, and he feels grateful for everything they have taught him. Diana tells him that she does not want their relationship to end. She says that she is scared to trust again, but that she wants to take a chance with him. He tells her that he wants to take a chance with her too. Rozinante takes the team home.