"Heart Like Luke" from Kyle Trafton on Vimeo.
LEWISTOWN – The Lewistown boys basketball team notched a 59-49 win over Havre on Saturday.
It was the Golden Eagles’ third Central A win of the season and 10th overall, continuing the program’s resurgence in the conference under second-year coach Scott Sparks.
But more than the win, it was the game’s final bucket that sent the crowd, team and coach into an emotional frenzy.
Luke Derheim, the Eagles’ senior team manager, checked into the game with less than 30 seconds remaining. Derheim, No. 15 in the video above, scored the first two points of his varsity career on a layup with less than five seconds remaining in the game.
Derheim has a disorder where his body can’t properly break down protein. He tries out for the Lewistown basketball team every year, but – since his disorder has prevented his body from developing – Derheim never makes the cut.
According to Sparks, though, Derheim “bleeds blue and gold,” so he’s at practice every day working with the team. He never gets to dress out or play for the Eagles on game days, but Sparks and the team surprised him last week with the news that he would get to dress out for Saturday’s Senior Night game against the Blue Ponies.
Sparks said the players made it their goal to make sure Derheim got into the game. They did their part, and the rest is part of the emotional storybook ending.
