Kosmo couldn't be happier for the Lake Orion boys basketball team and the community that the Dragons are one step away from the state's final four.
It's a place Kosmo never thought he'd see the Dragons, so he's pulling for them to beat Macomb L'Anse Creuse North in a Class A state quarterfinal on Tuesday.
However, this does bring one issue to mind for Kosmo in light of the fact that Lake Orion made the state's final four in girls basketball three years ago.
As you recall, Kosmo wrote back then ripping the Lake Orion students for not supporting the team on its road to the semifinals. Crowds were sparse to say the least in the regional and quarterfinal games.
The school ended up not giving students that Friday afternoon off to go up to Ypsilanti and support the team.
Students lined up at the attendance office the morning of the game with notes excusing them to go to the game, and thus did show up for the semifinal loss to Benton Harbor. But it seemed too late and just a way to get out of class on that Friday afternoon.
However, while saying the students didn't deserve to have the day off, Kosmo did wonder if the situation would be different if the boys ever made the state semifinals.
Would the school give students that Friday afternoon off? Would buses be provided to transport students to the games to avoid lawsuits?
Would they do something for the boys that they didn't do for the girls, thus sending the message that boys sports are more important?
As far as Kosmo is concerned, anytime a boys or girls basketball team makes the semifinals and play on a Friday afternoon, schools should shut down and let students go support their classmates.
But it'll be interesting if Lake Orion wins on Tuesday. Since Lake Orion didn't shut down school for the girls three years ago and provide transportation, it could end up sending a message that boys sports are more important if they allow the students to go up to Breslin on Friday.
— Another thing about the game between Lake Orion and Macomb L'Anse Creuse North. Many feel the winner won't get much of a reward since they'll just get destroyed in the semifinals anyway.
That's hogwash. No matter what happens in the semifinals, just the experience of getting to the final four will be one the players will never forget. Thus, that's why the game is so important despite how much people are laughing at the matchup between two Cinderella stories.