The Dream and Triumph, Louis Mulkey and Summerville High: Tell my wife " I Love You" (Video included)

The fire which destroyed a Charleston, South Carolina Furniture store claimed the life of a dreamer, but not the dream.

Louis Mulkey, 34 yrs. A White Charleston, South Carolina fire fighter was also a coach of the Summerville High School basketball program a majority Black team which had never won a State Championship. Mulkey had given his players the dream that in their Senior year, Summerville would claim it's first title.

Then that fateful 6/18/07; day and the fire which claimed Louis Mulkey's and the lives of eight other fire fighters. Mulkey's final words, " Tell my wife, I Love you".

Sports at all levels has stories and moments of accomplished dreams and heroic eternities, but what Louis Mulkey's players accomplished on the night of 2/29/08; has all the ingredients of an Urban Legend, with the caveat it happened, that it was true.

With 1.7 second left in the game and Summerville leading by two, 50-48. A Spartanburg player rebounded a careening free-throw and threw up a 65 footer prayer that swooshed a nightmare through the Mulkey dream of a championship. So was that it, an improbable finish to a sequence of events that was becoming unique by the moment?

South Carolina High School athletics doesn't use replays to decide questionable plays and the 65 footer shot which put Spartanburg over Summerville was questionable. Was it timely, before the game clock showed zeros and the referees officiating the game had reason to doubt that. After deliberating which was a life time of anguish for the Summerville players, their fans and Mulkey's wife Lauren Mulkey. The referee stepped on the court and officially declared that Spartanburg's shot was invalid, it was made after regulation and time expired.

So with that, the Mulkey, Summerville dream was now a reality! What started as one of the worst tragedies in American fire-fighter history had redemptively transformed into an improbable triumph 50-48 over Spartanburg! ESPN and other authorities reviewed the questionable shot and concluded that the referees did get it right.

By Apropos