Charges were flying even before the just-for-fun Cops vs. Cadets basketball game was over last week at Hastings High School.  Leading the complaints was Hastings Police Sgt. Kris Miller, who said he became suspicious when a cadet nailed a free throw and the score jumped five points for the cadets.

 

Hastings Officer Josh Sensiba posted the score and waved away any protest, but Miller is pretty sure that wasn’t the only time Sensiba boosted the score for the cadets. While pleasant enough, Sensiba had no comment.

 

According to Miller, some of the referees were former cadets who made some “pretty weird” calls, clearly enjoying their part in the game.

 

The annual basketball game of Cops vs Cadets is looked forward to by both sides, with abundant back and forth banter, trash talk and outright falsehoods about athletic abilities by both sides before, during and after the game.

 

In the end, the game was decided by one point.

 

It couldn’t have been that the cadets were just keeping up with the (much) older cops, could it,” Miller was asked. “No, no, that’s never going to happen,” he said with conviction.

 

Or, could it be that Miller was trying to “buy” the Cops vs Teacher charity basketball game coming up?  “Well, that could be.” he said. “We’re 0 and 2 against the teachers, and it’s getting old.”

 

The best advice for Miller: Stop talking. Your team won by one. You get no bragging rights for a one-point win, and it could have been a whole lot worse if Sensiba hadn’t dozed off in the fourth quarter.

 

The charity basketball game on April 10 at the Hastings High School at 6 p.m. is in honor of Nolan Lucas, a Star Elementary School student who has juvenile diabetes. The cost is $5 to attend the game; t-shirts will be for sale and all proceeds go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

 

The game is for a serious cause, but the cops and teachers will still have a great time, adding to the department’s community involvement, with both sides good-naturedly claiming bragging rights, no matter the score, or how they got it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos:  (upper left) Here’s  the Cops vs Cadets 2019 basketball game team, cadets in blue in front, cops in gray. Both sides look forward to the game, talk friendly trash, play hard, have a good time and demonstrate good sportsmanship.

 

(upper right) Cadet Zack Wells (left) sets and adds two points for the cadets. Cadet Mentor Carson Winnick anticipates the trajectory of the ball to the hoop.

 

(middle left) At the scorekeeping/announcing table, (left to right) Angie Tinkler, Jeff Tinkler, Hastings Officer Josh Sensiba and announcer Paul Ballinger work the game, amid rumors that Sensiba doesn’t count very well (neither confirmed nor denied).

 

(left) Max Martz, Class of 2019 Cadet, marches down the floor to the basket with no defenders in sight.

 

 

(right) The scoreboard tells the tale. It’s official; no do-overs, no instant replay, no appeal.