Husky freshman goes viral with heroic shot

Jaxson Slagle’s heroic shot went viral.
The 6-6 freshman’s jumper from the top of the key with 2 seconds left against the top-rated team in Class B hit nothing but net Thursday night, causing instant pandemonium for the fortunate Husky faithful on hand to see it. It was a shot young Mr. Slagle won’t soon forget, and is hopefully the first of many memorable moments he’ll experience in a Husky uniform.  Something tells me his time in the spotlight has only just begun.
The final play of that game created a memorable moment for me as well, long after the final buzzer sounded. With ANR sports editor Richard Rhoden two hours away covering the state wrestling tournament in Omaha, I was covering Husky hoops that night. I looked forward to a battle of Top 10 teams in a game that truly lived up to its billing. What I didn’t expect was the reaction and viewership to the final 8 seconds of what became an instant classic.
As an old-school journalist who’s has been roaming the sidelines off and on for 40 years as of this May, I’m accustomed to taking action photos for the printed edition. For the last 13 years that gig has involved shooting video as well, then posting key plays or postgame interviews to ANR’s social media platforms. The trick is knowing when to shoot video versus still photos, hoping to capture some highlight moments in both formats from each game. Thursday night was an easy call, as I grabbed my iPhone for the final 30 seconds of a game that everybody in the house knew would come down to the wire.
As you know by now, Jaxson was in the right place at the right time, taking a pass from Canon Allen with the game on the line and etching his name in Husky lore. The crowd raised its arms in unison while the team chased the freshman phenom to the other end of the court, creating a sense of genuine euphoria for anyone wearing red. 
I posted that exciting video to ANR’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (X) platforms as soon as I could, thinking it would light up phones for Husky players, family and friends. To my surprise, by morning Jaxson’s heroic shot and the team’s reaction had been viewed 3,500 times, well above the ANR norm.
Curious, I kept track throughout the weekend and noticed that by Monday the shot heard ’round Aurora had been viewed more than 39,000 times on Twitter and some 50,000 times on Facebook. Holy Buzzer-Beater, Batman. That’s a lot of eyeballs.
It makes you wonder where all those eyeballs call home. Surely the big guy’s shot was seen and shared by current and former Huskies, and likely other basketball fans in Nebraska and beyond who have no allegiance to our own Big Red. 
Regardless, it was a feel-good moment worth sharing, unless of course you are a Skyhawk fan:-)

KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@hamilton.net