What started as just a regular high school basketball game ended in a moment that would go viral across the country. This moment changed one player’s journey.
For Sexton High School’s 5-11 junior guard Keyshawn Summerville, the buzzer-beater was more than just a split decision, it was a dream come true.
“I’ve always been around basketball,” Summerville said. “Having older brothers who played and my dad training me from a young age, ever since then it just became something I love.”
That preparation came in clutch with 2.2 seconds left on the clock in the regional championship game of Sexton High School vs. Chelsea High School on March 6, in Charlotte, MI. Sexton’s boys varsity team, once leading by 20 points in the fourth quarter, was now moments away from a devastating loss. Then the head coach Deleon Dearing huddled up the team to draw up a play.
“I was like, man, coach, forget that,” Summerville said. “I just thought ‘give me the ball. I'm going to throw it up’.”
And that’s exactly what he did.
The beyond half-court shot flowed through the air and found nothing but net. The crowd went into a frenzy and his teammates stormed the court in excitement.
“It was just like insane, you always see these moments on like ESPN and YouTube videos,” Summerville said. “That, like actually, happened for me. I just couldn't believe it really went in. I was in shock; it was just crazy.”
His family and friends were there to witness the shot unfolding and, in the morning, so was the rest of the internet. The video was posted by his cameraman Rese at courtside.rese and quickly got hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok. In the next hours, ESPN picked it up for its platform.
“I was like wow it's actually viral,” Summerville said. “Then a week went by, and it was still blowing up all over.”
In the stands, Summerville’s father, Maurice, who trained him since he was young couldn’t believe what just happened.
“I thought the game was over to be honest cause we only had 2.2 seconds,” Maurice said. “So, when he (Keyshawn) released it (the ball), I just had a feeling that, ‘Man it's going to reach the rim’. Then boom straight through, no rim, pure through the net. It's a blessing and I just ran on a court trying to find him and I couldn't. I ended up falling down in the crowd and I got trampled. Then I got up and I still couldn't find him, and I was like, ‘Man, I got to hug this boy’.”
Before the viral shot, Keyshawn’s father put in the time to help him reach his dreams.
“I saw that he had a desire to reach his goals and dreams, he was serious about it and enjoyed it,” Maurice said. “I just made sure I sacrificed a lot of time and got him in the gym. Some of those nights I'll be really tired coming home from work, but he’d want to go to the YMCA and we would go to the Y. Sometime the gym wouldn’t be available and we’d just go to racquetball courts. We couldn't shoot but we could do ball drill in passing. We just put the time in.”
The viral moment has opened new opportunities for Summerville. College coaches have begun reaching out more frequently and documentaries, YouTube creators, and sports outlets are contacting him.
While the spotlight is intense, Summerville is still grounded and understands the exposure.
“My parents and I have trained for moments like this, and you know live in the moment,” Summerville said. “So, I'm just grateful and blessed of being in a position where I am today. It's just truly a blessing.”
The moment sparked a boost in his confidence, not just in his shooting ability, but across his whole game. He still reflects on what might’ve been if the shot had been missed.
“Oh man, a lot of tears that night for sure,” Summerville said with a laugh. “We were up by 20 points in the fourth quarter. So, that would have been a very heartbreaking upset right there.”
Even though he attends school online, the hype around his game winner hasn’t faded.
“Every time I do go into school to go to work, everybody always talks about it,” Summerville said. “It’s still crazy.”
Looking ahead, Summerville is focused on finishing high school strong and making the leap to the next level. College basketball is the next big goal and then pursuing a degree in business.
Summerville’s final step is the big league.
“The NBA,” he said. “That’s the dream for everybody who plays this game. So, just getting into that main goal and just working hard every day to get there. And just driving for greatness, staying blessed and having a great future ahead of me.”
His father hopes he carries this lesson with him on his journey.
“Whatever you want to do, whatever time you put it in that's what you're going to get out,” he said. “Everything that you do put the time into, be the best you can be because you're going to get the best out of it.”