Jackson Rock and Wesley Hatfield occasionally play pickup basketball against each other, but never in a 1v1 game. In mid-February, however, Rock proposed playing a future match-up in front of a much bigger audience: the Decatur High School community.

“I want to embarrass this guy in front of the entire school,” Rock said.

Hatfield agreed to play Rock in a 1v1 game at the spring pep rally, with one condition.

“I think honestly, he said it to me as a joke,” Hatfield said. “I don’t think he thought it was a serious idea, until I said ‘Yeah, sure, Jackson if we can raise some money we can absolutely do that.’”

In order to play against Hatfield, Rock needs to raise $500 for Cure Childhood Cancer. He will work with the Student Government Association (SGA) to raise this money by placing a collection bucket in lunches and in the front office.

“If we can raise some money for a good cause and embarrass him,” Rock said, “that’s killing two birds with one stone, you know?”

Rock also hopes that hype leading up to this game will help the school on a deeper level: engagement and school spirit.

“A lot of people [who] don’t like or go to the pep rallies have told me that if this happens they will go to the pep rally,” he said.

“I think the grassroots nature of trying to make a pep rally something that is increasingly meaningful, more kids might be engaged in is a great cause for Decatur High School,” Hatfield said.

This kind of individual game will be a new experience for Hatfield, but he’s not too nervous.
“I have never been less worried about anything in my life than I am about Jackson Rock’s basketball skills causing me any kind of trouble,” Hatfield said.