5.0 (1 rating)
The End Game: In Love and Basketball There’s Always an End Game
In Love and Basketball There’s Always an End Game
Eager to put his past behind him, Chris Cooper takes the head basketball job at Mayfield High School in Northeast Texas. Haunted by a history of rocky relationships, he’s surprised by the sparks his landlady, single mom, Jennie Sloan, ignites in him.
Despite trust issues from her own tumultuous past, something about the tall coach with emerald-green eyes makes Jennie believe in second chances. When her young son bonds with Cooper, the barriers Jennie built around her heart begin to crumble.
Excited about the raw potential of his team, Cooper is blindsided by Rocco Rawlings, the arrogant Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. The AD demands Cooper’s entire team play football. When Cooper refuses, Rawlings works to undermine the basketball program, and Cooper is forced to find inventive ways to succeed.
As the stakes rise on and off the court, Cooper and Jennie must contend with the demons of their past to protect the fragile flame they’ve lit, while Cooper’s scrappy team—fueled by grit, heart and a shared dream—might just defy the odds and reach the ultimate end game.
A state championship.
Eager to put his past behind him, Chris Cooper takes the head basketball job at Mayfield High School in Northeast Texas. Haunted by a history of rocky relationships, he’s surprised by the sparks his landlady, single mom, Jennie Sloan, ignites in him.
Despite trust issues from her own tumultuous past, something about the tall coach with emerald-green eyes makes Jennie believe in second chances. When her young son bonds with Cooper, the barriers Jennie built around her heart begin to crumble.
Excited about the raw potential of his team, Cooper is blindsided by Rocco Rawlings, the arrogant Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. The AD demands Cooper’s entire team play football. When Cooper refuses, Rawlings works to undermine the basketball program, and Cooper is forced to find inventive ways to succeed.
As the stakes rise on and off the court, Cooper and Jennie must contend with the demons of their past to protect the fragile flame they’ve lit, while Cooper’s scrappy team—fueled by grit, heart and a shared dream—might just defy the odds and reach the ultimate end game.
A state championship.
Published: August 8, 2025
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9798294867256
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Available in: Paperback
Reader Reviews
5.0
1 rating
Karen B.
Feb 25, 2026
The End Game
~Michael Scott Clifton
“He said the problem with the world had nothing to do with intelligence. There are a lot of smart people. The problem was the shortage of wisdom, the ability to take knowledge and apply it in a productive way.” ~Julius
Chris Cooper leaves Arkansas behind, running from painful memories and hoping for a fresh start in Texas as the new basketball coach at Mayfield High. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s stepped straight into the heart of high school football country. From day one, Rocco Rawlings - the overbearing and less than cooperative Athletic Director - makes it clear that basketball will always come second, and anything Chris needs will be twice as hard to get.
Jennie Sloan, a nurse and devoted mom to her fourteen-year-old son Josh, has an apartment for rent over her garage. When Chris shows up at her door, looking to rent the space, sparks ignite instantly. Jennie wears her past openly, while Chris guards his closely. But as their paths intertwine, both must confront whether they’re ready to risk opening their hearts again.
What happens to a coach determined to make lemonade out of lemons, aka a championship basketball team, when faced with Rawlings? Will he be able to blur the lines between school sports and a personal relationship in order to find happiness with Jennie? Or is there a way he can blend the two and achieve an outcome that will be the winning combination for them all?
Clifton crafts a cast of characters that hook you from the very first page. From heartbreak to healing, Chris and Jennie’s journey is a beautiful, emotional rollercoaster. Jennie is ready to unpack the weight of her history, while Chris fights to keep his buried. And Josh - charming, insightful, and absolutely one of a kind - might just be the glue that brings everything together. And we can't forget Julius - he's insightful, caring and wise beyond his years.
At its core, The End Game is a powerful metaphor for life itself. What is your “end game”? Is it simply surviving day to day - or is it chasing something bigger: family, love, stability, purpose? Through basketball, Clifton invites us to think about the choices we make, and what really matters.
The storytelling shines through vivid, sensory detail. From the echo of basketballs on the hardwood, to the clatter of weights in the gym, to the sting of both triumph and loss - you don’t just read this book, you experience it. Every win, every struggle, every ounce of sweat feels real. You are truly drawn in and experiencing a “in the movie" type moment when reading The End Game.
If you’re searching for a heartwarming story about second chances, resilience, and the courage to redefine your life, The End Game is the book you didn’t know you needed. Available now on Amazon - don’t miss it!
Thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Michael Scott Clifton for the opportunity to read The End Game. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher, for an honest and fair review.
~Michael Scott Clifton
“He said the problem with the world had nothing to do with intelligence. There are a lot of smart people. The problem was the shortage of wisdom, the ability to take knowledge and apply it in a productive way.” ~Julius
Chris Cooper leaves Arkansas behind, running from painful memories and hoping for a fresh start in Texas as the new basketball coach at Mayfield High. What he doesn’t realize is that he’s stepped straight into the heart of high school football country. From day one, Rocco Rawlings - the overbearing and less than cooperative Athletic Director - makes it clear that basketball will always come second, and anything Chris needs will be twice as hard to get.
Jennie Sloan, a nurse and devoted mom to her fourteen-year-old son Josh, has an apartment for rent over her garage. When Chris shows up at her door, looking to rent the space, sparks ignite instantly. Jennie wears her past openly, while Chris guards his closely. But as their paths intertwine, both must confront whether they’re ready to risk opening their hearts again.
What happens to a coach determined to make lemonade out of lemons, aka a championship basketball team, when faced with Rawlings? Will he be able to blur the lines between school sports and a personal relationship in order to find happiness with Jennie? Or is there a way he can blend the two and achieve an outcome that will be the winning combination for them all?
Clifton crafts a cast of characters that hook you from the very first page. From heartbreak to healing, Chris and Jennie’s journey is a beautiful, emotional rollercoaster. Jennie is ready to unpack the weight of her history, while Chris fights to keep his buried. And Josh - charming, insightful, and absolutely one of a kind - might just be the glue that brings everything together. And we can't forget Julius - he's insightful, caring and wise beyond his years.
At its core, The End Game is a powerful metaphor for life itself. What is your “end game”? Is it simply surviving day to day - or is it chasing something bigger: family, love, stability, purpose? Through basketball, Clifton invites us to think about the choices we make, and what really matters.
The storytelling shines through vivid, sensory detail. From the echo of basketballs on the hardwood, to the clatter of weights in the gym, to the sting of both triumph and loss - you don’t just read this book, you experience it. Every win, every struggle, every ounce of sweat feels real. You are truly drawn in and experiencing a “in the movie" type moment when reading The End Game.
If you’re searching for a heartwarming story about second chances, resilience, and the courage to redefine your life, The End Game is the book you didn’t know you needed. Available now on Amazon - don’t miss it!
Thank you to Lone Star Literary Life and Michael Scott Clifton for the opportunity to read The End Game. As always, all opinions and reviews are of my own volition. I have not been promised any compensation, current or future, by the author or publisher, for an honest and fair review.