'Miracle' play saves Christian team at the absolute last second

'I didn't even think about it. I knew there was no time for me to do anything else.'

Central Christian High School witnessed a "miracle" of sorts during an intense basketball game.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Central Christian High's Josh Clanton was beneath the basket when a shot thrown by the opposing team bounced off the rim.

He knew the clock was winding down and there was no time to waste.

"It just happened that [the ball] fell in my hands," he told the Indiana Star.

"I didn't even think about it. I knew there was no time for me to do anything else."

From across the court, Clanton heaved the ball with all his might.

Justin Steele was present in the crowd. He was recording the entire game and caught the moment Clanton attempted the full-court shot.

Central Christian High hadn't won a basketball game since 2013 and Clanton knew this was the only chance they'd have to win the game.

As the ball flew through the air, the buzzer sounded and was a perfect swish. The crowd went wild and the Steele's camera shook as he erupted with cheers and applause.

The game was a particularly amazing moment for Clanton, who knew the game was being recorded and wanted to share his winning shot with his father.

John Clanton suffered two strokes and had been in rehabilitation at Community Hospital North. He hadn't been well enough to attend a single basketball game all season.

His son explained: "His short term memory has suffered a lot since the stroke. The whole left side of his body was affected.

"He can hold a conversation but he can lose focus, in a sense. But he's doing aggressive rehab every day and he's been walking a little bit. He's doing things on the iPad to help with getting his memory back."

The younger Clanton spoke candidly about his shot, saying, "I didn't think it was going to go in at all. Not at all. And then I was standing there, I was like, 'It went in! it went in!' That's a long distance."

Clanton's win was a special moment he hopes to share with his father. "I'm sure he's seen [the video]," he said, adding, "But I haven't go to watch it with him yet."

Please pray for John Clanton's recovery and for strength, hope and grace for the other Clanton family members.

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