The making of a ‘viral’ photo

- Sharing something via email or social media that spreads to millions of people online.

••• Kate Myers remembers thinking one thing as the play was unfolding: “Whatever you do, DO NOT let go of the basketball.”

Madison Goodwin’s thoughts went to what she was taught in practice by assistant coach Danny Green.

“Almost every practice we do a rebounding drill with Coach Green where we’re supposed to come down strong and rip the ball through.

“So that’s exactly what I did.”

Ashley Gamez just knew something bad was about to happen.

“The first thing that came to my mind was, “Oh no, this Lomega girl is either going to break her back or have a concussion.”

••• When Dover and Lomega gathered Nov. 3 to open the 2022-23 basketball season, the stands were literally packed with fans on both sides and they were brimming with anticipation

and excitement of not only the girls’ game that was about to unfold, but that of a new season as well.

They saw a bit of history unfold as Dover won for the first time in the series since 2006.

But they also saw a moment that brought gasps from the fans, coaches and even the players on the court.

At one point in the second half, Dover’s Madison Goodwin and Lomega’s Kate Myers jumped straight up for a rebound.

Both got two hands on the ball.

Both refused to let go. The next two seconds were captured for eternity by none other than Chris Simon.

••• Simon has spent more than a decade capturing sports moments for youth of all ages throughout Kingfisher County.

Hundreds of events.

Hundreds of thousands of photos.

“It’s awesome that he supports us in all our sports and school activities,” said Myers.

Simon was shooting that season opener in Dover when Myers and Goodwin were struggling for possession of the ball.

“I usually try to shoot rebounds because you can get some good shots of kids fighting for the ball,” Simon said.

As the two competitors landed, Goodwin “ripped,” just as she’d been taught.

Myers held on, just as she vowed to do.

The result saw Myers essentially do a back flip as she was pulled to the ground, her feet hanging above her head as the two players crashed to the court.

The gym was stunned, most assuming one - if not both - players would be injured.

“Time seemed to stand still,” Myers recalled. “I found myself doing a backfl ip. My next thought was, “You better stick this landing, Kate!”

Myers actually landed on Goodwin.

“All I really remember was the crowd gasping and then being on the ground with her,” Goodwin recalled.

Much to the surprise of everyone, both players quickly got to their feet.

“I think it’s important to get up even faster than you get knocked down,” Myers said. “We were both ready to continue the game.”

Simon’s camera was clicking away from the beginning of the rebound until he saw Myers upside down.

“I let off the shutter button because I thought it was going to end badly with her falling on her head,” Simon said.

“I honestly don’t remember her hitting the floor, but I remember her getting up and me being relieved that she wasn’t injured.”

As most photographers do, Simon quickly looked at his most recent pictures to see if he got “the shot.”

“I did a quick view of the sequence and saw that I got her completely upside down and thought it looked like a good shot,” Simon said. “I wasn’t overly excited about it but it was a shot that stuck in my head.”

He didn’t have time that night to post all of his photos from the game, but he searched out that sequence and posted a specific photo on his Facebook page.

“I did a quick edit and posted just that one to let everyone know that I would not be able to get pics done that night,” Simon said.

The photo not only showed the competitiveness of Myers and Goodwin, but also the reaction of Gamez, who was nearby.

Her facial expression which was the same of 90 percent of the other people in the gym - put an exclamation point on the photo.

Once Gamez realized Myers wasn’t hurt, “I was thinking, ‘Oh wow, she’s tough,’” she said. “She got up like it was nothing. I thought it was going to be a lot worse, but thank goodness she didn’t get hurt.”

The play itself was only half of the story.

Once Simon posted the photo to Facebook, it rightfully spread.

His post had more than 250 “likes” and more than 22 “shares.”

Literally thousands of people saw his photo.

But it didn’t stop there. The Times & Free Press published his photo in its game story.

Afterward, Chris Wilfong asked if he could also re-post the photo to his own website’s (iwasatthegame. com) Facebook page.

Wilfong is the technology director at Kingfisher Public Schools.

His website details tons of historical information regarding Oklahoma high school sports.

He puts both historical and current news on his social media pages, including Facebook.

“I saw that picture in the newspaper and thought it was a great shot,” Wilfong said. “I thought it would be cool to post on my page.”

Once he got the approval from Simon, Wilfong posted the photo to his Facebook page.

And that’s when it caught fire….when three young women from Kingfi sher County “went viral.”

Wilfong’s Facebook post of the photo was made on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

About 30 hours later, more than 2.6 million people had viewed the photo.

By the evening of Thursday, Nov. 9, it had swelled to nearly 8.4 million views.

Early Friday evening, it was at 12 million.

By press time, the Facebook post had received more than 40,000 “likes,” had been shared more than 6,600 times and had been viewed more than 16.4 million times.

It’s bona fide viral. “I’ve had some posts get big numbers, but never anything like this,” Wilfong said.

It’s tough to see the faces of either Goodwin or Myers in the photo, but Myers knows she’ll be sharing it for years to come.

“(Chris) captures memories like this one that I will be able to share with my kids and grandkids someday,” she said. “Madison and I will probably be the all-time champions of ‘two truths and a lie.’ Who would ever believe a photo we were in would get over 16 million views?”

Once the game was over, Goodwin wasn’t thinking too much about “the play.”

“I don’t remember much from the game just because of the adrenaline being so high along with the atmosphere,” she said. “I didn’t think much of it until after the game when people kept coming up to me talking and asking me about it. I remember going home later that night and seeing that Chris Simon had posted the picture and I thought it was crazy.

“Then I ended up watching the film and realizing what had actually happened. Still, I didn’t think this many people would actually see the picture.”

The person not involved specifically in the play is the most recognizable in the photo: Gamez.

“It happened so quick, my initial reaction was clearly shown. My facial expression says it all. Immediate shock took over my face,” Gamez said. “This moment was all we talked about after the game. But once the picture came out and got passed around, it’s all people COULD talk about.”

It’s already made Gamez recognizable.

Dover hosted a junior high tournament the following week.

“A coach from the tournament came up to me and said, ‘I saw your face in that picture that’s been blowing up.’” She’s officially “the girl in the background” of the most famous photo in Kingfi sher County.

••• The game was physical and tough.

The play epitomized that. But it also ended on the court.

Although Myers and Goodwin aren’t acquaintances, there was still a level of respect.

“I know she is a tough competitor,” Myers said. “I also know she was kind enough to be concerned about me after the game.”

Goodwin asked her mom, Erica, to reach out to Myers’ mom, Julie, later that night to ensure she was ok.

“I appreciate her sportsmanship and kindness,” Myers said.

••• Photographers are always striving for that perfect shot.

For Simon, maybe this was it or maybe there’s another one out there for him.

One thing is certain: This photo told the story of an entire game.

Gamez realized it. “It shows the determination of both players and not letting go until the whistle was blown,” she said.

Simon felt that way as well.

“To me it shows two players both giving it their all,” he said. “Both girls not giving up and leaving everything on the court - just like all the players from both teams that night.

“Dover won handily, but Lomega didn’t go down without a fight.”

It was Goodwin and the upstart Lady Longhorns trying to wrestle away supremacy from Myers and the proud program that is Lomega.

“For Kate to hang on to that ball for as long as she did is impressive,” Simon said. “But that shot pretty much summed up the whole game.”

And now, more than 16.4 million people have witnessed it.