Sitting on a table in the Brentwood Academy locker room is a silver basketball that the team earned last year.
The top-ranked Eagles are hoping to win a gold one this season.
kAm“~9[ J629[ E92E’D E96 >2:? 8@2=[” qp 8F2C5 y2JD@? }:I@? D2:5] “(6 FD6 E92E D:=G6C 32== :? @FC =@4<6C C@@> E@ >@E:G2E6 FD 6G6CJ 52J] x >62?[ 6G6CJ E:>6 H6 =@@< 2E :E[ :E’D ;FDE 2 C6>:?56C @7 9@H 4=@D6[ 3FE 9@H 72C H6 H6C6 E@ H:??:?8 :E 2==]”k^Am
kAmqC6?EH@@5 p4256>J E@@< D64@?5 :? s:G:D:@? xx\pp 27E6C 2 fa\d` =@DD E@ |@?E8@>6CJ q6== p4256>J :? E96 a_a` 7:?2=]k^Am
kAm%96 t28=6D 92G6 H@? E96:C 7:CDE a` 82>6D E9:D D62D@?[ 7@C @?6 @7 E96:C 36DE DE2CED[ :7 ?@E E96 36DE[ :? D49@@= 9:DE@CJ] qp :D 7:CDE :? E96 D6G6?\E62> |:55=6 #68:@? H:E9 2 f\_ C64@C5]k^Am
kAm%96 t28=6D DFCG:G65 2 4=@D6 42== H96? D6?:@C sy $6?E6C 9:E 2 `d\7@@E 32D6=:?6 ;F>A6C 2E E96 3FKK6C 7@C 2 eb\e` H:? 2E !@A6 y@9? !2F= xx @? %F6D52J]k^Am
kAm“(6 H@F=5 =@G6 E@ 92G6 2?@E96C D9@E 2E H:??:?8 E96 =2DE 82>6[ 3FE :E’D D@ E@F89 E@ 86E E96C6[” t28=6D 4@249 |2EE w@AA6 D2:5] “~FC =628F6[ C:89E ?@H :? E96 |:55=6[ t2DE 2?5 (6DE[ E96C6 2C6 AC@323=J 6:89E @C `_ E62>D E92E 92G6 2 =68:E D9@E E@ H:? :E] x >62?[ E96C6 2C6 D@ >2?J 8@@5 E62>D[ A=2J6CD 2?5 4@2496D]”k^Am
kAmw@AA6 D2:5 96’D 3:2D65[ 3FE 96 42==D s\xx pp E96 E@F896DE =628F6 :? E96 DE2E6]k^Am
kAm!@H6C65 3J e\7@@E\f '2?56C3:=E D:8?66 |2=:< s:2[ t?DH@CE9 W`f\c[ d\aX :D C:89E 369:?5 qC6?EH@@5 p4256>J :? E96 |:55=6 #68:@?] s:2 6CFAE65 7@C 2 42C66C\9:89 c` A@:?ED :? (65?6D52J’D H:? @G6C r9C:DE !C6D3JE6C:2? p4256>J]k^Am
kAm%C6?E |4}2:C[ 2 |C] q2D<6E32== 7:?2=:DE 7@C E96 t28=6D =2DE J62C[ :D 2G6C28:?8 `c A@:?ED 2?5 d]a C63@F?5D E9:D D62D@?] w6 2G6C2865 a_ A@:?ED =2DE J62C[ 3FE E96 D6?:@C 92D 2 DEC@?86C DFAA@CE:?8 42DE E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAm%96 e\d 8F2C5 92D @776CD 7C@> r@G6?2?E[ %C6G6442 2?5 r@=F>3:2 $E2E6] w6 H2D 9@?@C65 7@C C6249:?8 `[___ 42C66C A@:?ED =2DE H66<]k^Am
kAm“w6’D ;FDE 2 8C62E 2==\2C@F?5 A=2J6C[” w@AA6 D2:5] “x E9:?< 96’D @?6 @7 E96 36DE\<6AE D64C6ED :? E96 DE2E6[ E@ 36 9@?6DE H:E9 J@F] x E9:?< A6@A=6 2C6 >:DD:?8 @FE @? 9:>] w6’D 567:?:E6=J 2 9:89 s\x E2=6?E]”k^Am
kAm|4}2:C :D G:D:E:?8 p=4@C? $E2E6 E9:D H66<6?5] w:D 72E96C[ $E6G6[ H@? E96 `hhc (2=E6C !2JE@? pH2C5 2D E96 E@A 7@@E32== A=2J6C :? s:G:D:@? x\pp E96C6]k^Am
kAm%C6?E’D >@>[ |6496==6[ 2?5 $E6G6[ 2 7@C>6C %:E2?D DE2C BF2CE6C324<[ >6E 2E p=4@C?] w:D >@> H2D @? E96 D49@@=’D v@=56? v:C=D 52?46 E62>]k^Am
kAmq2D632== H2D %C6?E’D 72G@C:E6 DA@CE H96? 96 H2D 2 J@F?8DE6C]k^Am
kAm“q24< E96?[ x =:<65 32D632== 2 =@E >@C6[ D@ H6 H@F=5 9:E 32D632== 2 =@E[” %C6?E D2:5 @7 9:D 525] “{:<6 96 H@F=5 A:E49 E@ >6 2?5 DEF77 =:<6 E92E] p7E6C 2 H9:=6 x E9:?< x ;FDE 8@E E:C65 @7 :E 3642FD6 32D<6E32== H2D ;FDE >J E9:?8]”k^Am
kAmy!xx 4@249 r92C=6D (256 A=2J65 9:89 D49@@= 32D<6E32== 282:?DE %C6?E’D 525 :? |:DD:DD:AA: H96? 96 H2D 2 A@DE A=2J6C 2E (6DD@? 2?5 |4}2:C H2D 2 A@:?E 8F2C5 2E |@F?E ~=:G6]k^Am
kAm“p4EF2==J[ x E@=5 %C6?E =2DE J62C x 925 E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ A=2J 282:?DE 9:D 525 EH:46 :? 9:89 D49@@= 32D<6E32==[” (256 D2:5] “xE H2D <:?5 @7 2 7F==\4:C4=6 >@>6?E 7@C >6] w6 5@6D 92G6 2 =@E @7 9:D 525’D 2E9=6E:4:D>]”k^Am
kAm(256 D2:5 96 92D ?@ 5@F3E E92E %C6?E 4@F=5 A=2J 2E p=4@C?]k^Am
kAm“,%C6?E. 92D 2 ?:46 C6A6CE@:C6[” (256 D2:5] “w6’D 2 AC6EEJ 8@@5 b\A@:?E D9@@E6C[ 3FE 96’D 2H6D@>6 2E AFEE:?8 E96 32== @? E96 7=@@C 2?5 96 42? 7:?:D9 H:E9 3@E9 92?5D] #62==J A2E:6?E @776?D:G6=J[ 96 5@6D?’E 6G6CJ C62==J 766= =:<6 J@F 42? DA665 9:> FA @C CFD9 9:>]”k^Am
kAmqC6?EH@@5 p4256>J C6EFC?D 7@FC DE2CE6CD 7C@> =2DE D62D@?’D a_\c E62> — |4}2:C[ $6?E6C Wh A@:?ED A6C 82>6X[ %J=6C %2??6C 2?5 sC6J |@DD We]d A@:?ED[ d]d C63@F?5D[ c]d DE62=D A6C 82>6X]k^Am
kAm%2??6C :D 2G6C28:?8 ?62C=J `g A@:?ED A6C 82>6 2?5 }:I@? :D 2G6C28:?8 `a]k^Am
kAm“x 766= =:<6 E96 C62= 7F6= :D ?@E H2?E:?8 E@ =@D6 =:<6 H6 5:5 =2DE J62C[” D2:5 %2??6C[ 2 D@A9@>@C6 A@:?E 8F2C5 H9@ 2G6C286D d 2DD:DED 2?5 c]a DE62=D A6C 82>6] “(6 5:5?’E H2?E @FC J62C E@ 6?5 =:<6 E92E[ D@ E92E C62==J >@E:G2E6D FD E@ 36 2 36EE6C E62> E92? H6 H6C6 =2DE J62C]”k^Am
kAmv6@C86 |24x?EJC6[ 2 e\d 7C6D9>2? H9@D6 F?4=6[ |:<6[ :D E96 u=@C:52 x?E6C?2E:@?2= 7@@E32== 4@249[ :D 2G6C28:?8 f]d A@:?ED A6C 82>6 7@C qp] w:D 8C2?572E96C[ v6@C86[ 4@24965 '2?56C3:=E 7C@> `hfh\gd]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 A=2J65 2 C62==J E@F89 D4965F=6[ D@ x 5:5?’E 2?E:4:A2E6 FD 36:?8 F?56762E65[” w@AA6 D2:5] “}@[ x 5:5?’E D66 :E 4@>:?8 2?5 ?@[ x 5@?’E <?@H H92E’D 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6?]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mqp 2=F>?: FA52E6Dk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu@C>6C qp DE2C s2C:FD v2C=2?5 :D 2G6C28:?8 `h]f A@:?ED 2?5 g]a 2DD:DED 7@C r=6G6=2?5[ H96C6 96’D 2? }qp p==\$E2C 42?5:52E6]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D ?:?E9 :? t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 8F2C5 G@E:?8 Wbcb[dd`X E9C@F89 %9FCD52J]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 9:D DF446DD :D ;FDE 5F6 E@ 9@H >F49 96 H@C<D[” w@AA6 D2:5] “~7 4@FCD6[ 96’D DFAC6>6=J E2=6?E65] x >62?[ 96’D @?6 @7 E96 36DE 32D<6E32== A=2J6CD :? E96 H@C=5] w@H 96 2AAC@2496D 9:D 4C27E :D 2 C62==J DA64:2= E9:?8]”k^Am
kAmu@CH2C5 qC2?52? (C:89E[ bc[ H@C<D @FE 2E qp :? E96 9@A6D @7 C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 }qp 27E6C :?;FCJ D6E324<D]k^Am
kAmw6 A=2J65 :? E96 }qp 7C@> a__f\`g 7@C D6G6? E62>D]k^Am
kAm“{:<6 s2C:FD[ 96 =@G6D @FC 8FJD[ =@G6D @FC D49@@=[” w@AA6 D2:5] “w6 D9@@ED :? @FC 8J> 2== E96 E:>6]”k^Am
kAmr2E496C y24@3 $E2==:?8D H2D EC2565 E@ |:2>: :? }@G6>36C 27E6C 2 v@=5\v=@G6 D62D@? H:E9 !:EED3FC89]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D E96 @?=J 42E496C ?@E E@ 2==@H 2 A2DD65 32== =2DE J62C] $E2==:?8D E:65 w@FDE@? D9@CEDE@A r2C=@D r@CC62 H:E9 a` 5676?D:G6 CF?D D2G65[ E96 >@DE @7 2?J A=2J6C 2E 2?J A@D:E:@?]k^Am
kAm$E2==:?8D DA@<6 2E qC6?EH@@5 p4256>J =2DE H66<]k^Am

