Adversity no obstacle for Brackenridge boys basketball

Eagles soaring high after tumultuous start to season

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – "Playing through adversity" is one of those oft-used sports cliches that feels ambiguous. It can mean playing through pain, competing as an underdog or fighting through an injury.

But the Brackenridge boys basketball team knows what real adversity is.

Prior to the start of the season, three Eagles were dealing with life-altering events. Head coach Joey Isaac lost his father. Senior Joshua Guajardo suffered gunshot wounds to his leg and hip and required medical attention.

"I thought I wasn't going to play again," Guajardo said. "Turns out I am. I'm glad I'm here, and I'm glad to be playing with my boys."

Fellow senior Alyjah Thompson was diagnosed with a heart condition and needed to be medically cleared to play. There was a chance neither player would suit up for the Eagles.

Instead, they've been key contributers and have helped Brackenridge move past their tough beginnings.

"It's been a rough year on all of us," Isaac said. "We've had to overcome a lot, but their intensity, their joy and their character through every practice and every day has been a blessing."

The easiest way for the team to move forward was to focus on their play on the court, and their positive attitude has bolstered a dynamic offense.

"We try to get better every single day," said senior Adam McBee. "We work on our stamina a lot so we can beat teams up and down the court even faster. It's fun to play with this team. It's gotten easier because of all of the hard work we've put in."

"We've implemented a system since these guys' freshman year -- pushing the pace, getting the ball up the floor, playing a team game and playing fast," said Isaac. "They've really bought in. We do a lot of drills. Our drills are back to back to back. We don't really give breaks. We jump into one thing right after another. That's what we expect on the court. You make one mistake, keep going."

"We've improved a lot from last year," senior Donyae Suarez explained. "We wanted to have a better season because it's our last year. We wanted to make something better for ourselves, and we've done it."

The Eagles started this season with a perfect 9-0 record, making it clear that adversity wouldn't slow them down. They've since gone 11-4 in District 27-5A play, good for third in the district standings behind Sam Houston and Alamo Heights.

"It's very rewarding knowing that what we're doing is working," Isaac explained. "They're not only doing better on the court, they're doing better in the classroom. They're just really great kids, and they're fun to be a part of."

For the first time all season, the Eagles can finally take a moment to relax. They've already clinched a playoff berth for the second straight season, meaning their regular-season finale against Highlands on Monday night will be another chance to keep building confidence and maintain momentum.

"It's been stress-free this last week, just concentrating on finishing strong," Isaac said. "We've got a big task ahead of us, so we've just got to fine-tune everything and make sure we're on the same page. But for now, it's nice."

As McBee explained, the team's expectations for the playoffs are remarkably simple:

"Just win."