At the start of the second round of district play, the boys’ basketball team sat at a 9-16 overall record, 2-6 in district play. The team finished with an 11-20 overall record. Two-year varsity player senior Braylen Smith witnessed and adjusted to the vast amount of change the team underwent this season.
“This season so far has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, we truly have seen it all from the happiest times to the deepest divots,” Smith said. “It has been hard because it has felt like a lack of consistency or even commitment to the program, but we know that as long as your brother beside you is still fighting each and every day it’s another reason to get up and keep pushing.”
After the conclusion of last season, the team experienced multiple coaching and personnel changes. The biggest change however, came with Coach Xavier Adams stepping into the head coach position from an assistant role.
“I love investing in kids that want to work and get better and reach their goals, that’s why I took the job as a varsity assistant to be able to help kids reach their goals and reach their max max potential before going off to college,” Coach Adams said. “I would say I’m more like a relatable older brother that just wants you to be better than he was. So, I like to take a lot of my older experiences with high school and college basketball and just give them the wisdom that I didn’t have.”
Coaching changes and injuries present any team with a learning curve, and Legacy was not an exception. Despite these changes, the team continued to train and Smith utilized his time his senior year to hone his leadership skills.
“As a leader, I have found myself in a role that allowed me to speak with a sense of rawness toward my teammates that clearly articulates what I’m trying to get across to them instead of having to muffle my ideas and concerns,” Smith said. “I feel like I was thrown into the role to be the senior leader but naturally as a person that’s just how I am. I lead most times by example, but I’ve stepped more into that role by leading by using my voice as well.”
