3rd Times a Charm..

Going into my Junior year of Basketball, the butterflies were still there..  Wanting to know what type of shoes that we were wearing LOL, I always told Coach Miller to get the Jordan's but he never did....  Anyways, we were bringing in a lot of well experienced players this season so I felt like it was our Time!!  I can remember during our District Games this season as soon as school was out, there was a line formed to get into the games!!!  Now the games didn't start until around 7pm and the line got started before 4pm...  With my team winning District again it was time for us to get ready for the playoffs..  Looking back on my performance my sophomore season knowing that I didn't play to my potential, I knew that I wanted to correct that and also make a statement..  Our Regional Game was against Seminole at Lubbock Coronado Gym, I can remember seeing some of the Texas Tech Basketball Players before our game so I know I had to play good..  Both teams were evenly matched but throughout the game our team didn't play good enough to win..  I feel that this was maybe my best basketball game as a High School Basketball Player all around, but that didn't matter because our "Team" ended up losing 15pts..  Throughout the season I was getting letters from many different Colleges, like Texas Tech, Texas, Baylor, TCU, Marquette, Kansas State, UTEP and a lot more..  Knowing that Colleges were interested in what I could bring to their teams was nothing more than Blessing!!  With one more year left of High School Basketball and coming up short of our goal as a team, I knew that time was definitely limited.

2nd Chance

Another go at State it was...  Our team went into the 1997-98 season knowing that we had unfinished business from the previous year..  Returning 4 key guys from the previous team that went to the Championship game in 1996-97 definitely helped our team get out to such a good start.  There was sooooooooo much buzz around little ol Tulia, Texas..   We were also ranked in the top 5 to start season, so with the early season ranking and all the buzz around town there also comes PRESSURE!!  When we went on road games it was like these teams and their fans Hated Us, LOL....  Which now I look back on it and I understand it, but back then I was like man these people are Crazy hahaha..  We go into District Play against our Rival School The Dimmit Wildcats, which is 30 minutes away.  This was probably one of the BEST and LOUDEST Games I've been in as a basketball player.  The gym was so packed that people started standing along the out of bounds on the court!!!  I think we were losing by 15 going into the 4th Quarter and we went on a run that I think paved the way for our playoff run!!  We tied the game on a 3pointer with seconds to go and go into overtime.  Before the start of overtime, many of the Dimmit fans were packing and heading for the doors.  I'm not sure of what the final was but after our win and  a few more District games we are still undefeated and going into the Playoffs as the #1 Team In Texas Class 3AAA.  After winning Area and Regionals we were State Bound once again.  Going into the Semi Final game at the Drum, our team came out a little rusty, but Charles Sims really kept us in the game but it just wasn't enough.  With us as a team playing a bad game we only lost by 1 point, and this was like a nightmare for all of us seeing that this was our first loss of the Season....  It was another Loss for me knowing that this was my other brother Philips last game...    With Philip (Mr. Fix It) leaving going to College, it was the same lonely feeling that I had when Tim left and became a cycle that I didn't enjoy at all..  Being the youngest of  the family I could always turn to my brothers for anything but it was just me and my mom now...  Knowing that both of my brothers are off playing college basketball it was my turn going into my Junior year to focus on trying to do the same..... Practice, Practice, Practice!!!!!!!!!

Hornets!!

Never having the opportunity to be on the same team or even the same court as my brothers because of the famous quotes, "Your To Little", and"You Got Next Game", Basketball was just like growing up and it wasn't EASY!!   My Journey began in 1996 in Tulia, Texas as a Freshman playing on the Varsity Basketball Team along side my two older brothers Tim and Philip.  My experience my Freshman year was a dream come true,  being able to play with better and older competition on a daily basis was great for me as a young kid trying to make it where I wanted to be but wasn't sure I belonged...  My Freshman year we were able to make it to the State Championship Game to play Dallas Madison at the Drum in Austin, Texas.  We ended up losing the game by 5 points, and it was tough to swallow for everyone on the court and in the stands, but I had a finger tip dunk LOL...  With my oldest brother Tim (Left) being a senior, not only was the team losing its leader but I was losing a person that I really looked up to.  Not only was he my big brother, he was also the head of our house hold when our Dad wasn't around.  It was really hard for all of our seniors, but for all of us underclassmen we were bound and determined to make another run at it!!