MPSA Basketball Dynasty

Brookhaven ended the 2007/08 basketball season the same way they had ended the prior three seasons, as AA State Champions. But their path to a fourth straight title took a different path than the previous three. While they did win another district championship the Cougars at times during the course of the season didn’t look like a prototypical Dale Watts team. Brookhaven continued to destroy lots of teams but had difficulty with the likes of Riverdale, Bowling Green, and at Columbia. Losing on their home court during the Brookhaven Holiday Classic to Riverdale led to lots of questioning as to whether the Cougars would pose a strong defense of their state title. Losing to a single-A opponent was one thing but in a game which the Cougars seemed to have gotten worn down in was not indicative of Dale Watts basketball. The loss at Columbia and two losses to Bowling Green compounded what many had begun to think, that the Cougars were in decline. Brookhaven did get on a roll to finish out the regular season and won the district 4AA tournament as the south state tourney in Columbia approached. After an easy first round win over Central Private the Cougars would face Bowling Green for a third time in front of a packed house. Most fans expected a close nip and tuck game with the playoff experience of the Brookhaven players and Coach Dale Watts to do what they have done many times when post season play begins. Not only did most expect a close contest but the idea of another AA squad beating the Cougars three times in one season was unheard of. This was Brookhaven basketball time…playoff time…..winners of four of the past five state championships……time to dominate. Brookhaven did show signs of turning the corner in the first half against a Bowling Green squad that had held the Cougar offense to 43 points in each of the two games during the regular season. But as the third quarter began it wasn’t long before Brookhaven was down by double digits and facing the possibility of not advancing to the south state championship game where they have been a fixture forever. They would lose to Bowling Green for a third time by the score of 57-43 and although qualifying for the state tournament in Grenada would be uncharacteristically not the favorites to win the state championship. Brookhaven faced off with a tough Marshall team in the first round and escaped with a narrow victory and would then sit back and wait for the winner of Bowling Green and Leake for a second round match up. Bowling Green, down most of the game, came on strong at the end to edge out the Leake Rebels and advance to the second round to face Brookhaven for a fourth time. The first thing that came to my mind was LSU and Kentucky back in 1985. Kentucky beat LSU three times as Bowling Green had done against Brookhaven but during the NCAA tourney LSU shocked the Wildcats and advanced to the Final Four. I knew the chances of beating Brookhaven were diminishing just due to the odds. The biggest thing I remember from that game was pre-game warm-ups…….I had never seen Coach Watts actively involved on the court with his players during warm-up drills. He had a calm and confident demeanor that would prove to be a precursor of what was about to happen. Brookhaven took early control of the game with a deliberate and patient offense that was only going to take what the defense would give them. Although the Cougar game plan was efficient the Cougars finished the first half with a slim margin and the sense in the stands was that Bowling Green would make their run in the second half as they did at south state. Brookhaven began the second half as they did the first, with a deep resolve and determination to stick with a game plan of not taking outside jump-shots but spreading the court and looking for nothing but cuts to the basket. Brookhaven had found themselves…….an eight point win over a squad that had beaten them three times advanced the Cougars to yet another state championship title game. Senior leadership from the likes of Daniel Lofton and Corey Dickerson coupled with timely shooting from Blaine Roberts and Sawyer Wallace propelled Brookhaven into the championship game against the Trinity Saints. Trinity came into the state tourney on a roll after winning the south state tournament in which they handed Bowling Green their first loss of the season in the championship game. As Trinity easily advanced through the state tournament the feeling was that they would continue their roll right through Brookhaven. But as I said, Brookhaven had found themselves against Bowling Green and that spelled trouble for Trinity. Brookhaven controlled most of the game forcing turnovers and converting time after time from the free throw line and as the game wore on the feeling was prevalent that Brookhaven was about to do what every team sets out to do….be the only team to win their last game. And so it was, Brookhaven at center court holding up the state championship trophy for the fifth time in the last six years. As people discuss the season that was only a few will remember who beat who leading up to the state tournament, but what people will remember is who won that final game.