Eagles laying in a championship flight plan
After two consecutive runs to regional finals, Atascocita hopes to break through
The Eagles are at the door.
Atascocita’s boys basketball team made the regional finals in their last two playoff appearances, first falling to Allen and then MacArthur in a surprising setback that fueled their offseason.
Now, after two years on the porch, they’re ready to bust through to their first state tournament.
“We don’t want to just get back to (the regional finals),” forward Matt Willrodt said. “We want to go further.”
They just might, but with a little help.
Fabian White, a 6-7 transfer from Kingwood, joined the team in the offseason, giving them an athletic inside presence.
And White, the district’s reigning Defensive MVP, has the same lofty goal.
“Our expectation is to win a state championship, and to do whatever it takes to win one,” White said.
Coach David Martinez says the Eagles are talented enough, and have enough experience and depth, for another deep run.
He’s not saying this is their last chance.
“People are going to say that,” Martinez said. “People are going to look at it. I’ve heard a lot of different things. “I’m so used to it now. “The last two years, people thought, ‘Oh hey, we’re this, this and that,’ but as a coach – this is my 18th year – you know you don’t always have to have the best team to win state. That’s not our focus.
“I want to be clear on that.
“Our focus is to get better every day. Do we have talent? Absolutely. Do we have experience? Absolutely.
“Do I feel like the window’s closing? I really don’t.” It’s open now. Atascocita lost only one starter to graduation – guard Paris Marquez (Texas Lutheran).
Guards Carsen Edwards (Purdue), Greg Shead (Florida International) and Brandon Brook-Loville, who fuel their fast-paced attack, return for their senior seasons, along with Willrodt and post Donzae Peacock.
Loville, Peacock and Allen Smith will rejoin the team after football.
“We’re very talented,” Willrodt said. “I think we’ll go a long way.”
The addition of White, a junior, makes them as talented inside as they were outside last season.
“We got really, really lucky on that,” Martinez said. “I didn’t see that coming at all.
“Obviously, he’s an impact-type player. He was the defensive MVP in our district last year. He was also the newcomer of the year last year. He fits quite well with what we do and the style we like to play.”
White said the adjustment was easy.
His role with his new squad is clear and, with so much depth, it’s not to carry the load.
“Rebounding, blocking shots, scoring, dunking on people – just bringing excitement, really,” White said. The pieces are there. The Eagles just have to fit them all together in time for the 10 seniors to make it to San Antonio in March.
For them – if not the program – it’s now or never.
“I’m very superstitious, so I’m not going to say this is our year, but we have high expectations for ourselves as well, and that’s what we’re pushing for,” Edwards said.