It’s ‘state or nothing’ for Chatman’s Knights
The Express-news recently interviewed Steele girls basketball coach Jeffery Chatman, whose Knights are 24-8 overall and 6-1 in District 27-6A play, about his team’s state title aspirations and its top players.
Steele has two players averaging over 10 points per game this season.
Q: What’s making this season special for you?
A: “I will say this season has been special for us because of the team that we have this year. We have a phenomenal team, and probably more off the court than even on the court. They are just wonderful young ladies, and they’ve been with me. I’ve had all of them since they were freshmen, especially the senior class. And I have some really elite players like Mia Hammonds, Lena Newby and Noelani Ajel.”
Q: What’s one moment from this season that let you know that this team will be different than any previous teams?
A: “I think early, even very early on in the year, I knew we would be young in some roles, so we’d have to kind of grow up in those roles. But observing the seniors, I was talking about observing their leadership, helping grow those younger players and watching their practice setting, where a coach can call out a call or run a drill, and then they pull those other girls aside and coach them up on the side. So when you have that type of leadership and your players become the coaches, that’s when you are going to have a really good season.”
Q: How do you make sure that teams don’t take away Mia Hammonds?
A: “So the thing about Mia Hammonds is she’s Mia Hammonds. So what I mean by that is she’s a player that’s very difficult to take away just because of her size and ability. She’s usually, if not the fastest, one of the fastest players on the court at 6-foot-3. So usually a lot of teams don’t have the size or speed to match up with her. And then the nice thing is we have a team this year. So a good game plan to try to take out Mia
Hammonds is not a good game plan anyway, because we have others that are going to step up and play good basketball.”
Q: Why do you think girls basketball has been thriving so much in San Antonio?
A: “We have some really good coaching going on in San Antonio, and I think the communities and the parents, they’ve really started to put a lot into their kids and pour into their kids with training and AAU. And I think that’s helped develop the young ladies into good basketball players. So when that kind of culture starts to be cultivated and
created, it just rises to every level of basketball. But I think we have some phenomenal high school coaches.”
Q: Can you describe the rivalry between Steele and Judson?
A: “What’s the other team you said, Judson? Not familiar. No, just kidding. Just two historically great programs and pretty much all of athletics in this area. So, my kids are not even allowed to wear red on campus. We just don’t, we just don’t do it because it’s a great rivalry. And (Judson head) coach Christina Camacho and I are good friends, but not when it comes to the hardwood.
But it’s a respect level, I think, for each program as well.”
Q: How does it feel to get a victory over Judson after losing to them the first time you all played?
A: “All we could think about or talk about. I’m from the old school, so you get hit in the mouth, you got to respond, you definitely have to respond. I always tell their girls the only team capable of beating the Lady Knights is the Lady Knights. So long as we do the things we’re coached to do, we do what we’re capable of doing. We feel like we can beat any team out there. So we just got in the lab and started working and grinding to want to get them back. And it was very nice to get them back, especially on their court.”
Q: Who are your team’s leaders?
A: “I would say Mia Hammonds, Lena Newby and Noelani Ajel. They’ve been with me, know how I operate and know how this program runs. But I said the most special thing about them is they don’t just talk the talk, they lead by example. They are every bit of who they say they are, and that’s a very special thing. We have those types of players who can lead by example, and they’re not telling you to work harder than they’re working. You’re not going to outwork them.”
Q: How have you seen this team grow over the years?
A: “I’ve been here 10 years. So I think the first few years putting in my philosophies and setting that culture is huge to us. We’re always going to protect our culture. And so it’s got to a place where it’s been a pretty good transition where we’ve installed that culture. Now, usually our senior leaders, the ones that’s been in the program, help cultivate and keep that going.”
Q: What are the team’s goals for this season?
A: “It state or nothing. That’s the mindset. So that’s the goal. Winning the championship. Of course, that’s expected. Like I said, we talked about those expectations. But for this group, for this team in our minds, it’s state or nothing. That’s what we want. That’s what we’re chasing.”