The Arts & Sciences boys’ basketball team has had to push through tragedy over the past year. From a player losing his home due to the Easter tornadoes to another player losing his father to COVID-19, the Patriots’ perseverance on the basketball court paid off in a big way Monday night.
CSAS cut down the net at their home gym as the District 4-A tournament champions after a 58-49 victory over Tellico Plains in which sophomore Justin Brown stood out. The district championship was the first for the program since the 2016-17 season.
“These guys have overcome a lot of adversity thrown their way and really worked hard to get to this moment,” first-year head coach Zach Dragoo said shortly after his team improved to 9-6 overall with its third win over the Bears this season.
“I asked our guys before the game tonight, ‘What do you want your legacy to be?’ They are now the 10th (CSAS) team to win a district tournament title. We want to keep adding to that tradition and play into March.”
After the Patriots lost by three and one-point the past two seasons in the district tournament championship game, the program has plenty of reason to celebrate.