The holiday season wasn’t kind to the Fayetteville Academy men’s basketball this season as the Eagles of coach Steven Mims suffered all four of their losses for the year during the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.
But since that slump they’ve been on a roll, earning 13 consecutive victories that helped them win a conference title and a double bye in this week’s N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association 2-A playoffs.
As of CityView deadline Thursday, the Eagles were still waiting to see who they will face Saturday, but in either case it will be a familiar opponent. They’ll be at home against either Harrells, which they’ve already beaten three times this season, or Rocky Mount Academy, a team they’ve knocked off twice.
The Eagles are the highest-seeded team from Fayetteville left in the 2-A bracket at No. 3.
Other teams still in the field as of Thursday deadline include No. 4 Trinity Christian and unseeded Berean Baptist, Freedom Christian, Fayetteville Christian and Northwood Temple.
Mims said the Academy had high expectations all season of competing for a state title, especially when scoring leader Jossiah Johnson joined the Eagle roster from Freedom Christian.
“They had a good program and the opportunity was presented to me that made the most sense,’’ Johnson said. Basically, he added he was glad to have the opportunity to be more of wing player where he’s listed on the Eagle roster and not be tied to playing a post position.
Johnson has responded by averaging 14.8 points and hitting 59% of his shots from the field. He’s pulling down 6.5 rebounds and averaging 1.3 blocks per game.
Mims was glad for the addition, and to get over some chemistry issues that were a problem during the brief Christmas slump.
“We were missing some players at that time, like our point guard, Isaac Tatum,’’ he said. “That was a huge issue for us.’’ Tatum leads the team in assists with 4.3 per game.
The Eagles also picked up another player, Brady Barnes, who also proved to be an asset.
“We were just trying to get the camaraderie down,’’ Mims said. “Also we played in some serious venues like Greenfield and Wayne Country Day.’’
They also had a battle with a strong NCHSAA school, Richmond Senior.
Now that the roster is settled, Mims said the Eagles use a committee approach when it comes to winning.
“We’re so talented,’’ he said, “eight, nine, almost 10 deep. It’s hard getting them to buy into a team situation without it affecting their recruitment and other things,’’ he said.
The Eagles have four players averaging double figures in scoring.
Since the holiday season, Mims said defense has become a priority for the Eagles and is now something they do with vigor and intensity along with a sense of accountability.
“Basically, no matter what happens offensively, defensively you have to find a way to win,’’ he said.
Through a combination of injuries and illness during the year, Mims has been forced to use a variety of playing combinations, which he feels is a blessing since it makes the Eagles difficult to scout.
“I think we’ve been blessed with the type of kid that shows resilience through different situations we’ve had,’’ he said.
The biggest challenge the Eagles may face entering the playoffs isn’t on the court but away from it. Thanks to the double bye, it will be a full week before the Academy is back on the court for its next game.
That layoff has proved lethal to more than a few exceptional teams at different levels who came out flat with no game action for such a long stretch while their opponents are playing.
Mims thinks it will be helpful for his team that they are familiar with all of the teams in their bracket and aren’t likely to encounter a major surprise come Saturday.
“These are all teams we competed against and had good games against,’’ he said. “We’ve shown that we can do what we need to do.’’
Because of the Academy’s depth, he’s confident his players will challenge each other in their practices leading up to Saturday so they won’t lose any edge.
“People are always competing for minutes and time on our team,’’ he said. “Everything is a competition. We are not going to have any let up.’’
He also thinks the Eagles have their best basketball ahead of them as they continue to build their culture and camaraderie.
Johnson said it’s a matter of keeping things in perspective. “We have to be sure we handle success properly and make sure we all stay bought in all together,’’ he said. “Not to take a break and get big-headed. Stay humble and keep working.
“Prepare for the games we’ve got coming ahead of us.’’
