(above photo) Coach McKinney talks to his team during a timeout.

When we began covering the First Assembly Christian School basketball teams we weren’t quite prepared for the quality of play from Coach Joey McKinney’s 7-8 grade team.  If you have ever been to their gym you know just how “quaint” the surroundings are, you can literally reach out and touch the players from any seat in the house!  The gym floor is lined with a single row of chairs, all filled with enthusiastic fans from the home team as well as the visitors.  When you buy a ticket to one of their home games you are guaranteed a “front row” seat!

Go Champions!!!

The cheerleaders stand over in one corner of the gym waiting for the chance to take the floor during a time out to perform one of their routines.  I am usually positioned on the same end of the court as the cheerleaders and I must say, these young ladies really put their heart and soul into cheering for the Champions.  Let’s just say that they make sure that the fans hear their cheers!

When the team takes the floor it doesn’t take long to see why they are currently riding a five game winning streak.  These kids play basketball the way James A. Naismith intended his game to be played ( minus the peach basket ).  They pass the ball, they rebound, they are unselfish, and most of all, they play relentless defense.  Someone once said, “offense sells tickets, and defense wins championships”, and that certainly applies to the FACS Champions.

Coach McKinney knows a thing or two about basketball and he teaches the game to his kids.   McKinney says that his kids have a great attitude and that is very evident from the way they carry themselves on the floor.  His roster includes a grand total of eight well disciplined young men.  Not one of them is looking to be a superstar, rather they gel as a team and enjoy the success of their team mates.

McKinney shared some stats from the team’s five game winning streak, and they tell the story of FACS basketball.  They are averaging 49.8 points per game on offense, while holding their opponents to just 18.6 points per game.  Defense wins championships!  The most points allowed during that time is the 29 scored by St. John’s Lutheran this past Tuesday.

All eight of his players have scored during this winning streak with Jackson Bryant leading the way averaging 16.4 PPG.  Big man Adam Warren averages 12.9 rebounds per game to go along with his scoring average of 9.4 PPG.  Dalton Pearman is third on the team in scoring, with 8.25 PPG.

Point guard Tre Dennis is the floor general.  He is capable of driving the lane for a layup at any time.  He has a great court awareness and compliments the strength of his big men well.  Each player has his role, but you better be willing to play defense if you want any playing time.  Robert Williard suddenly became a factor in Tuesday night’s win over St. John’s Lutheran.  You could see his confidence grow as the game progressed.  Guard Joey Szvetitz is all over the court hustling every minute and not afraid to dive for the loose ball.  Drew Carlin gives the team a spark off the bench with aggressive defense and he is not shy when it comes to battling the big guys for rebounds.  Brandon Carter is another scrappy player coming off the bench for Coach McKinney who plays hard nosed defense and can score when he has the opportunity.

Also, we would like to thank FACS Athletic Director Miranda McKinney for providing scoring summaries and stats after the games.  Her cooperation makes it possible to cover such a fine group of young men.

FACS will face Salisbury Academy on Thursday, January 19 at home.  Tip off is scheduled for 5:00PM at the “Champion Indoor Stadium”, not to be confused with Cameron Indoor Stadium!

FACS has two wins already this season over Salisbury Academy, winning at Salisbury 44-20 and taking a close game, 34-30, in the Forsyth Country Day Tournament.

It should be another fun evening of middle school basketball on Thursday, see ya there!!!