By DAVID WOOD, for The Democrat
“I’m just proud of these guys for the way they fought back. I liked some of the adjustments we made, and I thought we were a tough team in that second half,” said Head Coach John Berning.
His praise followed a tough 40-54 loss against Greenwood Christian Academy during the last home game of the regular season on Feb. 15.
The Brown County boys varsity basketball squad struggled early and carried a double-digit deficit into halftime. However, with a second wind, they managed to claw back points early in the third quarter before finally running out of time.
“I know we didn’t win it and that we kind of ran out of steam. We didn’t play perfect, that’s for darn sure, in the second. We gave up too many buckets when we were trying to get back into the game, but the toughness we showed after halftime was tremendous,” Berning said.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]“That’s a big step for this team with the year we’ve had. We don’t ever want to make excuses, but we’re young, undersized and inexperienced. That’s kind of been the theme this year, but we’re learning and getting better.”
The loss to Greenwood Christian, and another the next night to White River Valley, dropped the team’s record to 3-16. Post-season tournament play starts March 1.
“All I can tell them is March madness is coming,” Berning said.
“There’s a reason they play the games, and the movie ‘Hoosiers’ was made. … Upsets happen all of the time in post-season play. Whoever it is, we’re going to battle, fight, and hopefully pull off an upset.”
Win or lose, all but one member of the varsity squad will be using the off-season to gear up for next year’s run.
The team’s only senior, Devon Smith-Harden, played at home for the last time on Feb. 15 and will soon enter the final sectional tournament of his career.
“I was excited, nervous and upset all at the same time, just because I wanted to go out with a bang, but that didn’t end up happening. I’m really glad that the student section was as big as it was, showing their support, and it was just a great time,” Smith-Harden said.
Having played basketball since picking up a traveling team flier in elementary school, Smith-Harden has been a staple on the Brown County hardwood. He said he’s most proud of not only his growth as a player, but also as a person, and of the friends he’s made along the way.
“We’ve had a great relationship. Obviously, with the season that we’ve had, it’s rough on a team, but we stuck it out for each other, and the amount of love that’s there is really great.”
Having pushed the phrase attitude, dedication, and reliability since his start as head coach, Berning believes Smith-Harden was a great player to have as a senior leader.
“Devon’s character is unbelievable. … No matter how many wins we end up with, he’s going to leave a legacy for all of the juniors, sophomores, freshmen, and all of the junior high kids and below. I couldn’t ask for a better senior my first year here,” he said.
