That moment when the clock hits 0.0, and the team (and the fans) realizes they are bringing home the State Championship. Indescribable.
Victory is sweet. It is even sweeter when it comes as a result of taking down the top-ranked team in the state of Texas. The Legacy Christian Academy Boys Basketball team did just that when they grabbed the TAPPS 5A State Championship title on Saturday. The Eagles persevered against perennial powerhouse and #1 ranked Houston Westbury Christian. This thriller of a game was a close contest throughout, with no team ever leading by more than six points. But when the clock hit 0.0, the final score was Legacy 62 – Westbury 59. The players and coaches were overcome with emotion. They hugged, some collapsed to their knees, some threw their hands into the air with absolute joy. The playoff journey was hard fought, but deep down, these guys had heart. They had an unstoppable faith that they would return to Fighting Eagles Lane with that Championship plaque in hand for the second year in a row. They were led by senior, Jonathan Alexandre, who led all scorers with 25 points. Four seniors, Alexandre, Garrett Pelham, Aren Terrien, and Jonathan Mosley were named to the All-Tournament team. Alexandre was voted DFW high school basketball player of the week, and Legacy was voted DFW high school team of the week.
Jonathan Alexandre led the scoring effort with 25 points.
This was the only TAPPS title game that matched the top two ranked teams, and, admittedly, Legacy was considered underdog, with the Wildcats soundly defeating all playoff competitors by an average of 34.7 points per game. Coach Cole Johnson led his Eagles into battle with a solid game plan. “Since they were not tested much in previous playoff games, I felt if we could keep it close into the 4th quarter, we would have a chance,” said Coach Johnson. “It took a combination of patience, poise, and process. Once we slowed it down a little bit, and practiced patience, that saved our energy. We tightened it up in the fourth quarter and forced them to turn into perimeter shooters. The process paid off.” The team maintained a grueling schedule from the regional game the week before the final four game, where they decisively defeated Grapevine Faith with a final score of 77-61. In the run up to the championship game, the Eagles were a machine of training, stretching, nutrition, rest whenever possible, and adept coaching.
Jonathan Mosley's defensive play with instrumental to the Legacy win. This offensive rebound in the fourth quarter helped seal the game for the Eagles.
A true nail-biter to the buzzer, Legacy kept the pressure on Westbury throughout the entire game, something to which Westbury was clearly not accustomed. The Eagles used that to their advantage and flipped the script by forcing the Wildcats into 19 turnovers. LCA seniors Ryan Clink and Jonathan Mosley secured two pivotal offensive rebounds off of missed free throws in the final seconds. The state champs finished the season with a remarkable 32-6 record while securing the Eagle’s 2nd straight TAPPS 5A Basketball Championship. Jonathan Alexandre (‘20), Ryan Clink (‘20), Garrett Pelham (‘20) and Jonathan Mosley (‘20) were named to the TAPPS All-Tournament team.
Special Thanks to Rick Baze, Wes Johnson, and Landon Wade for covering the State Championship game. These three photographers captured over 2000 images from this exciting game!
State Championship Photo Galleries:
Rick Baze Photo Galleries
Wes Johnson Photo Gallery
Landon Wade Photo Gallery
Legacy Christian Academy is Frisco's preeminent Pre-K through 12 Christian school committed to educating students in a college preparatory environment balanced in academics, athletics, and fine arts–all within the context of a biblical worldview. For the latest information on Legacy athletics, subscribe today. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.