THEY STEPPED onto the court believing, not in an easy win or in being the favored team; they believed in each other, in what they’d built, and in what they’d become.
When the Unity boys basketball team clinched the TMSAA Class A-Section 3 Tournament title, the roar wasn’t just for a win but for a story years in the making. For coach Stephen Bryan, who guided them there, the journey was as meaningful as the moment.
“I told them before the game, ‘Why not us? We’re here.’ I think they knew if they just believed in what we’d done all season, that we would be successful.”
It was his third year as head coach, though he’d been the assistant coach, coached youth and AAU teams for years, especially when his children took to the court. A former standout player at Lincoln County High School, Bryan’s love for the game runs deep, but his deeper calling is teaching life through basketball.
“You owe them something more than just teaching them how to play basketball,” he said, adding that he really wants to see them handling adversity the right way, being great young men on and off the court.
That shaping began long before their championship run. The team had grown together through disappointment, coming up short in prior years. “I told them last year, when we lost, that next season started that night,” he said. “They remembered.”
What followed was a season of growth, skill, and maturity. The team took early losses hard, but learned from them. “After that,” Bryan said, “they didn’t take anything for granted.”
Unity may be a rural school, but its spirit and ambition rival any powerhouse. Many of the boys had been teammates since elementary school, playing baseball and basketball side by side. Their chemistry showed in their play and in how they supported one another.
“Down the stretch, it was almost like you would have different kids stand out… one might not be having a good game, somebody else would step up, and then somebody else,” Bryan recalled.
The championship game drew a crowd that surprised even Bryan. “People saw Unity playing one of the biggest schools in the division for the championship like David vs. Goliath. It felt like a win for not only Unity, but for Lincoln County.”
When the final buzzer sounded, he was at center court, celebrating in awe. “I was out there acting crazy,” he laughed. “And I go back and watch that video sometimes just to remember — yeah, we did that.”
His pride isn’t just in the win; it’s in the young men his players are becoming. They’re FCA leaders, Beta Club members, and peer mentors. “I’m glad I got to coach them. They deserve all the credit because they knew how to do it the right way. They’re the ones setting the example.”
This fall, with the help of his wife, Brooke, Stephen will coach both boys and girls, balancing the demands of farming, parenting, and coaching. His daughter will play for Union University on a basketball scholarship, his sons will suit up for high school, and his youngest daughter will play for Unity.
He doesn’t know how long he’ll keep coaching. But for now, he’s leading a team that’s not just leaving it all on the floor; they’re carrying what they’ve learned far beyond it. GN
