After the season-ending 61-58 defeat by Chattanooga Howard in the sub-state, Head Coach Lynus Martin spent some time with the Smithville Review.
Smithville Review: You’re just coming off a 30-win season, where would you rank this season’s squad?
Head Coach Lynus Martin: This season, as far as wins and what we were able to accomplish, was right up there at the top. We’ve had injuries, some disciplinary issues and other different situations throughout the season that felt like a roller coaster and trying times.
There were good times when the roller coaster was going up but there was always something going on. We were able to glue and piece things together. There were opportunities for different players. We had to adjust and adapt throughout the year, putting boys in different spots. Those things are hard and it makes you better.
The good part is that we were winning in those situations. There were a lot of close games at times, but I thought it benefited us down the road, for the situations that we were faced with again.
When you go back and look at it, it makes you a little more amazed at what your players were able to do. We were probably 20 seconds away from state tournament. It was disheartening because the opportunities don’t present themselves very often.
SR: You dealt with injuries and some suspensions all season long. Can you talk about the younger players that stepped up for the team?
Martin: I think the players responded in the right way. We had different boys step up all season. Roller stepped up his game in the middle of the year. Lomas picked up his play. Those are two kids that we have coming back next year that are going to be big for our basketball team in order to stay where we are at. That is our goal.
Bone and A.P. stepped up at different times. Those two players have a lot of upside in their game. It helped them significantly for next year’s play. I definitely want to put these four kids out on the floor. If we can find other kids around them, we will be pretty good next season. Zach Vincent played huge throughout the year. He had a couple of big games with significant plays.
I always try to give different boys the opportunity to play, that relished it, and at some point along the way, they were big for us. That’s what you want with a team. Eventually, our motto ended up being as brothers because we had to work together as a family with all that was going on.  This team is a good athletic group that was very talented.
SR: Braxton Atnip surpassed 1,000 career points in the sub-state game versus Chattanooga Howard. What was it like having two 1,000-point scorers on your team this season?
Martin: Braxton’s brother, Colby Kilgore, thanked me after the game for being so supportive of Braxton. He never played in the middle school, sitting the bench. Somewhere along the lines, we’ve helped develop him into the player he is. Much of it was through Braxton’s own hard work and dedication and his will to want to get better.
In DeKalb County, our kids have had to be determined to work hard. Sonni Fullilove had greater than 1,600 points. He was an athletic player even in the eighth grade, very talented. At that time, he was the biggest boy out there.
Our program, in their four years here, has been an all-time DeKalb record. We’ve had 95 wins in those four years, with 16 their freshman year, then 23, 26 and 30. Our overall record was 95-34 for that period. That’s pretty impressive. They set the bar, and the players coming to us will have to raise the bar even more to stay where we are now.
SR: How fun was it to coach this team?
Martin: It was fun, but it had its moments. There were a lot of difficult times that I had to deal with as a coach. The longer I coach, the easier it is to deal with. I have learned to deal with it better. The first time you are faced with this, it stuns you. I lost a player to injuries, Justin Hooper, and I remember when I first started coaching, I was so upset. I hated that he had to deal with the injuries and that we missed out on being first place.
 As time has gone on, I’ve realized when one door closes, another one opens. It becomes someone else’s opportunity. If the players see you worrying, then they start to worry. We have to deal with it and move on. We had to deal with Stephen’s injuries and move on with life.
Thankfully, the boys that had to step in relished the chance to prove themselves. It is tough dealing with injuries, and I don’t wish that on any player or coach. You want your best to remain healthy for the entire season. I am very proud of what our boys were able to accomplish. We preach effort and attitude, and these players have given me so much more than we expected them to.