Westwood Baptist looks to repeat as state champs

The Westwood Baptist Academy Eagles basketball team may not have been the talk of the town, but their performance this season is speaking volumes.

The Eagles have been on a tear this year, and it’s only getting better as they gear up to defend their state title in the MCSAA Basketball Tournament in Joplin, MO, on Thursday. The Eagles will hold the No.1 seed heading into the tournament, and senior James Hawley hopes to carry over the same play as they look to repeat.

“I feel like we’re playing good heading into state,” Hawley said. “I feel like we’re playing some inspired basketball with some passion, and that’s been the message in the locker room before every game. We must play each game as if we have something to prove because we do. Last year’s state championship doesn’t win this year’s state championship, so we’re just trying to keep it going and keep playing hard so we can get another one.”

The Eagles finished the regular season with a 21-3 record after snagging a close win over Risco 40-37. They went 6-0 in their district while staying perfect at home and recently won the Metro Atlantic Conference championship.

Hawley believes it’s been their defensive effort that’s gotten them to this point. He said by picking up their intensity on defense, the Eagles have seen much success on the offensive side. According to Hawley, Having a whole roster willing to put in the work on both ends is the recipe for a successful season.

“I feel like everyone’s just getting more comfortable with their role and knowing what shot is theirs and what they’re supposed to do while not getting too excited on defense,” Hawley said. “We’d like to play with some pressure but still keep it fundamental, which has been huge for us. One thing I like about us is that even when our shots aren’t falling, we still manage to come out on the right end with our defense.”

Fellow teammate Ben Jones agreed that the Eagles have found a nice flow heading toward state. Jones believes they have a championship squad, and despite losing some players from the previous year, he said they still have a solid core that can get the job done.

“We’ve been playing some decent teams and learning a lot,” Jones said. “I feel like we’re doing pretty well and scoring well around the basket. We’re scoring from anywhere, making us a good threat.”

Eagles coach Josh Hawley said getting a win over Risco was the motivation they needed before playing at the state tournament. He said the Eagles moved into a bigger class this season and want to be ready to go up against tougher competition.

“I think we’ve been hitting on all cylinders in our last few games,” coach Hawley said. “Sometimes we can get a little bit stagnant offensively, where guys want to get a little bit lazy, and that’s something we must get corrected before Thursday. When we’re passing and cutting, we’re hard to guard, and that’s the one thing we must keep doing. We need to play really good defense and only give a team one chance on each offensive trip. I think if we do that, we can hang with any team.”

Coach Hawley said the Eagles have a lot of experience and players who have been on the team for a long time. He said the main reason for their success this season is having players who know what to do and don’t have to ask to work hard. Hawley said they hustle every second of every game, making his job much easier.

While on their quest to claim another state title, coach Hawley reached a significant milestone by completing his 400th win as head coach.

“It feels great to reach this achievement,” coach Hawley said. “Getting a certain amount of wins is not something I really worry about because I’ve been doing it for a long time. If you do it long enough, you’re bound to reach that mark. It does feel nice that I’ve been able to coach for that long and have an impact for that long, which is my main goal. I only set out to help these kids grow, so reaching this feels good.”

Hawley said they feel ready to defend their state title as the Eagles prepare to compete against Lighthouse Prep Academy in the first round of the state tournament.

“We must continue to play the same brand of basketball that we’ve been playing for the last three years,” he said. “We got to play hard-nosed defense and just take what’s given to us on offense, and that’s exactly what we did for most of the year. If we stick to our game, we will have some success in the state tournament.”