Michael Brooks drives to the hoop against the Colorado Springs Christian School’s Lions.

Coach Wondame Davis calls out to a player.

Celebrating their fourth 3A District Basketball Championship win in five years, the DSST: Stapleton boys’ Knights moved on to the regional quarterfinal game where they lost a “nail biter” to the Lions from Colorado Springs Christian School with a final score of 57-53.

DSST Basketball Coach Wondame Davis was inspired by his team’s effort. “It was a disappointment to lose, but I’m really proud of the way the team played this season,” says Davis. “One game doesn’t define a team or the individuals. We respect the learning process and plan to build on what we’ve learned next year.”

Davis is celebrating his 10th year at DSST.

Says Davis, “I feel we all play a part in building a tremendous legacy here at DSST. We’ve had great success, particularly over the last four years.” He emphasizes the importance of taking what the team has learned over the season and using those experiences to formulate a plan for the upcoming months.

Enthusiastic Knights fans cheer on their team.

Stressing that the work during the off-season is an integral part of the team’s future success, Davis says both the positive and less-than-ideal experiences shape the toughness of a team. “We started out in the beginning just trying to be competitive—now we work to win every game.”

This is the second outing for the Knights at a regional quarterfinal match. Next year they hope to advance to a title win. “We have a good, strong team,” says Davis. “We’ve built a great system and we’re looking to capitalize on that next year.”

Blake Pullen shoots from the free throw line.