When you’re a basketball team that finishes a season at 30-6 and plays five rounds in the postseason, it offers a reminder that what fans came to watch was a product of what they never watched.
Behind the scenes at practice, film study and team meetings, the Byron Nelson boys team fulfilled almost all of its expectations in 2012-2013. Previous back-to-back bi-district eliminations were vanquished. This team won the most games of any team in Byron Nelson’s short history.So let’s take a look at some of the defining moments and individuals that shaped the season. Early Punches: The Bobcats went through November and early December and coach Scott Curran was still finding the combinations to make sure this team could flow together. Sometimes, that results in losses.In the Gene Messer Shootout in Lubbock, the Bobcats lost to Hurst L.D. Bell, 59-47, and then played in the Decatur tournament and lost to Amarillo Palo Duro, 62-57, and Canyon, 65-57. The opposing team’s scores obviously denote how sporadic this team played defensively. In the high school game, when a team surrenders 60 or more points, it’s usually in trouble. The streak: This 13-win run started on Dec. 7 with an 81-36 manhandling of Fort Worth Carter-Riverside, following the loss to Canyon. In fact, what made that outcome impressive is that the Bobcats outscored Carter-Riverside 33-2 in the third quarter.Blowouts soon became the norm. In four of the next five games, this team won by margins of 22, 41, 42 and 36. Three of those were in District 5-4A season.The winning streak continued at Nelson’s own tournament with wins over Birdville, Carroll and San Antonio Alamo Heights. The win over Alamo Heights struck Curran more than others because his squad beat a team that was ranked in the state’s top 10.District play resumed with four more wins before it was snapped Jan. 18 with a 58-57 loss at Denton. District 5-4A race: The Bobcats wound up finishing second to Denton Guyer because of a tough 49-43 loss Jan. 29 at home. This team went 12-2 in district play, but Guyer finished 13-1 and won the title.While disappointing, Curran knew he had to get his team ready for the postseason as bigger things awaited. The buzzer beater: On Feb. 22 in the Region I area playoff game against Waco University in Glen Rose, Keyunta Watkins and the Bobcats had blown a double-digit lead and were tied, 45-45, in the closing seconds.Watkins won a game three weeks before at Wichita Falls. His 3-pointer at the horn pulled out a 37-34 win.With 8.2 seconds to play against the Trojans, Watkins split a double team with some precision ballhandling, drove down the lane and floated one in over the Trojans’ 6-6 post to create pandemonium.Everyone had always known what a talent Watkins has been in his career. But he created his legend with memories like that one. Go west: Before the Bobcats went to Snyder, they had to fight through legendary Fort Worth Dunbar. They did pulling away, 77-57. The win represented the deepest run in school history for any boys program. In the Region I semifinals, Nelson had to fight off a late charge before defeating Wolfforth Frenship, 54-47. Of course, the run ended in the Region I championship game loss to Fort Worth Arlington Heights, 51-41. What’s next: This program loses nine seniors including Watkins, who averaged nearly 20 points per game and is attracting college attention. If he was 6-1 and not 5-8, he would have Division I programs after him. He will find a place. It’s just a matter of the right fit.But there is a big nucleus of returning players including transfers sophomore Emmanuel Nzekwes and junior Thomas Williams. Junior post Cale Popovich also returns. Now, the offseason becomes important to develop the rest of the 2013-2014 roster.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
