A goodbye to (and from) a historic Riverview basketball senior class

In the all-or-nothing culture of sports, titles are often seen as the only things that matter.

I think this is a bit short-sighted. Winning is fun, sure. Everybody likes to come out on top. But circumstances and context matter, too. For the Riverview boys basketball senior class, never winning a state championship is the lone blemish on an otherwise-remarkable high school resume.

They came darn close, too, losing by four points in the title game to Coral Springs last year after a dominant 28-2 season, the best record in school history. This year, the team’s season came to an unexpectedly early end on Feb. 16 when it lost to Orlando's Dr. Phillips 75-66 in overtime at home. While the team and its fans have checked into the Heartbreak Hotel for the time being, senior Brion Whitley knows there is still much in which for the group to take pride.

“It didn’t end up exactly how we wanted to,” he said, “but not everything does in life. Everyone had a great season, everyone grew as a person and as a basketball player. We made great friendships, I got to know Malachi (Wideman, freshman) coming in. With the relationships part and impacting people on and off the basketball court, I’m satisfied.”

On the court this year, the team was put in a tough spot, after the graduation of last season’s star point guard, D.J. Bryant. The solution Coach BJ Ivey settled on was switching sophomore Tyrus Jackson to the position, something Jackson has never played. The team also was forced to use Wideman as a forward because of the team’s lack of size, even having him take the jump ball at the start of games, even though he plays more like a guard, Whitley said.

All that, and the Rams still went 21-7 in the regular season thanks to Ivey’s strong coaching and superstar turns from Whitley and A.J. Caldwell, next year headed to North Carolina-Wilmington and South Alabama, respectively. They flew to Alaska in January and won a tournament there and they successfully completed their district title three-peat.

The seniors want to be remembered for their success, Whitley said, but also for the joy and enthusiasm they brought with them every game and every practice, and the love they have for one another.

“That’s the legacy that I want to leave, that the seniors want to leave,” Whitley said. “That this team played together. Whenever things went dark, we never started yelling at each other. We never started bickering. We loved to play the game. We worked hard. We demonstrated true passion and showmanship.”

I don’t root for or against the teams I cover, but I sure will miss watching this Riverview team play basketball. I can’t remember a team with so much speed and high-flying ability at the high school level. The athleticism on display jumps out at you from the tip, and taking in a few of the team’s practices gives you a whole new appreciation for the amount of work these players put into their craft.

Next year, Whitley and Caldwell, but Wideman, Jackson and fellow starter Cody Staton will return with another year’s experience, and Whitley mentioned Jeff Pedro’s performance late in the Dr. Phillips loss as a positive sign for the 2017-2018 season. The Rams will be back to their old tricks soon enough. Still, I can’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment that I won’t be able to follow this exact group of kids’ journey any longer.

Whitley wouldn’t let the interview opportunity pass without saying goodbye to the Riverview fans. I couldn’t think of a more fitting way for a player and person like him to go out.

“Anyone who is reading this right now,” he said. “If you’re a Rams fan, we really, really appreciate everyone showing up and supporting us, especially me. I’ve only been there last year and this year, but I feel like I’ve been part of the team for 10 years. I know all these people that come up to us after the games and say how much they love watching our team. Just a big thank you to everyone that ever did that.”