Creating greatness: Boys basketball off to a winning start

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Annie Chan

In each of the past four games, Brien Kimmons has scored no less than 26 points.

The Center Hill High School boys basketball team is starting the season strong with four wins to its credit.

“Our goals are for our team to play hard, be exciting to watch, keep up the team mentality and win our fifth championship,” head coach Newton Mealer said.

The team has adopted a new slogan for the 2017-2018 season.

“I want people to equal Center Hill basketball with greatness,” Mealer said.

The players are just as excited about this season as their coach.

“Starting off the season 4-0 is great for the team,” said Kevin Henry, a junior and small forward for the Mustangs. “I think the season is going to be great.”

Point guard Johnny Marion, a senior, also shared his opinion on how he thinks the season will go.

“The season has been good,” Marion said. “We have to keep being consistent. I think we have a good chance of winning state.”

Henry said that is possible because of the coaching staff, which includes Mealer and assistants Josh Barnett, Chase Brown and Luke Chapman.

“I think this team can do big things in the future if we focus and keep working hard,” Henry said. “None of this would’ve been possible without the Center Hill basketball coaching staff and Coach Mealer, who has been trying to build a championship culture for this team.”

Also this season, shooting guard Brien Kimmons has been lauded for his scoring.

“That Brien Kimmons–he’s hot! Four games and no less than 26 points in any of them,” John Varlas of the Commercial Appeal newspaper tweeted Nov. 14.

Kimmons, who was named the Commercial Appeal’s Player of the Week and Center Hill’s Player of the Week, said the recognition feels great but it’s a team effort.

“It’s a team sport,” Kimmons said. “We all play our roles great, and if we continue to play our roles we should continue to be undefeated.”

So far this season, the Mustangs have posted victories against West Lauderdale, 85-34; Corinth, 88-68; Ashland, 85-78; and Munford, Tennessee, 83-66. Center Hill will host Horn Lake at 7:30 on Nov. 17.