For a team that returned six seniors off of last seasons team that went 32-3 and won multiple post-season games, you might not consider chemistry to be one of the biggest issues facing the Fyffe Red Devils.

But that chemistry and on-court connection is something head coach Neal Thrash and the team struggled with early on, something that tends to happen when a large chunk of your roster is making annual runs to the state finals in football, which results in players having to miss the first month of the basketball season, and in some cases, more.

Were starting to come together as far as chemistry goes, Thrash said. We went deep into the football playoffs, and then one of our starters played in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game, so he didnt started until late December. So were just now coming together, as a group and getting the right chemistry for our group of kids, and thats one thing that heled us out in the DeKalb County Tournament.

Since getting the full team back together in late December, the Red Devils have taken off, losing just once in that span, a narrow two-point loss to 6A Scottsboro, while picking up the DeKalb County Tournament last weekend thanks to narrow wins over 3A No. 10 Geraldine in the semifinals Friday, then their second-straight win over 3A No. 4 Plainview in the finals.

That finals win, along with a rout of visiting Susan Moore on Senior Night on Monday, pushed the Red Devils to 17-4, and became the first team in Fyffe history to win back-to-back DeKalb County titles.

The other thing is just their competitive nature, Thrash said of this seasons group and their surge of late. They really wanted to excel and do well in that tournament. Fyffe had never won back-to-back titles in the 85 years of the tournament, so they wanted to go and make a little history for themselves. So winning it back-to-back was special for them, and for me. Its a special group.

With six seniors, Brody Dalton, Parker Godwin, Tate Goolesby, Micah Johnson, Matthew McCollum, and Xavier Works, some of whom have been starting since ninth grade, along with a tough schedule the rest of the way, theres not a lot this Fyffe team hasnt seen as they get ready for what should be a difficult post-season.

According to coach Thrash, of the teams final six games, four of them are against teams that are ranked, and then there are potentially looming showdowns in the postseason, with Plainview in their area this year, and that same Geraldine team possibly waiting in the sub-regional round. Those upcoming games against ranked teams includes games against 2A ranked teams Sand Rock and North Sand Mountain, with North Sand Mountain knocking off the Red Devils back in mid-December, and a pair of games against Pisgah, also ranked in the most recent 2A rankings.

Plainview is a rival for us, Thrash said. Theyre only five miles away, were both in the same area this year, so were going to have more competitive games with them. We were a little bit fortunate to get to play those two on Friday and Saturday, and fortunate to pull out those Ws.

But if there is one advantage for Fyffe over Plainview, and possibly Geraldine as they head towards the postseason: The Red Devils got a little bit of luck to ensure they will host their area tournament, which will also feature Asbury and Sylvania. After Fyffe and Plainview split during their area games (the DeKalb County Tournament is not considered an area game), the Devils won the coin toss for the right to host the four-team event. And with an extra round of regionals this year that will use football seeding, Fyffe could be in position to possibly host Geraldine should both teams advance that far.

The last few years weve actually played pretty well up there, Thrash said of playing in the DeKalb County Schools Coliseium. So, had we lost wed have been comfortable up there, but we like to be able to play those tournaments in our gym and hopefully it works out to our advantage, you just never know.

As for where the team can get better, theres not one specific area the team is focusing on according to Thrash, but rather, continuing to preach the things that have gotten them to this point, so that when the postseason comes, theyll be prepared.

Theres a lot we can do, Thrash said. We have to get better in every facet of the game, and really just keep practicing those fundamentals every day.

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Chemistry has Fyffe clicking at the right time - Sand Mountain Reporter