The Oldsmar Christian Soaring Eagles boys varsity basketball team recently won the first championship in program history, defeating Victory Rock Prep by a score of 48-47 in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association title game on March 1, 2017.
On Tuesday, the Oldsmar City Council recognized the team for its achievement.
And after introducing his players and his assistant coach, head coach John Bianchi spoke about the immense effort it took to bring a championship to OCS this year.
“We’ve had a roller coaster season, with Coach Jordan Fair leaving last year,” he said of the former Eagles head coach who left the school last spring to be an assistant coach at the University of Louisville.
“We started off 7-0, (ranked in the) top 25 in the country, and then we ran into some other top 25 teams and kinda went downward. And then we went back up and got to the top when it mattered, and all these guys kinda clicked at the end at the right time.”
The program also suffered the loss of former player Herman Williams, who passed away suddenly in his town town of Marianna, Florida in June 2016 at the age of 19.
Before posing for a group photo with Mayor Doug Bevis, members of the council and city staff, Council member Jerry Beverland took a minute to praise the team and offer his thoughts about the sport.
“Basketball, for me, is the most incredible game to play,” Beverland said while relating tales of his high school playing days. “Because it’s fast, and you’ve only got five guys, you’re out there by yourself.”
“Congratulations to you guys. That’s amazing.”
After the meeting, Coach Bianchi spoke about winning the championship and being honored by the Council.
“To be honest, it really hasn’t sunk in yet, because we’ve been so busy” Bianchi said by phone on Wednesday, the day before the team was set to travel to Arizona for a national tournament.
“It hits at night time when it’s real quiet, but last night made it feel real. I’m sure after school is over, it’ll all sink in. But right now, it still feels surreal.”
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