Keisha Brown Quotations

We are a good team, but we are not a cocky team. We know going into every game that we need to play our best, and tonight the kids came out and did a good job of executing the game plan.

When you talk about championship basketball, it is not about the skill, it is about the will. It's about being determined, and these kids are determined.

I can tell you right now that I am still hungry for another chance at this. And I know I can't wait 31 years to eat again.

Jacob has always been very big for us on defense but offensively he sometimes needs to shoot the ball more. There are times when he'll pass up wide-open shots and give them to Caleb (Simons) or Pat (Theisen). He's almost too unselfish.

John knows what it takes to win and be a leader. He has the desire to win and he always steps up as a leader. Sometimes in the locker room, I don't need to say what needs to be said because John has already done it for me.

Our kids are used to being banged-around. We work them hard in practice and get them prepared to be able to handle physical play. Certainly you don't want to see anyone get hurt, but these kids have been through it all before.

Our work style of defense should pose a problem for them. They shouldn't be able to get the looks that they are use to getting.

Nate could be a superstar for a lot of teams if he wasn't playing for us at Sacred Heart. He is a real total package. But he, like all the other players on this team, sacrifice personal success for the greater good of the team. They don't just say they will play like a team, they actually go out and do it.

I think people forget about his ability to go to the basket. He's also an emotional player and can really come in and give us a spark.

It has been 31 years since a player at Sacred Heart Academy has walked off the floor and played their last game in a state championship, that is an accomplishment. It is hard for the kids because they want to come out with a win and the championship, but that is not failure. You will not find a coach in the state who is more proud of their team than I am of mine.

That was really the key stretch for us. We had established a lead coming into the locker room and then we just kept the intensity in the second half.

We came in with the goal to play Irish basketball. We played good defense, had minimal turnovers (13) and we hustled.

Those kids did not fold, they did not quit. They believed in themselves and believed in each other. They came out of that locker room and played team ball like it was the first quarter all over again.

We are not going to underestimate Crossroads because they beat a tough Marion team to get where they are. We just need to continue to work hard and play to the level we did tonight.

We were able to use our rotation as best we could tonight and give everyone a chance to get some good playing time. This was a good experience for a lot of our guys tonight.

We came in here tonight with a goal, and that was to play Irish basketball. We knew it was going to be a challenge, but these kids came out and laid it all out on the line. We as a coaching staff are very proud of their effort.

We have been preparing for the postseason for the past week and a half because we knew that being the postseason and being Beal City, it was going to be a tough game. Anything can happen now, so we just made sure we were well prepared and we did what we needed to do to win.

We have five guys that all contribute. Each night, someone different is leading us in scoring. That is what makes us tough. It is hard to guard five players, but it is very easy to guard just one or two.

When Chris gets on fire from the outside, watch out!

There is always a concern going into every game. There was concern coming into tonight's game, and there will be concern going into Friday's game. You can always find something to work on, and these kids know they need to continue to get better if they want to win.

They got us started. They put this team on their back and carried us last year. It is unfortunate that they never got a chance to play at the Breslin because they deserved it. The time just wasn't right, but the time is right now, and these two guys are still a part of this team and still continue to be leaders.

It's going to be hard for me because I have had the opportunity to work with six wonderful kids. They have all taught me something about life and to just watch them grow and develop is amazing. I am excited for their future. So tomorrow, I am glad to be in the state championship with them, but it will be hard to see them move on.

It should be inspiring, especially for young girls in society today, because they are so suppressed in the sports arena.

Dave is a perfect example of a kid that just wants to do anything for the team. He does whatever we ask of him and he's just happy to do whatever he can do for the team. He truly is a team player.

It's something you can't put in words. You really can't say how much that would mean for us. To share that with this group of kids would be amazing - that word has been said a lot lately around here, it really would be one great moment in time.

It was never a concern for me. It never excited me. I just look at myself as another basketball coach. Being an African American coaching a Caucasian team means nothing.

I know that I would hate to have Nate guarding me. He is an active and intense player, and I know if I tell him that this player doesn't need to touch the ball, that Nate will do all he can to make sure that it doesn't happen.

In this game you can't look past anybody. Everybody wants to win and everybody is going to bring their best, so we have to be prepared to play our best, and tonight, we came out and played our best from the start.

Caleb is obviously going to be a factor. But I believe the other kids who worked hard in practice every day are going to contribute too.

I'd hate to be Caleb's teammate next year. Because he is going to ride his teammates and work so hard to get back here. He got a taste of this and you can tell he wants more.

These kids have something that nobody can take away from them, a desire and a want, and that is something that you can't coach. All 12 of these kids on this team have a burning desire to achieve and they feel that they won't be denied.

The honor for me is that these boys allowed me to coach them. These 12 boys allowed this female to coach them. That is what everyone is missing. The honor is being able to see these kids get to a championship game, not to be the first woman to get here.

All of our seniors are going to play big roles for us. They have been big all year with their leadership and how they have stepped up.