Column: 'I have a good feeling about this team'

It was moving Wednesday night to watch the Stone Memorial Panthers fight, scratch and claw their way through the Region 4AAA basketball final game against White County in the Eblen Center at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.

They were getting good looks at the basket and playing their signature tenacious defense the entire game. However, nothing seemed to be going in for the Panthers, and, to add to the frustration, whatever White County put up went in. The Warriors were hitting on all cylinders and they beat Stone, 70-48.

I felt for the Panthers. They’re much better than the scored indicated. They knew that, the fans in the stands knew that and, I believe, the White County players and coaches knew that, too. It was just one of those nights for the black and gold. 

But the Panthers are still alive. By reaching the region semifinals earlier in the week, they qualify for the substate on Monday. Stone Memorial will travel to the winner of the Austin East/Fulton contest, which took place late Thursday night. White County will host the loser. If you win Monday, you’re in the state tournament. 

And because of the position the Panthers are currently in, I thought about the Americans’ miraculous comeback in the 1999 Ryder Cup. The biennial event pits the best golfers in the USA against the best golfers in Europe for a three-day competition. It is considered one of the premiere events in the sport and players will often tell you being on the Ryder Cup team is as important, if not more important, than winning a major tournament.

The United States was getting thrashed by the Europeans 10-6 after the second day of action, and any American comeback on the final day of singles competition would have to come directly from the golfing gods. It didn’t look good.

American coach Ben Crenshaw, a golfing legend in his own right, surprised the media in the post-match session Saturday night before the singles contest on Sunday. As he closed out the meeting, he pointed his finger at the media and said he was going to leave them with one thought. He said he is a “big believer in fate” and that he had “a good feeling about this team.” 

It is one of the most emotional speeches in golf, if not in all of sports, and it still gets me when I listen to it 25 years later. That is the same way I feel about the Stone Memorial Panthers. I have got a good feeling about them.

All season long, they have found ways to win. Even when they’re down, which has been rare this season, someone will make a play on defense, or come up with a big shot on the offensive end. No gap is too far for the Panthers to overcome. As a unit they’ve got the “it” factor that just doesn’t allow them to ever think about losing. It just isn’t an option for the Panthers.

Stone Memorial’s roster is solid up and down the line. Matthew Bilbrey and Cade Capps are scoring machines with the ability to create their own shots. Bilbrey is deadly from outside and, once he catches fire, he can end the night for opponents. Capps, coach Neil Capps’ son, is a slasher to the basket, and his size and handle make him difficult for a guard or forward to defend.

But the Panthers are more than just Bilbrey and Capps. Blake Holt, Brady Lane and Connor Bowman fill out the starting rotation on most nights, all filling certain roles to make the Panthers better by defending, rebounding or even diving on the floor for loose balls.

There are also several players that have bought into the team concept and are perfectly fine with coming off the bench - even though they could probably start for several other teams. That group includes Jayden Eldridge, Jordan Manis, Preston Mayberry, Brayden Webb, Zaiden Rice, 

Wyatt Grothe, Tyler Mutchler and Nathan Houston. They play together, they play for each other and they play for the name their jersey. There really is something bigger than self with this team. 

And maybe the brightest star in the Stone Memorial basketball crown is head coach Neil Capps, one of the best basketball minds in the sport. Though he won’t discuss ever taking credit for the team’s success, he’s a very good in-game coach. Not much happens on the floor that he doesn’t see and is figuring out what to do about it. Capps is one of the best.

“This group of guys care about each other, and they fight for each other,” coach Capps said after Wednesday’s game. “I told them even NBA teams have nights like this, nights where nothing works. However, this team bounces back. They’ve done it for the last two years, and they always bounced back well. They’re fighters. We will have a real fight on Monday, and it is going to be a real indicator of what type of team we are because I think we’re going to come out ready to fight and ready to play.” 

I hope you’re like me and you’ve got a good feeling about this team. Anything can happen in the world of sports, and often does. But, I do believe in fate.

By the way, the Americans came back in 1999 to win the Ryder Cup by a score of 14-12.