(Stephen Priest/CHSAANow.com)
Despite facing a set of challenges other schools don’t necessarily have to face, the Denver School of Science and Technology – Stapleton has built its basketball team into one that has the potential for a deep playoff run.
How?
Well, for starters, Knights coach Wondame Davis, embraces the adversity his team is presented with, and doesn’t for one second allow that to hinder their drive for excellence.
Davis has his Knights — the top-ranked team in Class 3A — sit 18-1 after wrapping up their regular season on Friday with a 102-41 win over Lake County. It was a dominant defensive performance which saw an abundance of turnovers early on.
Defense has been the focal point for the Knights’ success this season. Davis is actually an offensive-minded coach, but he knew for his team to achieve what they set out to do this year, it would be because of defense.
“I’m an offensive guy, I know the name of the game is to put the ball in the bucket. But I do understand defense wins championships,” Davis said after Friday’s win. “We’ve really made a concerted effort to commit to the defensive end and we practice and do it every single day.”
So how can this 18-1 top-ranked team be viewed as having adversity? This program wasn’t always this successful under Davis. It took time, patience, and a commitment to development.
DSST-Stapleton’s unique charter school makeup contrasts from other schools in that it doesn’t have a wide variety of kids to choose from. It’s as though the boys basketball team is dealing with a “take-what-you-get because that’s all we have to offer” system, Davis said.
DSST-Stapleton’s enrollment and admission to the school system — sixth through 12th grades, focusing on science, math and technology — operates entirely under a lottery process. So Davis molds his team from that student body into the athletes he needs to be successful.
“We continue to strive to be great and we know that there are a few teams in 3A that take pride in that,” Davis said. “We want to be talked about in the likes of the Faith Christian’s, the Colorado Academy’s, and some of those programs that have really sustained the athleticism and the guys they’ve had for years.”
One reason for their recent success and explosion onto the scene this year is due to a commitment to development of players.
Even though DSST-Stapleton may suffer from distinct disadvantages, one advantage they have over most schools is they have a middle school attached to the high school, meaning those kids get familiar with Davis’ program through a feeder system. And those kids typically choose to attend the high school.
“We can build a really strong feeder, whereas other teams they may have a feeder program, but those guys not necessarily coming into their (high school),” Davis said. “So we do look at it as an advantage and we really take advantage of the fact that we have a middle school connected here and a great academic program and a lot of the kids want to stay right here.”
In addition, the team Davis has been able to field and keep around has made a world of difference. When asked this season, he attributed all the success to his players.
“It’s really been the unselfishness of the boys. It’s been the team camaraderie. I say that all the time to the people that ask,” Davis said. “That has been the difference, these guys love each other, we’re a family. … Being one unit and people sacrificing their own individual glory for the team, that’s been great.”
And even with a gym as cramped as the morning transit system that is practically incapable of providing any type of home-court advantage, Davis manages to find a way to erase all excuses his team could have as justification of potential failure. His team is playing with the cards they’ve been dealt — and playing very well, most would acknowledge.
“If we stay together, we can go as far as our goal that we have set out. We can be in that last game,” Davis said. “It’s one-game-at-a-time, and we realize that, but we have a really good team. Talent-wise and skill-wise, we’re really skillful. Togetherness and team-wise, we’re as good as anyone out there, so I’m excited about the next couple of weeks.”