Carl B. Bruce Middle School Boasts Two Undefeated Teams in 2024
The Carl B. Bruce Middle School Tigers are beaming with pride after two of their sports teams finished their seasons undefeated.
Last fall, both the football and girls’ basketball teams won every game, a rare feat for not just one, but two teams at the same school.
Head Football Coach Krystopher Hylton says much of the team’s success was due to his players being very coachable. “They took feedback and insights from coaches during practice and at halftime to improve their performance,” added Hylton.
He also credits the team’s success to several of his key players. “One standout athlete for CBB was Javier Rodriguez. His contributions to this team, on and off the field, were immense. He was a leader at practice and during games. As a coach, I always want players to lead by example, and Javier did that for us,” said Coach Hylton.
Early in the season, Coach Hylton says there were struggles. Most of his guys didn’t take part in any summer conditioning program. Despite that, his team battled and played hard during each game.
“Carl B Bruce has strived to carry on the successful seasons that were a mainstay of Northwest Middle School. Winning is our tradition.”
“Gritty” probably best describes the undefeated Lady Tigers basketball team. They began the season with just 10 players, but unfortunately, two of them left the team. Coach Kathy Harvey says that made things very challenging, especially if the team got into foul trouble, or they simply needed breaks.
“The biggest contributing factor to our undefeated season was the girls' resilience. They came after school ready to practice and improve individually and as a team. In games when we were down, they adjusted and fought hard and played well as a team,” said Coach Harvey.
Coach Harvey said her team leaders were Sariah Smith and Kianna Laury. The two were returning players from last year. “They worked hard in practice as well as encouraged all of the ones who had never played before.”
Two other standout players were Ramonii Johnson and D’Asia Green. Coach Harvey says they contributed a lot to the team. “The four of them played together like they had known each other forever. They got upset when we took them out of the game”.
Khloe Kelsey, Ashly Sagastume, Fatuma Jones, and Tiandra Rainey also contributed to the team’s success. “They worked incredibly hard to learn the game and contributed whenever they could. All the girls showed big heart and hustle and made huge improvements throughout the season,” said Coach Harvey.
“Although education is first and foremost, having an undefeated team is always a plus. This is especially true when we only finished with eight girls. They all have great character and are willing to learn both on and off the court.”
Going undefeated has its benefits. In February, Coach Harvey will take the entire team to the WIN for KC Sports Awards, featuring guest speaker Caitlin Clark.
Congratulations to both teams for having an incredible season.
Champions.