Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Thanks to a tiebreaker that went in Chambers Academy’s favor, the Rebels boys basketball team clinched the No. 1 seed in the AISA state tournament. 

“I’m ready to take our play to another level, and I think we can,” Chambers Academy head coach Jason Allen said. “I think we can play much better as far as making better decisions. I don’t question our guys’ heart or intensity to win. I think that’s going to be on full display.”

The Rebels enter the playoffs at 16-4, finishing their season with a win on Tuesday at Southern Prep Academy. 

The win did more than just add a win to the Rebels’ record, but it gave them a chance to go through game situations that can’t always be simulated in practice.

“I thought that it was good for us to not have nine days off, so now we’re looking at six days off between playing a real game,” Allen said. 

The key to the Rebels’ success has always been the team’s defense, but even with the success, Allen is still searching for that perfect defensive game. That starts with the Rebels not taking plays off and taking the right angle on drivers.

“Our guys enjoy playing defense,” Allen said. “I think the teams that play the best defense wins championships when it comes to this time of the year. Some teams get tighter offensively.”

The Rebels will play Wilcox Academy at 11:30 a.m. in the Montgomery Sports Complex, which will be a rematch of the 2019 quarterfinals. The Rebels won that game 63-35. 

“Confidence is a key in any sport. If you’re going in feeling confident, you’re going to play better, perform better,” Allen said.