Aubrey's Audible: Thoughts from Friday

Thanks in part to Aubrey McRae's game winning basket as the overtime buzzer sounded, the Glenn Hills Spartans improved to 12-0 with Friday's home win over Laney.  The play (featured below) seemed to be brilliantly conceived by Spartans coach Travis McRae (Aubrey's father).  But coach McRae and his standout junior guard informed us that Aubrey shouted to his father, just before the ball was inbounded, to a get his approval to change the plan drawn up in the huddle.  (See the play below.)

Although the play was not the elder McRae's original idea, I will give Travis credit for making the most intelligent decision of the night: listening to his son Aubrey.  After a hard cut to the basket off a back screen set by Maurice O'Bannon, O'Bannon received the inbounds pass and immediately zipped it to McRae, who quickly released the ball just before the sound of the buzzer.

Aubrey McRae was quick to give his teammates all the credit.  "Maurice is a great passer.  And I want to say something.  I love my teammates to death.  We don't have one star.  We have many players who can play well and get the job done.  And we have each other's back," said the junior guard who is wise beyond his years.

A coach's son is often expected to be a smart basketball player.  But McRae surpassed all expectations tonight with his quick thinking in the game's most important moment and his kind words for his teammates and friends.