MIDLAND, Texas — It has been almost a month since Midland Christian Boys Basketball won the TAPPS 5A State Championship, and the school held a celebration Tuesday to recognize the achievements of the team.
Multiple players and Head Coach Chris Ryburn talked with NewsWest 9 about the title win and what it meant to them.
"It's been a great day. It's just felt like a lot of positive energy today, and it's great to see that banner up there and knowing it will stay up there forever. It's just a great day," said senior Josiah Wray.
"It feels great, my little brothers, my little siblings are down there, so shout out them. But it's good to be an inspiration to them. You know, somebody that they can look up to and hopefully that will inspire them and make them like basketball," said senior Andrew Fox.
"My history here goes way back, and I feel like this place has changed my life multiple times. You know, as a student, I feel like it shaped my life, and as a as a coach here, I feel like it's changed my life," Coach Ryburn said. "So it's really special to be able to just share this moment with all the people who've made an impact in my life here at Midland Christian."
"The feeling is still there. We're still excited. Today is great. All our fans showed out," Fox said. "It's finally good to celebrate with everybody. And yeah, it feels great."
"That's one of the cool things about this, is having things like this to be able to relive the championship and just kind of relive some memories. And, you know, we've talked about that with our guys. Like every time you look up and see that banner, you know, it's not just a banner. It's a reminder of all the hard work that went into it and the experiences we had together and getting to accomplish it as a team. So that'll be really special," said Coach Ryburn.
Tuesday's event will officially put a bow on the basketball season for the Mustangs. However, MCS will look to defend their title when the season starts up again for 2024-2025 this winter.