The winner family: The fourth regional title of the Blue Devils is the result of the Brotherhood

Belleville, Ill. – When the Quincy High School's basketball team breaks off boys with calls from the “Family” family, this is no coincidence.

“It is proof of what you have built over the years,” said Blue Devils coach Andy Douglas. “They really take care of each other on the floor and take care of each other from the ground.”

Burgs of this familiar scream echoed through the Belleville West High School-Fitness studio when the Blue Devils broke their last swing after defeating Belleville East 57-50 to conquer the regional championship of class 4a Belleville West, their fourth regional title in so many seasons.

“It is simply incredible to be in the same position and win four in a row,” said Senior striker Keshaun Thomas.

The Blue Devils stood a late 8-0 run of the Lancer, which defeated a 12-point lead over a minute. Quincy never allowed Belleville East to bring himself closer to the last minute, and Senior Guard Bradley Longcor III.

“We played together for so long that we know how to react to each other,” said Longcor, who headed the Blue Devils with 19 points. “We had to stay calm and I think we did it. We all knew that it would be okay. “

All eight seniors on the Roster of the Blue Devils were on the Quincy Junior High School Seventh Grade team, which went 24-0 and the Illinois primary school was won by the elementary school association class 4a State Championship in 2020. This senior class has set up a 114-18 record in its high school career, including a 56: 4 mark in the Blue Devil Gym.

“We are just winners,” said Longcor. “We don't know anything else.”

All of this profit translated a regional title every season, but only a section championship – in 2022 when Thomas, Longcor and Dom Clay played a central roles as newcomers.

“It's really impressive,” said Clay, winning four consecutive regional titles. “But we cannot simply be satisfied with the win of regional. We try to take the next step and continue. “

Longcor believes that the Blue Devils, who were in 4a in 4a in the last survey of the Associated Press Class 4a, went deeper in the off-season than all of the three previous teams in which he was, especially if they can fill up the energy and cohesion in their 16-0 run for Friday.

“When we get out of every game like it (it's our last), keep it rolling, keep our energy upright, I see no team in the state that can stop us,” said Longcor.

Douglas believes that the unit that he grew from day to day was the formula for so much success on the pitch.

“Everything and everything they do, they are together,” said Douglas. “It doesn't matter whether we are planning anything or not, they hang together. They play video games online. They love the company of the other and that makes them a team that they are here on the basketball court. “

It is really a brotherhood.

“If you are really interested in the person next to you, you will be condemned near anything, whether it is pleasant for you or not,” said Douglas. “You left your comfort zone to help each other. They have held each other's accounting and only makes us a better team. “

It is a bond that Douglas does not expect to break soon.

“This closeness, this narrow, this togetherness you have is something special,” said Douglas. “There are not too many teams like this group.”