As Scottsdale Christian Academy enters the 2A Arizona State Championship Tournament as the No. 1 seed, the Eagles find themselves bound together by one core value: family. 

A close-knit brotherhood has ultimately led to the success of the SCA boys varsity basketball team that dawns a 21-5 overall record and a 7-1 sectional record. At the forefront of the team’s leadership, senior captain Ethan Spry enjoys competing on a team of “best friends.”

“We really love on each other,” Spry said. “This is one of the closest teams I have ever been on. The chemistry is really good and everyone in that locker room is best friends.” 

Spry leads the Eagles with an average of 17.7 points per game. The veteran power forward also holds the team lead with 169 field goals, 73 free throws, and 10.2 rebounds per game. 

While his numbers are impressive on paper, Spry’s 6-foot-8-inch, 205-pound figure makes him one of the toughest threats in the Eagles’ conference. 

The Eagles will be making another run at the playoffs after losing in the quarterfinals against Rio Solano Preparatory School as the No. 5 seed during the 2018 State Championship Tournament. Rio Solano Prep eventually advanced to the championship round and won the 2A State title.

SCA maintained a sectional-leading average of 68.4 points per game during the season with a 52 percent overall field goal shooting percentage. 

However, 34-year tenured head coach Bob Fredericks knows this will not be a simple walk in the park. Yet he does not plan to make any major changes to their regular season routine.

“Watch film, collaborate and plan practice,” Fredericks said in reference to how the Eagles plan to prepare for this playoff run. “We have to know the opposition, know our strengths and go execute.”

Junior shooting guard Jordan Moody, who has been a reliable shooter from behind the arc, believes that once one thing kicks it off, such as the offense, everything else follows. 

“It starts in the defensive end and that’s what gets our offense going,” Moody said. “That’s when we give ourselves the chance to win.” 

Moody paces the Eagles in 3-pointers with 77 points from downtown this season, which ranks third in their section. In 24 starts, Moody has averaged13.6 points per game and 1.2 assists per game, which both rank above the national average according to Max Preps. 

Not only does Fredericks have high expectations for them heading into the tournament, but so does the team as a whole.

“Our expectations are high,” Moody said. “With the personnel we have, we think we have a good shot. There really is no excuse for us losing. We have to play as a team, play selfless and we should be in a really good position.”

The Eagles will face the No. 16 seed, which will be determined from the Conference Play-In Tournament, on Feb. 13th. 

While waiting for their first-round opponent, SCA will be the home team when they kick off the playoff race for the State Championship on Feb. 15th at 7:30 p.m.