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By Ray Hamill — One of the oldest adages in all of sports tells us defense wins championships, and that was the case for the St. Bernard’s JV boys basketball team in the Little 4 this winter.

The young Crusaders recently closed out their season with a 5-0 record in conference and 16-9 overall, and it was the team defense that really set the tone along the way.

“I thought our defense was our identity,” head coach Zach Davis said.

That defensive prowess started with “two of the best (JV) shot blockers” in the H-DNL, according to Davis, sophomore Lincoln Hungerford and freshman Oliver Hart.

Hungerford was one of three team captains this year, along with fellow sophomores West Cooper and Josh Tinkham, all of whom led the way for their teammates.

Hungerford transferred in from McKinleyville and had an immediate impact with his new team while earning the admiration of his coaches.

“He came in and right away he was respectful and a phenomenal teammate,” Davis said of the newcomer. “He was vocal on the court and I couldn’t have been more proud of the man he’s developing into.”

Hungerford was particularly effective on the boards and averaged double digits in rebounds.

But it was the way he tried to help his teammates that really impressed his coaches, in particular the way he worked with the SB freshmen team, which practiced with the JVs every day.

Tinkham also was a valuable team leader this winter, but in a different way.

“He was our strong, silent leader,” the coach said of the returning JV player. “He was kind of like our anchor and the boys trusted him. He would lead by example.”

Cooper also was key to the team’s success and led the Crusaders in scoring while keeping his teammates accountable and working hard, according to the coach.

Another player who really impressed the SB coaches — enough to be included on the varsity roster for the postseason — was sophomore forward Braedon Simpson, who was the Crusaders’ most improved player this season.

“He came out this year and he was super committed,” Davis said. “The strides he made were so evident. He went from being probably the ninth guy off the bench to starting, and now he’s with the varsity team. I’m super proud of him.

“He got that fire lit, and to see that, it’s encouraging as a coach.”

Hart also played a crucial role on this year’s team, at both ends of the floor, before this season was cut short due to injury.

Overall, the team depth caused problems for opponents all winter and there was no one player that opposing teams could focus on.

That, and the players’ unselfish approach to the game, paved the way for the success.

“West Cooper led us in scoring, but other than that we had a bunch of guys that stepped up,” Davis said. “On any given night it could have been anyone. 

“I really like the way they shared the ball. It was very unselfish. And I think towards the end they really bought into sharing the ball. They adapted and I really enjoyed that about them.”

Freshman guard Iverson Crockett epitomized that attitude while playing a key role on defense.

“He was the kid who wanted to guard every team’s best player,” Davis said. “He wanted to work his butt off and he didn’t shy away from anybody. I’m pretty proud of his growth.”

The championship roster also included Kuron Devlin, Henry Hinrichs, Julius Rojo, Mason Noel, Carson Johnson, Gabriel Biwole, Robert Sirrine and TeqKauri Achane.

The team’s assistant coaches were Cliff Hart and Noah Davis, who each also played key roles in the success, according to Zach Davis.