Maybe Deion was on to something: The Prime Prep ‘Winning’ went undefeated in basketball
In August 2012, Prep Rally and many other outlets made a big deal out of Deion Sanders’ decision to give the athletic teams at Dallas (Tx.) Prime Prep Academy the mascot of “Winning.” As nonsensical as the school’s mascot may be, the Texas program’s boys basketball team also made it eerily appropriate with a remarkable winter season.
As noted by USA Today, Prime Prep finished its first competitive season on the hardwood with a perfect, 35-0 record. The Winning won the Division I title of the National Association of Christian Athletes tournament in Ohio with a 61-56 victory against Centerreach (N.Y) Our Savior New American School, capping its perfect record and earning an invitation to the National High School Invitational.
“We feel like we’re the best team in the country,” highly touted sophomore center Elijah Thomas told USA Today. “We haven’t lost, so…”
In fact, the publication to which Thomas was speaking claims that Thomas isn’t far off. The Winning is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation by USA Today’s Super 25 national rankings, and there is just one other undefeated team – Henderson (Nv.) Findlay Prep – ranked ahead of it.
The deep stock of top-ranked athletes on Prime Prep’s hoops squad is the main reason for the team’s success, yet its unofficial rap anthem might also be part of the squad’s inspiration. Either way, the Winning has done a lot of winning in its first season on the court.
Now, if only the school’s football program can follow in those basketball footsteps …
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