WXYZ — When the final buzzer sounded, Detroit Douglass was overrun with emotion. This was the first state championship of any kind for the school, and these kids, who endured so much during this Covid season, could finally just enjoy the moment.
‘It was emotion, it was very emotional, not just happiness, it was tears, some of our closest guys were crying because we worked so hard to get to this spot, it was amazing,” senior guard Malik Smith said.
The embrace between coach Pierre Brooks Sr. and his son, Pierre Brooks II, is a snapshot between the two they’ll cherish forever.
“That particular moment you kind of reflect and look back at that journey and I felt like, man, that was a heck of a moment for us,” Douglass coach Pierre Brooks Sr. said.
Playing for his father isn’t new for Pierre, but after 22 years of tireless work on the court together, winning this trophy together is a culmination of years of a vision.
“Having my dad as my coach for all four years, knowing that it wasn’t for nothing, just to win a state championship, just knowing the work that we’ve been through was just a great feeling all around,” Pierre Brooks II said.
Pierre Brooks II was a star on Saturday, he has been for years. The Michigan State commit is also in the running for the Mr. Basketball award, given to the state’s top player, but he didn’t do this alone. The entire team pitched in to make this a reality.
“The basketball team built a chemistry, a brotherhood that can never be lost, and I wouldn’t have that with anybody else, so I’m blessed to have Coach Brooks and the coaching staff and also my teammates support, it was a blessing,” Smith added.
“I really feel like God put us in that position, it was his plan to put us in that position to win a state championship and succeed and see us do so well, that just brought a lot of joy and a lot of tears,” Brooks II said.
Now Detroit Douglass hasn’t been able to gather at school yet to celebrate as a community the accomplishments of that team due to the pandemic, but make no mistake, when they can gather and reflect on everything they accomplished with friends and family, you can bet it’ll be a time to remember.
