By: Brett Greenberg
TUSCALOOSA, AL. - A proud father sits in his cushioned chair with a Hillcrest Patriots logo label along the baseline of the Hillcrest gym floor, gazing at player wearing a No. 2 jersey as she runs up and down the court.
Hillcrest boys basketball coach Scott Suttles and senior Lady Patriots forward Brooksie Suttles know one thing for certain: Basketball has brought the two as close they come.
“I sometimes think Brooksie only played basketball to appease me,” Suttles jokingly said.
Suttles scored seven points helped lead Hillcrest girls to a 54-40 win over McAdory on Monday night in the Class 6A sub-regional round. A three-point make late in the third quarter propelled the Lady Patriots to a 20-8 run to end the game.
Hillcrest (22-9) will play Thursday at 9 a.m. Monday vs. Park Crossing. McAdory finished 10-16.
“I think coach (Nick) Browder has done a stupendous job with this group,” said Scott Suttles of his counterpart on the girls team. “They have won back-to-back area titles on the road in two years.”
Brooksie joins a group of five seniors, two of whom – Niyah Atos and Olivia Russell – suffered season-ending injuries earlier in the season.
"She's been unbelievable for us; she's a great leader," Browder said of Brooksie Suttles. "You never really have to worry about her on the court. She's like another coach out there."
Scott Suttles admits he sometimes has a gruff exterior, but he has a soft heart for Brooksie, who says she's learned everything she knows about basketball from her father.
"Ever since little league and church ball he's been my coach, and I have always looked up to him," added Brooksie. "I get my shooting from him."
Brooksie's brother Jordan played for his father at Hillcrest. He is now a freshman student at the University of Alabama. Having two children play for the school where he coaches had created a deeper bond for Scott Suttles.
“She means the world to me," he said. "Hillcrest is my home forever, and I am a Patriot for life because of them."
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