“We Sleep in May” Energy Still Hitting Two Weeks Later

Two weeks later, the feeling still hasn’t worn off for Tuscaloosa County High School basketball team.

After knocking off Hoover High School basketball team 65-54 to win the 7A Boys State Championship and end Hoover’s three-year run, the moment has settled in. But for the players, it still feels just as real.

“We had our whole city behind us,” center Andarius McClain said as he visited 105.1 The Block's morning radio show with hosts Big Dawg DreDay, and Comedian LP. McClain was accompanied by teammates and Assistant Coach Dylan Robertson.

“This means a lot to our family and friends. We are out here making history.”

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That support has been one of the biggest takeaways since the win. From the championship atmosphere to the days that followed, the team says Tuscaloosa showed up in a major way.

“The support at the championship game was crazy,” Zae Edwards said. “It would’ve reminded you of a college championship game.”

For junior CJ Hutchins, the reflection goes back to the work it took to get there.

“All the hard work, all the morning practices, we did a lot to improve and achieve what we have now,” he said. Those early mornings didn’t come easy.

“You have to get up early and run up and down the court,” Hutchins added. “That was one of the biggest challenges.”

The journey wasn’t perfect from the start. “At the beginning of the season, we weren’t giving our full attention,” McClain said. “We had to lock in and still have fun.” That shift helped define the team, especially in big moments.

“Staying together, guarding their best players 94 feet, doing the little things,” Edwards said. “That’s what got us there.”

For Edwards, the win also carried personal meaning. “My brother won state his junior year, so it was awesome that we won my junior year also,” he said.

Even now, the celebration feels like it’s still building. “I really wish the community threw a big party or something,” McClain said. “We were turnt, ready to celebrate after that win.”

Assistant coach Dylan Robertson said the championship still hits differently when he reflects on it. “It is rewarding to see all the hard work the players have put in from the summer to now,” Robertson said. “The staff, players, and school embraced me tremendously.”

For Robertson, the biggest lesson was trust.

“All I could do was trust the players to execute the game plan.”

TCHS's moment wasn't just a championship. It was a moment that brought the entire city together and made history for the program.