DURHAM — Throughout the state, many high school athletes have needed to adjust to not seeing their teammates in-person at school, thanks to virtual learning.
But when you’re a group of homeschoolers like the Chatham Thunder women’s basketball team, that’s one thing that isn’t new in a season full of adjustments.
The Thunder are members of the North Carolinians for Home Education Athletic Commission (NCHEAC) and compete against teams in and around the Triangle in the commission’s Eastern region.
And like last year’s squad which won 21 games, the current version of the Thunder have encountered much more success than failure in a season affected by obstacles created by the coronavirus pandemic.
With a dominant 67-21 road win versus the Durham Flight on Saturday at Braggtown Baptist Church, the Thunder improved to 17-1 and are now looking to take advantage of a string of important conference games over the next few weeks.
“They’ve done really well with it,” said Thunder Head Coach Justin Brooks. “We’ve had some players that have had to miss for different COVID reasons. We’ve got one that’s been out indefinitely and hopefully we can get her back, but they’ve handled the situation really well and stuck together.”
Brooks is in his sixth season coaching the Thunder and said he has a great deal of familiarity with many of his players. The group’s on-court chemistry was evident in its 46-point win in Durham, where the Thunder raced out to a 20-4 lead by the end of the first quarter and were powered by strong individual efforts from senior small forward Jenna Brooks (19 points) and sophomore point guard Kimberley Cunningham (17 points).
Together, the duo accounted for 28 of the Thunder’s opening 34 points and illustrated a clear understanding of where one another was at all times. Both Jenna Brooks — the daughter of Justin Brooks — and Cunningham showed an ability to score in a variety of ways, whether with dribble drives to the basket in transition or spot-up opportunities from three-point range.
During the second quarter, two consecutive possessions in particular summed up the pair’s importance to their team. Passing from the perimeter, Jenna Brooks fed Cunningham with a high-low pass that led to an easy look close to the basket. Seconds later, an empty Durham possession turned into a transition kick-out from Cunningham to Jenna Brooks for a three-pointer on the wing, which forced a Durham timeout and capped an 18-0 run by the Thunder to put them ahead, 29-4.
“I think we both see the court really well,” said Cunningham.
Getting their teammates good looks was also a point of emphasis for Jenna Brooks and Cunningham, as senior center Hallie Ritter (10 points) and guard Jordan Poindexter (eight points) both showed their importance to the group’s overall scoring depth as the game went on.
“I like assists just as much as scoring, so it’s nice to get your teammates and everyone involved,” said Jenna Brooks. “That’s kind of how the game goes for me.”
For Coach Brooks, watching his daughter Jenna put past injuries behind her and excel as a senior has been special.
“She’s had a really good year this year,” said Coach Brooks. “She’s been healthy, so we’ve been fortunate for that. She’s battled some different things in the past that have kind of hindered her. But so far this year, she’s had a really good year. She’s been training really hard and putting in the time at home.”
That last part is applicable to his team as a whole, according to Coach Brooks. With big road games approaching against conference mates North Wake and South Wake — the only team that defeated the Thunder this season — and the postseason inching closer, he knows he’ll need contributions from everyone.
“They’ve been working really hard at home trying to get better,” said Coach Brooks, “and I think that’s where we’ve seen the biggest improvement. These girls are really trying to focus on getting better at home, too.”