DECATUR -- With the end of the 2014-15 Decatur basketball season comes the end of a remarkable four-year run for six senior boys basketball stars.
When they were freshmen, Mario Urquidi, Terry Kell, Victor Urquidi, Pheng Lee, Allan Castaneda and Brody Funk joined the senior boys' basketball program under new head coach John Unger. While the 2011-12 season ended with more loses then wins, it was the beginning of a remarkable journey for the six freshmen.
The next three years would turn out to be the best seasons for the Decatur program. The Bulldogs won the regular season 2A 4 West district title in 2012-13 and 2014-15 seasons and the 2A 4 West district title last year.
But more then just titles, "The Six" as they are known, grew as a team. By their senior year, "The Six" amassed the abilities to anticipate each other's moves, read each other's thoughts, and communicate by reading each other's body language. This often took their opponents totally by surprise, resulting in more steals and blocked shots which often translated into more points on the scoreboard for Decatur. But the most important elements "The Six" left behind is their legacy both as players and as teachers, helping future Decatur basketball players to become stars.
"One of the things we tried to do this year is to teach the younger players how to play the game," said Mario Urquidi, team captain. "They learned how to commit to the team with hard work and dedication to the sport."
The 6-foot, 4-inch Urquidi was the foundation for the Bulldog program during the last three years. This season alone he amassed a total of 515 points, 273 rebounds, 192 steals and 295 blocks. He had 19 double-double (over 10 points in two of three categories which include points, rebounds and steals), 15 games over 20 points, 6 games over 10 points, and a season high against Magazine Leftwich of 32 points (all-time high of 36 points last season). This was his best season in his four-year career. Urquidi attributes his success to the basketball camp for high school and college hopefuls he attended in July, 2014, at Oklahoma City University.
"This camp helped me to be a better team leader and taught me how to better communicate with my teammates," Urquidi said. "It also helped me become a more aggressive and more accurate shooter."
In his high school basketball career, Urquidi scored a total of 1,662 points, with 986 rebounds. It was no wonder when he was named 2014-15 district player of the year (his second in a row), to the all-state team (his third time in a row), and as all-star team nominee. He also was a two-time member of the NWA Media team and a McDonald All-American nominee.
"I want to play college ball next year," Urquidi said. " I don't know where I will go just yet."
The second leading player for the Bulldogs over the last four years and one of the foundations of Urquidi's success is bother Victor. Victor Urquidi's aggressive and fast-paced style was the anchor for the Bulldogs pressure defense this season. His abilities to confuse and intimidate often forced opponents to make costly mistakes. Victor Urquidi finished the season with a total of 243 points (best season) and 112 rebounds.
"I feel like we had a good season," Victor Urquidi said. "It ended with a disappointment in that we could have gone much further."
While Allan Castaneda shares Urquidi's disappointment for their last season as Decatur Bulldogs, he admits they had the making in place for a championship team.
"We had all the skills we needed to go all the way," Castaneda said.
Brody Funk set out with one ideal, to become a better basketball player for the Bulldogs.
"My goal was to get better and better each game I played," Funk said. "I feel like I accomplished that goal and more."
While the Urquidi brothers led the Bulldogs to many victories in their careers, they owed a lot of their success to the other members of "The Six" -- Castaneda, Kell, Lee, and Funk. Together, they, along with junior Meng Vang, were the starting lineup for this season and the driving force behind this year's regular season championship. With the skills of nine other remarkable up-and-coming basketball stars, this was the 2014-15 Decatur Bulldogs senior boys.
For Unger, who just completed his fourth year with the Decatur program and was named district coach of the year (his third straight), it is not the end of Decatur basketball, it is the beginning.
"I've heard rumors that Decatur will not have much of a team in the coming years," Unger said. "Our team will be just as competitive next season as it was this season. We will have Meng Vang (2014-15 all-conference team), Kyle Shaffer and Ray Haisman returning for their senior year. And we have seven remarkable juniors next year that have stepped up this season to prove that they can play just as aggressively as this year's seniors."
Next season promises to be as aggressive, as fast-paced, as the 2014-15 season. Only seven more months until the next basketball season begins, Bulldog fans. Get ready for it!
Career totals for The Six:
Mario Urquidi -- 1662 points, 986 rebounds, 192 steals, 295 blocks, all conference team.
Victor Urquidi -- 805 points, 516 rebounds, 160 steals, 50 blocks, 2014-15 all-conference team, all-region team.
Allan Castaneda -- 105 points, 136 rebounds, 72 steals, 2 blocks, 2014-15 all-conference team.
Terry Kell -- 164 points, 130 rebounds, 57 steals, 9 blocks, 2014-15 all-conference team.
Pheng Lee -- 229 points, 139 rebounds, 68 steals, 6 blocks. 2014-15 honorable mention all-conference team.
Brody Funk -- 13 points, 22 rebounds, 5 steals.
2014-15 season record: 13
and 1 in conference play, 20 and 9 overall.
Sports on 03/18/2015