TSD Boys Basketball Team named 2013 National Deaf Basketball Team of the Year

Austin, Texas – February 28, 2013  Following a remarkable season with 19 wins and a Bi-district championship in the Texas TAPPS Division, sports editor, Barry Strassler, today named the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) Rangers DeafDigest Sports’ 2013 Boys Basketball Team of the Year.

On the road to the Texas’ TAPPS Division state play-offs, the Rangers – for the fist time since 1993-94 – advanced to the area game and pulled it out with a winning shot at the buzzer against Giddings State School, placing second in the 2013 SoCo Classic invitational tournament. TSD took second place in District, beating Brentwood Christian in a tiebreaker, and then walked over Bracken Christian to advance to the state finals. 

In 2012-2013, among other schools for the Deaf, TSD prevailed at home against southwest rivals at the 2012 Ranger Classic, showing great strength and amazing teamwork on the court. 

TSD Head Coach, Chris Hamilton, gives all the credit to the players. “I must extend kudos to the team for believing in themselves enough to play hard in every game, he said. We are 100% a different team from what we started out with. I’m amazed at how strong they played all season long, and every player contributed to the success in this season. 

Also, he acknowledges his assistant coaches. “I also am fortunate to have such outstanding assistant coaches - Marwan Elrakabawy and RJ Kaufman – who worked so hard and believed in this team as much as I do.  Hamilton adds, I truly tip my hat off to them as well. 

It’s an honor to be named Team of the Year, Hamilton says. Strassler has followed Deaf schools’ athletics closely for many years, and the Deaf community respects his extreme knowledge of sports, so this is something that means a lot to us,” adds Hamilton.
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