On a morning where Todd Beamer High School’s boys basketball players knew they didn’t have the biggest test on their hands, the Titans showed very strong, taking down the Washington Patriots, 83-32, on Dec. 27 at Highline High School.

“We’re a defensive team, we play really good defense, and it starts right here,” Caleb Berry said as he pointed to senior Avion McLemore.

Defensively, the Titans made their money and worked hard to hold the Patriots to just 32 points.

“With it being a 10 a.m. game, bringing that energy from the beginning of the game was the best part. We played as a team, came in and executed,” McLemore said.

For the Titans to be successful, they want to defend and rebound better than any other team.

“We’ve told the guys we have to be one of the better defensive teams and the best rebounding team in the state,” Head Coach Brent Brilhante said.

In a game where you lead by 30 for most of it, focus might be hard to come by. For the Beamer players, they still put an emphasis on defense, but on offense, they can have a bit more fun.

Avion McLemore eyes down a defender in the win over Washington. (Ben Ray / The Mirror)

“The best way for us to stay focused is keep our defensive intensity up. We want to be known as one of the best and most aggressive rebounding teams. To be able to do what we do in practice and execute throughout the whole game, whether we are winning by a lot or not,” McLemore said.

Caleb Berry was the leading scorer of the day, but his biggest shot was when the Titans were up over 30 points. He pulled up and made a three-pointer from the Highline “H” on the court, which his teammates absolutely loved. His coach? Right there with them.

“It’s crazy! You think seeing it in practice, it won’t translate over into the game … Caleb is one of the best shooters in the league and to have him on my team and not playing against him is a great thing,” McLemore said.

“He’s great. That is his shot. I tell him if he is dribbling into one, it is almost a layup for him. When you go in for a layup, people are contesting, but from that far out, most people aren’t. He can make it obviously like we see it,” Brilhante said.

The praise for Berry’s ability to stretch defenses and create problems is a weapon Brilhante doesn’t want to hold back.

“It’s a good shot. It was great shot today, but it’s always a good shot when he is shooting it in rhythm,” he added.

Todd Beamer is off to a great start this season. With the win, the Titans sit at 8-1 and are second in the 3A NPSL. So far this year, the Titans have defeated Federal Way, ending a citywide 48-game losing streak, and have gone on a five-game win streak.

“Auburn is looked at as one of the best teams in the 3A division … Being able to take that loss early in the season really prepped us for how we want to carry out the rest of the season, undefeated, and hopefully (that) carries us to the playoffs,” McLemore said.

“We’ve got some guys with a lot of moxie. They’re tough kids and believe in themselves. We’re trying to get them more mentally tough,” Brilhante said.

Caleb Berry claps after a shot at Highline High School. (Ben Ray / The Mirror)

But the one blemish is a loss to Auburn, a game the Titans felt they were in the entire time and possibly could have won.

“We went into the locker room after that game disappointed. We felt like we could have won that. We have January 16 on the calendar. We’re ready,” Berry said.

Someone who will help them next time around is Will Tellis, one of Todd Beamer’s top scorers a year prior. He didn’t start out the year on the floor from game one, but he is back now and finally getting close to the form that he was in last year.

“He’s been amazing on defense, a lot of energy. He was kind of down and we talked to him at halftime and his energy went right back up. Then we started feeding him the ball and he got right back into it. I love that,” Berry said.

Tellis had just five points the entire first half, and after some motivation during the break, he had nine in the third quarter.

“We know Will isn’t a morning person. It’s about the little things. He didn’t know we were wearing white so he didn’t have a headband, those sorts of things (are improving). He’s showing growth. I love being around him, he’s a great teammate, the kids love him. He’s going to get his shots and we need him to,” Brilhante said.

Todd Beamer opens up with Auburn Riverside for its first game of 2024 on Jan. 5 at home as the first leg of a three-game home stand.