Wilson, Marshall helped Decatur Heritage return to Final Four

Mar. 22—It was February of 2024 and the Decatur Heritage boys basketball team had just watched its season end in the Sweet 16.

A Sweet 16 appearance is a respectful finish but the Eagles, their star player Brady Wilson and head coach Jason Marshall weren't satisfied.

"We knew we could be better. We expected to be better," Wilson said.

They indeed, were better.

Wilson and Marshall are The Decatur Daily's Class 1A-4A player and coach of the year as the duo helped lead the Eagles to the Final Four. It was the team's first Final Four appearance since 2022.

"The beginning of the year was really tough because we played a lot of good teams, but our guys never wavered," Marshall said. "Our ultimate goal was to play for a state championship and unfortunately we fell a little bit short. But that doesn't take away from how great of a year it was."

Wilson finished the season averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game, helping lead his team to a 20-9 record.

"There's a lot of memories from this season that I'm going to remember forever," Wilson said.

So what was the difference between last year and this year? Point guard Jordan Davis was healthy, for starters, and the team also added Karter Jeffries.

However, Wilson said the biggest difference was off the court.

"This year we had a little more maturity," Wilson said. "Me, Paxton (Tarver), Hayden (Page) realized we needed to lead by example and always be there for our guys, just encouraging them.

"Everybody on this team from the starters to the last guy on the bench was bought in. We were going to make it back to Birmingham."

The defining moment of their season came in the Elite Eight. To get back to the Final Four in Birmingham, the Eagles had to go through the Tanner Rattlers, the same team that had eliminated them in the Sweet 16 a year prior.

Tanner led the game at halftime, but Wilson responded with the best game of his career, scoring 36 points and grabbing 18 rebounds as he earned Regional MVP.

"That game was such a blur," Wilson said. "All I remember was I didn't want to lose."

His coach wasn't surprised.

"Brady's a well-rounded player. He can shoot, handle the ball and play in the post," Marshall said. "He was a weapon and we tried to use him as much as we could. That game he just took over."

Wilson is moving on from the Eagles as he will head to Auburn University where he will play baseball for the Tigers.

Even though he's played his last game in the purple and white, the senior believes that Heritage's return to the Final Four, the program's fourth appearance in the last seven years, will eventually lead to another state championship.

"We talked about the time we went to the state championship a few years ago, when I was a freshman, all the time. We wanted to get back," Wilson said. "Even though we didn't come away with a trophy, I feel like we planted a seed that will make the younger kids have that same desire to get back.

"Hopefully they'll be able to win that championship."

— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2

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