On March 21, 2021, Centerville was the basketball center of the state of Ohio. That night years of hard work culminated in the Elks’ first ever state championship, a 43-42 win over Westerville Central in the Division I Boys title game at UD Arena. That night will live forever in the memories of the players, their families, and their fans. “It was pure joy,” head coach Brook Cupps said. “Nobody was worried about what they looked like or worried about how many minutes they played. It was just complete joy and celebration with each other.”
With four returning starters from that championship team, expectations are once again high for the Elks. Their roster includes some names that you’ll be seeing at the next level before too long. Senior Tom House is a Florida State commit; senior Rich Rolf has multiple Division I offers, including Toledo and Eastern Kentucky; and junior Gabe Cupps’ (Brook Cupps’ son) offer list includes Ohio State, Indiana, and Michigan.
But while fans may be looking at schedules and marking up likely wins and losses, Cupps says that years of coaching have led him to realize that focusing on the process of building his team is more important than obsessing over the results of every single game. “Our goal was never to win the state championship,” Cupps said. “Our goal was to attack every opportunity with purpose and maximize the level of our team.” That attitude is a focal point of every decision the program makes. “We are definitely a process oriented program, where we surrender the outcome. We’re going to embrace the best process we can; and we’re going to trust that that’s going to give us the best shot at the outcome we want, knowing it doesn’t guarantee anything.” While he understands why complacency could set in after reaching the mountaintop, Cupps believes his team is fully committed to continuing the work that brought them to the top. “The guys we have are very motivated and driven to continue to perform at a really high level.”
The Elks begin their title defense on December 3, at Springfield High School. On January 16, they’ll be taking part in the Premier Health Flyin’ to the Hoop High School Basketball Invitational at Trent Arena, where they’ll face talented Southern California Academy.
Whatever the scoreboard says, Coach Cupps will continue to practice his philosophy. “We’re just going to get back to work, try to maximize this group, stay uncomfortable, keep growing, and become the best team this group can be.”