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Families sometimes can be dysfunctional. And sure, its players are human, so it is not always sunshine and rainbows.
But the 2021 Loyalsock boys basketball team is about as functional and close as an athletic team can be. Mostly together since elementary school these bonds have been forged for a decade and nothing has broken them throughout their climb up the scholastic ladder.
Now that climb has reached Pennsylvania's highest point. Loyalsock will play Brookville for the Class AAA state championship Saturday at Hershey's Giant Center. It is an opportunity these players have longed dreamed about and one it has given itself because it is such a tight unit.
"We don't fight. We just talk it out and we keep going and going," Eli Gair said following Tuesday's 83-70 Eastern Region championship win against Math, Civics and Sciences. "It's awesome. It's so surreal."
Often what goes on behind the scenes can make as much an impact as one what happens on the court. It sure has in Loyalsock. This team has been on the same page all season and nobody has ever put personal ambitions ahead of team goals.
If Loyalsock is winning then everybody is happy and the Lancers have been happy a lot, going 24-1. Four players are scoring in double figures and six players made big impacts against MCS, each producing crucial plays at critical times. As far as this season has gone, it was same script, different night.
"We're unselfish," Gair said after scoring 12 points, dealing seven assists and adding five rebounds. "Whoever gets hot we feed off their energy, feed off team energy and it works."
"Everybody works and we're a great group," point guard Idris Ali said following his 18-point performance. "We're literally like family."
The family has been tested by tough opponents and will again Saturday. It also has endured plenty of chaos brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and a season which almost was done before it started following a three-week December shutdown.
It was that way last year when Loyalsock reached the state quarterfinals only to never have the opportunity to compete again since the season was canceled. Through it all, this team has rallied around each other, stayed together and gone 52-2 the last two seasons.
Players never stopped working either. They could not compete in the summer leagues they had in the past, but the Lancers put found ways to put in the time. Loyalsock believed it had a shot at winning the state championship last year. It sure was not going to use any adversity as an excuse to be ill-prepared if another opportunity presented itself.
That chance came in January and Loyalsock has been on a mission, winning 16 straight games while capturing a fifth straight HAC-II title and third straight district championship. The biggest prize remains out there and that is the one Loyalsock has eyed since last March. The opponent is different, but the mindset remains the same.
"It felt like a home game (Tuesday) but no matter where we play, we have to play strong or else we'll lose," guard Dom Jennings said following his 24-point, five-steal performance against MCS. "We just played our way and that's what got us the win."
It has been that way all season. But what fans see is the finished product. They do not see what goes into making these performances happen. This family pushes itself each day.
Coach Ron Insinger and assistants Jeff Everett and Randy Glunk can focus on strategy and game-planning. The players take care of everything else.
"They practice hard," Insinger said. "Two hours of practice go like the snap of a finger because they just have the utmost respect for everyone, and they don't question anything we ask of them."
Loyalsock also plays with a collective chip on its shoulder. The Lancers' previous two opponents, Executive Education and MCS, featured five Division I recruits, including MCS's Miami-bound Nasine Poplar. Loyalsock knew all about those players and believed many perceived them as underdogs.
That was just fine with the Lancers, too. They understand basketball is a team game, not an individual effort. Playing confident, unselfish and fearless was a potent blend and Loyalsock vanquished both opponents.
The other teams might have the offers, but Loyalsock has the state championship opportunity. This family sure can play.
"That's why I love playing with this team. Nobody expects us to be this good," Ali said. "They look at us and we’re not the biggest or fastest or anything but we’re like a family. We have the best chemistry, and we play really well together."