photo by: Contributed photo

The Bishop Seabury boys basketball team huddles near the bench during a timeout against Sunrise Christian Academy.

Following a double-digit loss to Grandview Christian, the Bishop Seabury boys basketball team went to dinner.

Head coach Jonathan Raney wasn’t sure what to expect following the team’s first defeat of the season, which came in the championship game of the Grandview Christian tournament. Rather than let the loss linger, though, the Seahawks appeared to move on and make the most of their postgame dinner.

“One of the highlights for the first semester, for me,” Raney said of the dinner. “Just seeing them sit together, interact with each other and not have their heads in their phone. That’s how we have been.”

It best exemplified the team’s biggest strength through the early part of the season. Because of its chemistry and cohesiveness, Bishop Seabury is 5-1 and ranked No. 2 in Class 2A heading into winter break.

“We are a tightknit group. We stay together as brothers,” junior Luke Hornberger said. “You can see it on the court. When one of us gets down, we are helping each other. A lot of kids have played together for a while; we have just been building it.”

But the team’s camaraderie was critical to overcome adversity in the young season.

Junior Cobe Green, who was a returning starter this season, has been sidelined with a medical condition over the previous four games. Last year, Green earned an honorable mention selection on the all-area boys basketball team, and he appeared poised for a big step this winter with a total of 36 points in the first two games.

“It is tough seeing him on the sideline, but we know he will be back,” Hornberger said.

The Seahawks hope to get Green back after winter break, but they were able to go 3-1 in the four games without him. Players have stepped up in his absence, embracing larger roles with the team.

Sophomore Zach Bloch is leading the way on offense with an average of 18.2 points per game. Sophomore Stavian Jones is recording a clip of 13.5 points per contest. Senior Chris Green, who is the older brother of Cobe Green, is scoring 9.5 points per outing.

Hornberger, meanwhile, is averaging 8.7 points to go along with a team-high 6 rebounds per game thus far.

In addition, Joao Carlos Ramirez and Sam Bayliss have made major contributions during the first month of the season.

“We are a really close team,” Raney said. “(Cobe) obviously means a lot to us, and they want to do well for him. I think it is important to have a tightknit team.”

The Seahawks didn’t develop their chemistry overnight, however. This all began during Raney’s first year at the helm last season, when the team took its lumps and went 11-10 before falling to Olpe in the first round of sub-state.

Bishop Seabury bonded even more over the summer to lead to this year’s strong start, which included a win over Hanover (No. 6 in 1A) in the second game of the season. And perhaps the best part for the Seahawks is that this isn’t even a finished product.

Miles Branch, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward, will be eligible in January and is expected to make an immediate impact. If Cobe Green is able to return, as well, the Seahawks will be a difficult matchup for nearly any team they face.

“I think this team can win state,” Bloch said. “The chemistry is important. We are all great friends.”