Photography by Julia Cartwright.
Located directly off I-35 in Five Mile Creek, Faith Family Academy operates out of a small, one-story building.
But while the school may fly under the radar, their men’s basketball team certainly does not. With two 4A state championship titles since 2019 under their belts, and a hot streak to start off the 2022- 2023 season, the Eagles are already a team to watch.
The Advocate spoke with head coach Brandon Thomas about the team’s success and the season ahead.
HOW DO YOU APPROACH A NEW SEASON AFTER A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WIN?
With the time we have between when we won state back in March to the beginning of the season, it feels like a decade ago. So it’s not as connected as one would think, especially when you have a host of seniors that you graduate and that you kind of move on from. You get a chance to kind of press a hard reset and start over. We always teach our kids that you can’t live in the past; you have to continue to move forward and focus on what’s in front of you.
DOES WINNING TWO STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS PUT A TARGET ON YOUR TEAM’S BACK?
That would really be a question for our competition. We feel that we’re the standard and that we want to uphold that standard. So for us, winning state or having an opportunity to win state is a byproduct of just that mentality… In terms of targets, that’s every game. We compete to win, and the teams we play have the same goal in mind, which is to be successful.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE OVERALL TEAM CULTURE?
Our mentality is really brick by brick. We say we want to lay a strong brick down so we can come back the next day and lay another one on top of it. It’s very big picture. Everyone wants to be the last man standing, but we don’t focus on that. We focus on just truly getting better at the things that we feel will make us hard to beat. We are focused on working on things that will help us become a very formidable opponent for someone.
IS THERE ANYTHING FROM YOUR TIME AS A PARYER AT KIMBALL HIGH SCHOOL THAT INFORMS YOUR COACHING STYLE?
I had a very injury-riddled playing career. So my time as a player, that definitely impacts my coaching career in saying that you cannot take anything for granted. The game can be with you today, and tomorrow it can be gone … and (I’m) just trying to instill that in the guys and even the coaches. Not everyone’s roles are the same, but everybody makes an impact if you’re able to play your role to the best of your capability.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR COACHING STYLE?
I’m very direct with my guys. I’m a truth teller; I make sure I tell them the truth, and I am very demanding. But at the same time, I try to find as many fun spots and funny moments as I possibly can to make light of things as well. I don’t want to just be overly rigid all the time.
BEING FROM OAK CLIFF, WERE YOU LOOKING TO RETURN TO THE AREA WHEN YOU STARTED COACHING AT FAITH FAMILY ACADEMY?
It was the Faith Family Academy administrative team and their vision that they have for the school, for the athletic program. I’m also the athletic director, not just a basketball coach. It was just their vision and how it aligned with some of the goals that I had in mind for my career. They just happened to be in Oak Cliff. That was the icing on the cake.
DOES PLAYING IN AN AREA WITH SO MANY SUCCESSFUL ATHLETIC PROGRAMS IMPACT YOU AT ALL, WHETHER BEING MOTIVATING OR INTIMIDATING?
Growing up around that area and all the success that Oak Cliff has had throughout the years in all sports— football, basketball, track — it’s just to be expected that you’re highly competitive. On the basketball side of things in particular, I don’t know if there’s another area in the state of Texas that has endured the long-term success that Dallas has had dating back to the ’80s. So it’s not pressure or anything like that; it’s more pride. You’re just proud to represent that community and be one of the programs that’s helping carry the torch for that community.
Interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
