The Unsung Hero Of Bulldog Basketball: Silk’s Impact Leads To State Title

Photo by Kailee Means / UC Sports Nation

If you asked a Clay County supporter after the first couple of minutes of the Class A State Championship what they thought was going to happen, they probably would’ve told you that their hope was for the Bulldogs to compete and keep it close.

After all, Memphis Academy of Health Sciences held a 14-2 lead and things looked grim for Clay.

Then, just like all season, the defense created momentum for the Bulldogs and thanks to a 8-1 run, they cut the lead down to 15-10 at the end of the first quarter. And just like all season, it all started with lone Senior Gunnar Silk.

“Anytime we’re down, he picks our heads up,” Clay County Junior Jeff Spivey said. “It’s just that little piece of energy about him that makes every one of us run off of him and keeps us going.”

If you followed the Bulldogs this season, Silk’s impact on defense is nothing new for you; Head Coach Rob Edwards has called him one of the best defenders in the Upper Cumberland multiple times. What caught many new observers of the Bulldogs by surprise was his offensive explosion in the second half.

With his team trailing by four in the third quarter, Silk proceeded to knock down a trio of three-pointers to give his team all the momentum. He also showed no fear in getting to the rim against several larger defenders and in doing so, he opened up the Bulldog offense. When all was said and done, Silk had scored 19 points and made all four of his attempts from three-point range.

Most importantly, he was a state champion.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” Silk said. “Being in that position and winning State, these last couple of days have just been a lot of celebration and relief, and it’s a crazy feeling.”

Much of the attention post-game was, justifiably so, on Junior Grant Strong. He was named the State Tournament MVP and the Class A Mr. Basketball award winner after averaging 31 points per game in the three-game stretch in Murfreesboro.

If you ask Strong however, he will tell you he’s more proud of winning a gold ball for someone he’s called a teammate for a long time.

“I can’t even remember what it’s like going to school without Gunnar,” Strong said. “We developed a friendship right off the bat…all of us kind of fell in love with him. There’s never a dull moment with him.”

One moment that no Bulldogs fan will forget was the sight after the buzzer sounded. Silk was on the opposite end of the court celebrating with Junior Eli Smith and before you knew it, the entire team had surrounded Silk to celebrate with their senior leader.

It’s a moment you don’t see every day, and it’s something Silk will never forget.

“I love them all,” Silk said about his teammates. “They were all telling me that this was for me. They worked so hard, and I appreciate every single one of them.”

If you ask his teammates, the feeling is mutual.

“This year was all about Gunnar,” Spivey said. “We knew he was our only senior. We felt like this was our year, and he was just there for us anytime.”

“We just played our hardest for him.”

Now that he’s accomplished his ultimate goal, this new question arises: what lies ahead for Gunnar Silk?

He says it’s going to be much more chill than how the last few weeks have been, but Silk maintains that there’s nothing he won’t miss about suiting up and representing Clay County.

“I think I’m just going to get my real life started and get to working,” Silk said. “The community, the fans, the friends and the family you make while you’re playing, it’s something no one really has. It’s an amazing feeling, and I’ll miss everything.”