CHEVERLY, Md. – The Cheverly Panthers, a basketball team of eight and nine-year-olds who play at the Cheverly Boys and Girls Club, has inspired their community with a unique roster: five of the team’s players are deaf or hard of hearing.
Their play took them all the way to the championship game, where they unfortunately lost on March 9 to the Cheverly Bruins 20-17 after holding an early lead.
“It was a tough one for us. And unfortunately, none of our team has ever been to a championship game before,” said Panthers head coach Brandon Patrick.
“And I think the pressure, the crowd got a little bit loud and I think that’s what threw us off a little bit. But the other team played an excellent game. We both brought our ‘A’ games today, and they just happened to be the better team today.”
Henry Congdon, one of the players on the team, learned some sign language to communicate with his teammates. Interpreter Tavon Simms is also credited as a major help to the team, and a de-facto assistant coach.
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