Silver Hills Alum leads team to Basketball Championship

A Full-Circle Victory: Silver Hills Alum Leads 8th Grade Girls to Basketball Championship

Silver Hills Middle School is celebrating a thrilling basketball championship win, thanks to the leadership of Coach Michael Davis—an SHMS alum who returned to coach the very team he once played for.

Coach Davis, who attended Silver Hills from 2008 to 2011 and played on the 7th and 8th grade teams himself, experienced a personal milestone this season. Back then, his own teams lost both championship games to longtime rival Rocky Top. This year, he came full circle—guiding the 8th grade girls team to a dramatic victory over the same rival in a nail-biting fourth-quarter comeback.

After a slow start in the championship game and trailing by as much as 11 points, the team rallied behind halftime adjustments and sheer determination. A powerful full-court press shifted the momentum, and standout performances by Leanna Chavez and Maxine Trujillo on defense, along with key plays from Janae Gonzalez and Sanam Atmar, sealed the 22–17 win.

“This was truly a movie-like moment I’ll never forget,” Davis shared. “We never gave up. This team earned every bit of that championship.”

The season ended with a 5–1 record, the team’s only loss coming in a one-point heartbreaker—also against Rocky Top. After years of building chemistry together, this group finally captured the title in their final middle school season.

Coach Davis also highlighted the team’s growth: “Our goal was always to win a championship. But more importantly, they learned to play as one unit—not just as individuals.”

Despite a smaller-than-usual roster, the girls showed grit, heart, and unity. Davis is proud to have coached them for two seasons and believes their success reflects not just athletic ability but resilience, leadership, and teamwork.

He closes with a message for the community: “From practices to game days, these girls gave it their all. I’m incredibly proud. Let’s continue to support them as they carry these lessons into high school and beyond. As individuals we are a raindrop, but together we are a STORM!”

Special thanks to the Silver Hills Middle School community for submitting this Five Star Story.

This story exemplifies our ELEVATE Focus Area: Outside-the-Classroom Learning. Sharing stories about how the district offers students multiple learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom providing various pathways to success.