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By Jay Spivey

For the Clemmons Courier

Christmas decorations are up, gifts are being purchased, food is close to being prepared, families are arriving, and the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic is about to tip off.

That’s a good thing for West Forsyth and Coach Marlon Brim, who was announced Monday at the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Education Building as the tournament’s No. 1-seed in the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Health Bracket.

“I was a little surprised, but also knew what we had coming back, and the expectations that everybody and West Forsyth was going to look like this year,” said Brim, who is in his third season as the head coach for the Titans.

The 16 participating schools and representatives from each of those schools were there for the unveiling of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist as well as the Pepsi Bracket. In the Pepsi Bracket, Reynolds was announced as the top seed.

West Forsyth, which finished 20-8 overall last season and is currently 1-0 through Monday, will open tournament play in Wed., Dec. 18 at 5:30 at Mount Tabor against No. 8 Northwest Guilford.

“I think it adds some pressure,” Brim said. “It also shows that West Forsyth basketball is on the rise and that we’ve built a good foundation for the last three years.”

West Forsyth, through Monday, are 1-0 after defeating Southeast Guilford last week.

“I think this is the best team we’ve had so far,” Marlon Brim said. “You know, we’ve got Jacari Brim returning, we’ve got Jordan Tate returning, Max Skillman. We also have the addition of Kamauri Manuel, as well.”

One of the centerpieces for the foundation of West Forsyth basketball is Brim’s son, senior Jacari Brim, who recently signed to play at Appalachian State. Jacari Brim also played at Atkins his freshman year when Marlon was the head coach.

“I think it’s been great for him,” Marlon Brim said of his son playing in the Frank Spencer. “It allows him to be his own person. “(He’s) excited about playing in the Frank Spencer every year, and I think this year, being a senior, he wants to go out and win
as a senior in the Frank Spencer.”

If West Forsyth wins its first-round game it will play Dec. 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Mount Tabor against the winner of the 7:15 p.m. game on Thu., Dec. 19 between No. 5 Walkertown (3-3 as of Monday) versus No. 4 Reagan (2-2 as of Monday).

The other side of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Basketball Bracket, also at Mount Tabor, is at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 19 between No. 6 South Stokes (4-0 as of Monday), which is the defending champion, against No. 3 East Forsyth, which has not played a game yet, as of Monday. And at 7:15 p.m. on Dec. 18, No. 7 North Surry (3-0 as of Monday) will play No. 2 Mount Tabor (2-1 as of Monday), which has won seven Spencer championships and lost to South Stokes in last year’s championship.

The championship of the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Bracket is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. at Mount Tabor.

“I think it’s been a step-by-step (process),” Marlon Brim said. “The first year, we didn’t know exactly what we had. Last year, we knew what we had. We just didn’t put it together initially. Hopefully we can put it together and win the Frank Spencer.”

Part of that process is transfers, both in and out of West Forsyth. According to Marlon Brim, two players left – Michael Siedlecki went to South Stokes and Grant Burns went to Reynolds. However, four players, according to Marlon Brim, transferred to West Forsyth
– Manuel from North Davidson, Cale Lloyd from Southwest Guilford, Arrington Kee, who also plays football, and came from Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, and Princeton Scott, who transferred from Atkins.

“They’re getting their feet wet – the style of play, the way we like to play,” Marlon Brim said. “So, by this time in the Frank Spencer they should be ready to rock and roll.”

However, West Forsyth has three games scheduled this week – the Central Piedmont 4-A opener this past Tuesday at Glenn, a nonconference makeup game because of last week’s snow on Wednesday at home against Western Guilford, and Friday’s conference home opener against Parkland.

“Just playing any games before the Spencer is good for us,” Marlon Brim said. “Because you want to put yourself in a situation in the conference to be leading instead of trying to play after Christmas.”

In the Pepsi Bracket, with all games being held at East Forsyth, No. 8 Atkins, which was 1-4 as of Monday, will open play at 5:30 on Wednesday, Dec. 18 against No. 1 Reynolds, which is 2-3 as of Monday.

“Of course you want to play with the best,” said first-year Coach Mike Russell of Reynolds. “We want to play with the best. I understand it’s my first year, man. I’ve got to wait my turn, man. I’ve got to do some proving out here and showing that we belong.
But I’m pleased with the seed, man.”

The winner of the Atkins versus Reynolds game will play against the first-round game at 7:15 p.m. at East Forsyth between No. 5 Parkland (1-2 as of Monday) against No. 4 East Surry (1-1 as of Monday), in the semifinals, which is scheduled for 5:30 on Fri., Dec.
20.

“I wouldn’t mind being the eighth seed in the big bracket so we could do a lit bit more of the hunting,” Russell said. “But again, man, it’s part of the process and just proving ourselves and showing we belong. But I’m not mad either way.”

In other quarterfinal games in the Pepsi Bracket at East Forsyth, at 7:15 p.m. on Wedneday, Dec. 18, No. 7 North Forsyth (2-1 as of Monday) will play No. 2 Winston-Salem Prep (2-0 as of Monday), and at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, No. 6 Carver (1-1 as of Monday) will face No. 3 Glenn (1-3 as of Monday), which is the defending champion of this Pepsi Bracket.

Semifinals will be 5:30 on Fri., Dec. 20 at East Forsyth between the winners of the Atkins versus Reynolds game and the Parkland versus East Surry game, and at 7:15 p.m. the same night, the Carver versus Glenn winner will play the winner of the North Forsyth versus Winston-Salem Prep winner.

The championship is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at East Forsyth.

“It’s been an adjustment,” Russell said of his first season as head coach for Reynolds. “But again, I love the process of getting better. I love the process of coming together as a team.”