CHATSWORTH, Calif. — In sports, there are two distinct kinds of pressure: the pressure to get to the top, and the pressure to stay there.
Sierra Canyon junior forward Shy Odom can tell you that first hand. In a season that took a lot of waiting, the pressure on the perennial powerhouse to win another CIF championship has only mounted.
But this team is far more than meets the eye.
"When they think of Sierra Canyon, all they think is cameras, talent," said Shyheim. "They don’t see the work behind the scenes."
From one of their former starters getting stuck in China due to the pandemic to injuries and transfers, the team has been tested every step of the way just to get to this point.
Senior guard Ryan Grande transferred in this year and quickly learned that being a player on the team everyone wants to beat is no cakewalk.
“Sierra Canyon has a target on their backs at all times," Grande said. "So every team that we’ve played this season has given us a great challenge and their best game.”
And if you think being one of the “Xs” or “Os” on the court is tough, try being head coach Andre Chevalier — the one who writes up the plays.
With so many challenges and without as many top-rated recruits as they’ve had in the past, Chevalier's role players have had to step up as starters — and he’s made it possible for them to rise to the occasion.
"They’re just hard hat workers," he said. "They come in the gym, they go to work, they compete, they dive on the floor, they take charges and they just find a way. That’s what’s so intriguing about this team. They find a way."
And while this team might have a different make-up with some stars who are still emerging, they're hoping to add their names to another championship banner just like the program has done in past — all the while, knowing everyone wants to knock them off the top.
"They know we have that title right now," said Odom. "We haven’t lost a CIF game. We haven’t lost a playoff game in a long time so, everybody wants what we have. And I think that really says it for itself."