BREMEN, Ala. — In this interview, I talked to Cold Springs basketball player Brody Peppers about his years playing for the Eagles. There were a couple of basketball memories that stood out to Brody and had some funny school memories as well.
“I have two basketball memories that stick out the most to me. The first one was beating Good Hope on a one-second buzzer beater at their home court,” Peppers said. “The second one has to be when we won the Cullman County championship my junior year. The whole Cold Springs mountain came to that game to support us. I’ve played on some great teams throughout the years, but that team had a special place in my heart. The emotions afterwards were indescribable. We had a mixture of disbelief, happiness, and excitement, especially after seeing Coach Willoughby’s face after that final buzzer went off that night. It holds a very special place in my heart and that banner will hang inside of Jesse George Gym forever.”
Peppers added,
“Some of my favorite high school memories would have to be going to school every day with all of my friends. To me, I never saw school as a burden. I always saw it as an opportunity to have fun with friends. Every day, something different was going on, so it was never boring. I would say my all-time favorite memory would have to be pranking a substitute teacher with a $5 dollar bill and fishing line.”
Brody feels blessed to have played for Head Coach Tim Willoughby for all of his four years in high school and he learned so much from him.
“Playing for coach Willoughby in the ninth grade was scary for me. The only thing I knew about him was that he liked to yell and stomp on the court, but after getting to know him, he has to be one of the best people I know,” Peppers said. “Most only see the coaching side of Tim, but I guarantee, if you ask anyone who has ever played for him, they would all have the same response and that would be that he is one of the most respectful and nicest men you could ever meet. We had a good four years together and I learned so many things from him, whether it would be about basketball or just life in general. What I learned from coach Willoughby is to be determined, strong-willed, and to be a passer before a scorer.”
Brody learned so much during his time at Cold Springs and he was blessed to play for the Eagles. He talked about what he’ll miss the most and he gave some advice to the students that are fixing to start high school.
“One thing I learned from Cold Springs is that you can’t take back time. I had so many great memories throughout the years, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Peppers said. “Playing for Cold Springs was a great experience for me. You have some of the best coaches around the county to make you a better player, student, and person. It’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life. It’s just like the school motto says, ‘It’s always a great day to be an Eagle.’ “One thing I’ll miss the most is the lunchroom crispitos. They are the best invention on God’s green earth and that’s one thing I’ll miss the most.”
Peppers added,
“One piece of advice for the kids starting high school would be don’t take it for granted. It’ll be over before you know it.”
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