Like old times: Northeast's thrilling OT win stirs fond memories for Raiders basketball

In the wild moments following Northeast’s thrilling 65-63 double-overtime win over Pflugerville on Tuesday night, Ken Berry came out of the stands and grabbed Northeast coach John A. Smith in a bear hug.

Berry, heavily involved in the Austin area’s youth basketball scene, proudly dons the blue and gold of Pflugerville. His daughter, Averi, stars for the Panthers while his son K.J. is a standout for the boys squad.

But even though K.J.'s senior season came to an end in the Class 5A first-round playoff game against Northeast at Hendrickson High School, Ken Berry couldn’t help but feel a surge of his old neighborhood’s pride. He starred for Reagan — whose campus name was changed to Northeast in 2019 — a generation ago.

Seeing the Raiders celebrating a playoff win brought back fond memories as well as hopes that they can eventually emerge as a state contender.

“Proud of you, baby.” Berry told Smith, his arm wrapped around Smith’s neck. “Bring it all the way back.”

“We’re gonna bring your alma mater back, dog.” Smith responded. “We’re back.”

But it’s not that Northeast basketball has ever gone away. The most successful athletic program on campus, the boys’ basketball team has been a playoff contender for most of its 57-year history. The Raiders fell on some hard times in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but coach Derrick Davis rejuvenated the program and coach Chris Thomas never missed the playoffs in his seven-year tenure that ended before this season.

Such success, Smith said, forms the foundation for big wins like the one over Pflugerville.

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“Derrick Davis took this program to heights,” Smith said. “Chris Thomas had this program rolling; when I was in college, I used to love and come watch Chris Thomas coach. Chico Vazquez. Ken Berry. … All the great players and coaches. This is bigger than me; this is for them."

“I’m happy that I’m able to make the head coaches before me proud. This school has great tradition back in the 1960s, the 70s, the 80s, every decade. I want the current Northeast community and the past Reagan Raider alumni to come together for Raider pride.”

Berry, a 1995 Reagan graduate, teamed with former Texas star DeJuan ”Chico” Vazquez to lead the Raiders to a school-record 30 wins and several memorable contests against Kris Clack and Anderson — one of which drew more than 5,000 fans. He thinks Northeast could eventually return to those lofty heights, especially if Smith continues to embrace the school’s large alumni base and rallies the community around the program.

“It hurt to see my son lose as a senior, but coach John is a class act and had his team prepared for anything,” Berry said. “(I) wish them the best, (because they’re) definitely putting (Northeast) back on the map. And the community is behind them 1,000%.”

The community certainly witnessed a classic against Pflugerville. The Panthers (20-15), who finished third in the competitive District 18-5A, pulled out to a 45-35 lead with 5 minutes, 12 seconds left in regulation behind TJ Jones, who scored a team-high 19 points.

Northeast (26-11) rallied behind senior captains Jivenson Sylvestre and Kai Roberson, who combined for 10 of the 15 points in a Raiders run that tied the game 50-50 at the end of regulation. The teams traded baskets throughout both overtime periods before Northeast took possession with 19 seconds left.

Pflugerville switched from its usual zone and latched onto the Raiders with a man-to-man defense, and they seemed to have Northeast's Markell Joiner locked up before Joiner found a cutting Jerod Thomas with a perfect bounce pass for the winning basket with less than 3 seconds left.

Northeast’s rugged path in Region III continues against No. 18 Kingwood Park on Friday at 7 p.m., at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station.

Sylvestre, a 6-foot-4 wing who has signed with Jacksonville College, led Northeast with 19 points and 17 rebounds as well as five assists. The win, said Sylvestre, comes from “the love and support” given by the school and community.

“We’re trying to bring Reagan (Northeast) back into the mix where it was and where it belongs,” Sylvestre said. "Since the beginning of the season, coach Smith has come in and done a great job with the program.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: High school basketball: Northeast beats Pflugerville, excites fans