After starting the season with a 1-5 record, Zion Chapel Rebels head coach Robbie Brown has preached, “it’s not how you start the season, it’s how you finish.”

“It hasn’t been the start that we have all anticipated,” Brown said. “At least in my eyes, we should have two loses. Shots fall at times and sometimes they don’t. We are scoring, but we are doing it in spurts.”

In his third season at Zion Chapel, Brown is ready to see his program take the next step forward. With three seniors and two juniors in the starting lineup, it’s all about staying hungry and learning how to win.

“I am trying to get these guys to learn how to play with a lead,” Brown said. We are more of a veteran team. We are a team that has kind of grown with me.”

When the Rebels shoot the ball really well they tend to have a lot of success, when they struggle they really struggle.

“If you have ever seen us play, we are shooters,” Brown said. “We don’t do much of the dribble penetration or anything like that; we love to shoot. We have to keep shooting.”

The Rebels are part of the Class 2A Area 5 along with Goshen, Elba and New Brockton and their goal is to finish in the top half of the area in ensure a spot in the tournament at season’s end. Anything else would be a missed opportunity for the Rebels.

“Our kids don’t sell themselves short,” Brown said. “We have the potential to finish in either first or second in the area. That would be a huge thing for a Zion Chapel coach to say because we have been the doormat sort of speak and we have always had to play Elba in the first round.”

Elba will always put a competitive team on the floor. Combined with a Goshen team under new head coach Ethan Carroll, the Area 5 standings should be interesting all season long.

“My goal is getting one of the top two spots in the area,” Brown said. “I’m sure every other coach’s idea is the same thing. Our kids truly believe that we can do that.”

One player that could help Zion Chapel get pointed in the right direction is Blake Cobb. The junior guard has lit it up from the outside for the Rebels and has averaged double figures throughout the season.

“He was our leading scorer two games ago with 15 points,” Brown said. “He has been coming out of the woodwork for us. He has been shooting three’s from well beyond the college line. He loves to shoot the long ball.”

The Rebels will be in action this evening when they hit the road to play Houston Academy. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m.