‘There’s nobody out there who’s going to outhustle us’: Coastal Chairmen head to nationals

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - For four years in a row the Coastal Chairmen lost their conference championship, but that losing streak is now over.

The Chairmen recently claimed the title for the first time in the team’s nearly six-year history.

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Team captain Jesse Lind said this team knows they’re not perfect, but they know how hard they work.

“Our team, we might not be the biggest, we might not be the fastest, we might not shoot the best,” said Lind. “But at the end of the day, there’s nobody out there who’s going to outhustle us.”

The team went 16-3 in the regular season. Conference Championship MVP Bill Johnstone said support from the community pushed them to that record.

“Wheelchair basketball really isn’t known to a lot of people. It’s always great to see these people come out and start to realize it’s a big sport for other people with disabilities,” said Johnstone.

This weekend the team is in Virginia to compete in nationals. It’s the first year three teams from the Carolina Conference will be participating.

Lind said his team will look to stay humble and focused this weekend if they want to grab an even bigger title.

“Everybody messes up in life, that’s what happens right?” said Lind. “But if you turn one negative play into five negative plays, that makes things so much worse. So you kind of got to shake it off..and move on.”

The team will play at least twice on Friday and once on Saturday. The championship game is Sunday.

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