Basketball team played championship in honor of coach who died from COVID-19

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — Lincoln Charter’s basketball team played for the state title on Saturday, but players were without one of their assistant coaches.

Jamie Seitz died in December from COVID-19.

The team has used his memory to inspire them this season.

[‘Great man’: Vigil held to honor coach who died after weekslong battle with COVID-19]

“At the very beginning of the season I said, ‘Coach is not here physically, but he’s within us all spiritually,’” head coach Bradley Gabriel told Channel 9. “He’s here.”

The pandemic nearly stole the team’s season.

“They should’ve never had to go through what they’ve gone through,” Gabriel said. “First of all, the pandemic with COVID.”

The same pandemic that took Seitz’s life.

“I really sat these kids down at the first of the year when it happened and said, ‘Do you guys want to play? I don’t know how to mourn. I don’t know what I’m doing,’” Gabriel said. “We took a vote, and they all said, ‘Let’s play.’”

“It was kind of a tough decision, but I just know that Coach Seitz would probably want us to play for him,” junior Sam Cogan said. “And he would want us to play.”

Jamie son, Carter Seitz, was in too.

“I took a week off right after my dad passed away and, after that week, I said, ‘I can’t. I can’t not be there with them,’” Carter said.

The team has played 18 games and had one more -- the championship.

“I want to win a ring with them,” Carter said. “I want to win a ring. And I want to play as hard as I can for 32 minutes and play with them and win it for my dad.”

‘Great man’: Vigil held to honor coach who died after weekslong battle with COVID-19

This season was one that didn’t come with a game plan, but the team was in it with one shot to win it all.

“When you look in these kids eyes, you can, you see that everything we’re doing is to glorify him or his legacy, to honor him,” Gabriel said. “Who am I to take that away from them?”

On Saturday, Wilson Prep won the NCHSAA State Championship against Lincoln Charter, 65-58.

Cox Media Group