Travis Pinkston, the newest addition to the Rams coaching staff Travis Pinkston has already found some early success in his young coaching career at MV. Coaching in his first O’Fallon Tournament, Coach Pinkston came out victorious.
The O’Fallon Tournament is a freshman basketball tradition that they have done for many years and many more to come.
Before Coach Pinkston left Casey Middle School he had built himself quite the resume, He acquired two state championships in five years, while also making an appearance at the state tournament three out of the five years of his time at Casey.
“The transition to high school has been good. I think the coaches and AD’s Office have been very helpful in making sure I have everything I need. It also helps that 9 out of the 15 kids that made the team this year, I had previously coached for 3 years at Casey. Mt. Vernon High School is the host to several events. With that being said, gym time is challenging. Overall, Seth does a good job facilitating the chaos.” Pinkston Mentioned
“The expectations are high. Maybe collectively, one of the most talented groups to come into the high school at one time. We have started the season well and have continued to grow and get better. We have won both tournaments we have played in and continue to strive for more. These athletes will be a team to watch over the next 3 years.” said Coach Pinkston.
Freshman basketball is always a great way to see the next generation of basketball players and who the next potential stars are. Coach Pinkston also has done a great job of developing the players that we have at the school currently. A few being Navontae Nesbit Jr,‘24, Rj King,‘24, Marlin Price,‘25, Dave Barnes,’27, Equinton Millsap,’24
“If the opportunity would present itself, it would be an honor to get a chance to coach at the varsity level. Tim and Quinn do a great job with the boys, and we should feel grateful for all of the time they put in to make it work. I hope I can learn from them moving forward.” Pinkston added.
“It felt great! I’m not sure of the history (regarding records) for the MV freshman in the O’Fallon tournament, but there were several good teams over there and it was nice to come out on top. It’s not every day you can convince the players to work hard for a common goal when the results are unknown. So, it was nice to win the championship and to be able to reward them for all of their hard work.” Pinkston stated
