The sounds of squeaking shoes on the court, roaring crowds, and bellowing coaches from the sidelines fill the CMR fieldhouse during a recent Varsity boys basketball game. The leading senior player and captain pays no attention to the commotion as he focuses on his next move in the game. There’s a swish of the ball as he shoots for the net, and the ref blows the final whistle. SCORE!!
From his early days on the court to becoming a pivotal player and team captain, Dean Blair has worked hard to become one of the top five basketball players in the state and a member of CMR’s hall of fame.
“Honestly, the moment my shoes hit the court I knew that was where I belonged,” he said.
Blair’s basketball journey began in his sophomore year. He missed his freshman season due to his commitment to football. Despite the late start, he quickly established himself as a key defensive player on the varsity team. Reflecting on his early influences, Blair said he found significance in the mentorship given to him by the senior players at the time, including Trig Mapes and Cole Taylor.
“All those seniors I played with my sophomore year were just huge impacts on me, like big brothers,” Blair said.
Having been inspired by his former upperclassmen, Blair hoped to hold a similar impact on incoming athletes as he rose his way into the role of team captain. He said he hoped to exemplify leadership both on and off the court, because of the impact he has on the team’s attitude and effort. Blair takes his role seriously in setting the tone for practices. Not only does this bring the team closer together, but creates a bond that is used as a weapon on the court.
“We have good chemistry when we play together,” Blair said.
Most of his teammates have grown up with him as he’s gone through his basketball career making them a second family that has gone through a lot together, he said. Not only has his team experienced victory throughout the past seasons together, but also challenging losses. Blair’s final game as a sophomore in 2023 ended with a terrible loss along with a weighted penalty of being disqualified from admission to the state championships.
“After the loss, we all just sat and cried,” he said. “Ever since then I’ve made a goal for myself to never lose a state tournament again.”
Pushing himself to the brink of his ability, Blair has committed to playing hard in everything he does as he’s learned it’s the only honest way to improve, he said. He recognizes the importance of personal improvement and effort to enhance the growth for the team as a whole.
Looking ahead, Blair hopes to play in college, and has recently received a few standing offers to achieve the dream. However, he remains undecided for the time being and is keeping his eyes and energy on finishing his final high school year of playing and striving for the team’s goal of winning state.
“You have to play hard every night because at the end of the day, you really only get at most four seasons of basketball and about 80 games to define your entire career, and then it’s over in an instant,” he said.
Blair said he hopes to leave an inspiring legacy of leadership, perseverance, and unwavering commitment long after his final game, just as his former mentors had done for him. Basketball has become a bigger picture than simply a game of throwing, running, and shooting. Instead, it’s but instead a game of teamwork, camaraderie, and strategy that couldn’t be accomplished alone.
“You’re playing for something a lot bigger than you, and there’s a lot of pride that comes with that.”
