Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Jay Spivey 

For the Clemmons Courier

Senior Jacari Brim has accomplished quite a bit in his three seasons on the West Forsyth boys basketball team.  

Shortly after the Titans clinched the Central Piedmont 4-A championship two Fridays ago, it was announced that Brim was named to the Carolinas Classic, an all-star basketball game featuring some of the best boys basketball players in North Carolina and South Carolina.  

The game will be on March 22 at Hoggard High School in Wilmington. The girls game is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. and the boys game will start shortly thereafter.  

“It was a big goal. I feel like I was one of the best players in the state,” said Brim, who has signed to play at Appalachian State. “So, I just felt like that’s good. I’m glad to be, however many people on the team, I think 10, maybe 12. I just felt like I was proud of my work and effort.” 

In fact, there are 10 boys selected to play for North Carolina. And Brim is the only player from the Triad on the team. 

“I think it just shows that I’m one of the best players in the city, if not the best players in the city,” Brim said.

Brim even had an inside scoop in finding out he had been nominated, and eventually finding out he made the team. Brim’s father and head coach at West Forsyth, Marlon Brim, nominated him. 

“It’s just I was asked by a couple coaches, ‘Was I going to nominate him or not?” Marlon Brim said. “And I said, yes. So, you have to do it online and you have to do it through the North Carolina Coaches Association. So, for me it was an honor to nominate him, not just because he’s my son, but because I think he’s a hell of a player in the state of North Carolina.”

Marlon Brim, who is in his third year as head coach at West Forsyth after coming from Atkins High School, knew he was going to nominate Jacari Brim, who played at Atkins as a freshman.

“So, the process for me was easy,” Marlon Brim said. “It was just making sure that he got nominated, his stats and stuff were what they were, and hoping he would get selected.”  

Jacari Brim is averaging 19 points per game, 4.7 assists, and 2.5 steals in 27 games. 

“It’s a big accomplishment, a big goal to play in the all-star tournament, all-star games, and just showcase who I am, where I’m going to where I’m going to college at, and just showcase why I should be nominated and why I should be there.” 

Marlon Brim has seen the full maturation process of his son in the four seasons they’ve been on the sideline together at Atkins and West Forsyth. 

“It’s been exciting,” Marlon Brim said. “It’s been exciting to watch him grow as a young man and a basketball player, and also just an individual and how he carries himself around school. So, it’s been really nice to watch him from ninth-grade until his senior year. And I’m just proud of him and excited for what God has in store for Jacari.” 

West Forsyth won the regular-season championship in the Central Piedmont 4-A, but Mount Tabor won the conference-tournament championship this past Friday by defeating West Forsyth 63-55 to even the season series at 2-2. West Forsyth won the two regular-season games and Mount Tabor won the Atrium Health Wake Forest Bracket of the Frank Spencer Holiday Classic just before Christmas. 

“I feel like I’ve taken the leadership or ownership, being the leader of the team,” Jacari Brim said. “I just feel like I’ve progressed every year from freshman to senior year, so I feel like I’ve grown. Definitely, on the court I feel like I stand as a big part of the team. Again, I feel like I’m a big leader. I lead my teammates. I try to lead by example every time on and off the court.” 

The NCHSAA released the Class 4-A boys brackets Sunday night for the state tournament, which starts on Tuesday. 

Jacari Brim won conference player of the year last season and was named all-conference this season. But shortly after last Friday’s conference-tournament championship game, it was announced that Snook Peterkin of Mount Tabor was named conference player of the year. Also, Andy Muse from Mount Tabor was named coach of the year. 

“It is what it is,” Jacari Brim said. “It’s just voting, politics. Coaches are going to like certain coaches. Personally, I thought me and my dad would’ve got it because we have the better record. It is what it is. It bothered me a little bit, but at the same time, it’s just, ‘OK, they just wanted to put another chip on my shoulder.‘

“Really, it is what it is. All credit to Snook. He’s a good player. Me and him were both running for it three years straight, so I would say all credit. That’s love for my guy. It’s no hate, none of that. I’m really proud of him. I wish I could’ve got it, but I didn’t.”

Although West Forsyth lost in the conference-tournament championship, the slate gets wiped clean. That means that the West Forsyth boys basketball team will now start its run for what it hopes is a Class 4-A championship. 

“It’s a whole other day, so it’s just making Jacari Brim better and West Forsyth better as a team,” Jacari Brim said. “So, really just playing hard and doing the little things I can. Just because you’ve got playoffs you never know when your last game (is), like I said. Really do everything – dive on the floor – do everything.” 

If West Forsyth reaches the state championship it will be at Joel Coliseum the weekend before Carolinas Classic is played in Wilmington. 

“We’ll go down as a family, and I’m pretty sure the grandparents and some other family members will go down as well just to enjoy the festivities and celebrate with him on his big accomplishment,” Marlon Brim said. 

Although the Carolinas Classic will be played about 15 minutes from the beach Jacari Brim believes it will be all business for him. 

“A lot of time with the guys in South Carolina and North Carolina,” Jacari Brim said. “When I look at the roster, I think all of them, we all might be going Division I, if not DII, so it’s going to be a good game for sure. It’s not going to be no, ‘Oh, we’re just going to run down and dunk, everybody get a three, halfcourt three or something like that.  

“ I feel like it might be that in the first quarter, but when it gets (to the) second, third, fourth everybody will play in. But it’s an honor to play with all the Division I guys, all the players, and make new friendships.”