Coach Willie Shears has Ellwood Christian Academy on the verge of reaching the Class 1A State Basketball Tournament.

Shears lands The Selma Times-Journal’s boys’ basketball coach of the year for the stellar job he did at ECA this season.

“The award is good for me, but its great for Ellwood Christian,” Shears said. “It means a lot. It’s helpful to the students to know that the boys basketball coach of the year and boys basketball player of the year (Bufford) both are at Ellwood Christian.”

Shears has guided the Eagles to the 1A Southwest Regional the last three seasons in Montgomery. ECA fell short each time, but the Eagles keep getting closer.

“It’s so hard to get to the Final Four,” Shears said.

ECA will have a great chance to reach the state tournament next year in Birmingham. All-star forward Justin Bufford is among eight returning players for the 2019-2020 season.

“If nothing negative happens, we’ll have eight guys who has been to Montgomery three years in a row,” Shears said. “They understand what it takes to get there. We’re a small school with big goals.”

Shears arrived at ECA and began as an assistant coach under Darrell Walker, who’s now at Southside High School.

“I helped him with kids and did whatever I could to help them,” Shears said.

Shears eventually became coach at ECA. Between Shears’ stint as an assistant coach and getting promoted, Bufford was a seventh-grader and the six-foot-six forward moved up to varsity a year later. He thanked Bufford’s mother, Beverly Smith, for her role.

“Justin’s mother has been there for all of the coaches,” Shears said. “He’s a good student and young man who loves others.”

With Bufford leading the way, ECA has a shot at reaching the state tournament and winning the 1A state title next year.