The Neighborhood Academy's basketball team is making a name for itself in the WPIAL
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Neighborhood Academy boys basketball team has only one loss this season so far and is making a name for itself with its family mentality.
The program was built just four years ago and are now making everyone in Pittsburgh and across the state learn their name.
The program was created in 2021 by students.
"I remember 6th grade year, 7th grade year, the high school competition wasn't that good," said senior guard Courtney Wallace. "We said 'Man, we have to get into the WPIAL.' Me and Shamar [Simpson] went to the head of the school and said 'Look, we think we can play in the WPIAL."
"We built this up from the bottom," said senior guard Syncer Nicholson. "The bottom bottom."
The first few years were tough but everyone, from the coaches to the players, believed in what they were doing.
"When I took the job, I remember someone from the newspaper was like, 'What job? The Neighbor what? Why are you taking that job?" said head coach Jordan Marks. "And I said "I promise you, something is gonna happen there."
The program grew along with its fans.
"In 10th grade, we maybe had 30 people show up," Nicholson said. "But now, this whole thing is filled up. We gotta make a new gym because we don't have enough space."
"We just did fundraising," Coach Marks said. "We're actually building a new gym in March 2025 next door."
The community and the team are both built on one important foundation -- family.
"We're more than just teammates," Simpson said. "It's a family here."
"Family is a big thing we stand for," Nicholson said. "Without them, I don't even know where I'd be. Before I came here, there were conversations about me never playing basketball again. And I came here, met Coach Jordan and my teammates and they changed my life forever."
Simpson and Wallace were two of the biggest drivers in building the program into what it is now.
"Courtney, his freshman year, he was good, and you could sense there was something about him," Coach Marks said.
Wallace spent most mornings and most nights in the gym throughout his high school career and has now committed to Yale.
Wallace says it was mainly because of the education they offer.
"Once I started finding out what Ivy Leagues were and the education at Ivy Leagues, I hopped on it right away and knew I wanted to go Ivy," Wallace said. "I told coach, you gotta reach out to Ivy League schools."
Wallace will begin his college career at Yale in the fall but first, he has some unfinished business left here in Pittsburgh, looking to get over the hump after losing in the 1A WPIAL title game a year ago.
"This year, we really feel like we're the best in the WPIAL and not only that, but the state as well," Wallace said.
"This has been bigger than me," Simpson said. "I wanna win for my coaches and my family and have what Courtney and I started in sixth grade to be able to be a WPIAL champion and a state champion."
"What we did this season is gonna be remembered," Nicholson said.
With five games to play, The Neighborhood Academy is 16-1 and are currently ranked the No. 1 team in the WPIAL's 1A classification.