Tatum Eagles receive state championship rings

Published 10:04 am Thursday, July 17, 2025

By Audrey Blaschke | Henderson News

1/5
The Tatum Eagles receive their state championship rings. (Audrey Blaschke/Henderson News)

KILGORE — The Tatum Eagles got their long-awaited state championship rings on Wednesday evening.

The reigning Class 3A Division I boys basketball state champs received their personalized silver and gold rings at a dinner in Kilgore’s Back Porch restaurant with family and friends looking on.

Their head coach Brett Carr, who retired after this year’s history-making season and over 20 years of leading Tatum Hoops, said a few words about each player to highlight something special about their contributions to the team as he called them up one by one. All waited to open their boxes together for their first looks at the rings, each bearing the letter T in Tatum green and team mottos “Play Angry” and “Believe” engraved on each side.

“I love it. We designed it… so to see it all come together is awesome. I love every single part of it. It’s got my last name and everything,” said Cooper Whiteus.

Whiteus is the only one of that team’s starting five returning to Tatum this coming school year. JaCorie Bradley, Luke Sigler, Jordan Chambers and Cayden Tatum have graduated, as have Nick D’Souza, Nalayus Boyd, Namhun Kim and Kenneton Harrison.

“It’s going to be tough without them,” said Whiteus. “Hopefully whenever they come back next year and watch, I can make them proud and just continue on the legacy.”



Other returning players from the 32-2 team that earned Tatum its first basketball state title are Grayson Lee, Carlos Hernandez, Quincy Davis, DaMarion Tolbert, Brandon Howard and Koby Bridges. Whiteus and Hernandez will be the only seniors.

“It’s going to be different but I think I’ll be able to step up to the challenge. I’ve always been a leader so it just comes naturally to me with how my parents raised me and everything,” said Whiteus. “I’m excited to get after it again.”

Also receiving their championship rings was of course Carr and his wife Kristi, assistant coaches Jayme Bradley and Daniel Carr and student trainer Xavior Moore. Bradley succeeded Carr as the head coach in May after serving as assistant coach for three years.

You Might Like