In June of 2013, Marc Davidson was hired to become the new boys basketball coach at Blackhawk Christian. The team, four years removed from their last postseason title, was coming off a 7-16 campaign. Six seasons later, they have added five more championship seasons and on Saturday will play for the program’s first ever state title.
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It all started with Davidson, who had coached at Lakewood Park Christian the previous two seasons. When he made the transition to Blackhawk Christian, he brought with him his two oldest sons Wes and Will, then a junior and a sophomore. Wes had averaged 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds as a Panther and the implementation of the Davidson family left an immediate impact on the Blackhawk Christian program.
Joey Morlan, who was a junior when the Davidsons joined the program and is now on the bench as an assistant coach, spoke on the transition that first season, telling The News-Sentinel at the time that “Getting Coach Davidson and him bringing in Wes and Will brought a whole different dimension to this team.”
Neither of the oldest brothers, now 22 and 21 years old, ended a season in blue and gold without a Sectional trophy. They try to pass some of their wisdom down to their younger brothers.
“They are always telling me to keep on playing hard, keep on playing together and make the most of it,” Frankie Davidson said of older brothers Wes and Will.
Wes and Will have long moved on from the Blackhawk Christian court, but just in time for the next pair or Davidson brothers to take center stage. Senior Frankie was lauded as perhaps the best of the bunch when he first took the court at the high school during Will’s senior season in 2015-2016. On Saturday, Frankie will play his last game in blue and gold but it will be alongside not only his father, but sophomore brother Marcus in the state title game.
“I want to make the most of it, but it is a business trip on Saturday. I want to take care of business,” Frankie told Outside the Huddle. “It is a lot of fun. We have been through a lot and to be here is a lot of fun.”
Marcus, the more outspoken of the two brothers, agrees knowing that the moment is about Blackhawk Christian and not the Davidson family, yet the uniqueness of playing alongside Frankie in the state finals is in play.
“It is a lot of fun. With Frank moving to U of Indy next year, I am glad we get to spend this time together,” Marcus said. “It is going to be a fun experience. I have never been to a state championship game in Indiana. I know it should be a good atmosphere, good environment to play in. I’m real excited for it.”
For Marc Davidson, he focuses on the entire team and the family atmosphere that has been built — not just among his own children — but each of the boys on the team, especially a senior group many of which grew up in the program over the past six years or more. But, always keeping emotions close to his chest, Marc too sees the uniqueness in his situation with Frankie and Marcus in part because of his own experiences growing up.
“It is special. My dad coached me many years ago so I have a million memories with my dad in the gym on a basketball court. For us to be able to experience something like this, it is special,” Marc said.
The initial impact of the Davidson family on Blackhawk Christian is far from over. 14 year-old Jimmy will be the next to suit up for the Braves as a freshman next season, likely getting to spend minutes on the court with Marcus at some point. Marc Davidson and his wife of 23 years, Lisa, also have two eight year old children, Isaiah and Jaela. While Isaiah won’t get to share the court in a game with his older brothers, perhaps he and sister Jaela could lead both the boys and girls programs to success down the line.
The Davidson brothers already have a lock on the history books too outside of the five Sectional, two Regional and one semistate title. Wes is still the school’s single game scoring leader with 42 points in December 2014. He also ranks top five in Blackhawk Christian history in scoring, single season scoring, career field goal percentage and single season rebounds. Will ranks top 5 in career free throw percentage, single season free throw percentage, career assists and single season assists. Frankie too will end his career in the top five in single season scoring and single season three point percentage.
This season, Frankie is averaging 21.2 points to lead the team and is the top scorer of any of the eight teams remaining in the state. Marcus, who has developed into a sixth man role, is averaging 9.5 points per game.
As for what the current Davidson boys have experienced during this hectic week and will experience on state finals Saturday, they are split when it comes to sharing the moment with Coach Davidson versus dad.
“There are a few times when he’s like ‘just remember you got to do this or that,’ but he’s always been dad,” Marcus said.
Frankie sees the other end of the spectrum a little more.
“I think he is, for the most part, coaching,” Frankie said. “I think the proud dad will come later.”
Chances are that Marc Davidson will be a little bit of both come 10:30 a.m. Saturday when Blackhawk Christian tips off against Barr-Reeve at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. Though, as Frankie indicates, it is likely it will be at least another 90 minutes before proud dad comes beaming out.
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