Phoenix's Brayden Decker shoots for three points during the second quarter against North Valley Thursday evening in Phoenix.

PHOENIX — With the Phoenix boys basketball team set to travel on Tuesday to battle with Henley for the Skyline Conference title, it seems like an ideal way to reward what has been a challenging regular season for the Pirates.

Overcoming adversity at every turn, Phoenix has found a way to rally together and produce a 16-5 overall record and 5-2 ledger during Skyline play.

In maybe the biggest gut punch of the season, Phoenix center Tobias Akpan suffered a season-ending leg injury at Cottage Grove during the Pirates’ first game of January. Akpan, a junior, had been the team’s leading scorer and rebounder at the time of his injury.

“We were all heartbroken for him,” said Phoenix basketball coach Troy McNichols. “They have dedicated this season to him and they are constantly talking about how they have got to do this for Tobias.”

The injury came on the heels of McNichols finally getting his full roster back with some players being academically cleared to play, and Phoenix fresh off winning the Christmas Classic at Cascade Christian.

And even with all of the evolving changes in the lineup, Phoenix’s quality of play has remained unwavering — with the Pirates maintaining a stedfast approach that has seen them not lose two games in a row all season.

“We knew our varsity group would be good, regardless of who was on it,” said McNichols. “It’s been more about perseverance and just sticking to our guns and creating an identity and believing in one another and trusting one another. It’s been a challenge, but it’s been fun.”

That identity was fortified the day after Akpan’s injury for the Pirates.

Phoenix guard Dylan Harper remembers the team meeting after practice and how it became apparent that they needed to stick together with its leading scorer and rebounder sidelined.

“It has brought us together more as a family,” said the senior. “It just brought the rest of the team closer together, just knowing that everyone has to step up now.”

Harper has stepped back into the role of primary scorer in his fourth year among the varsity lineup, averaging 13 points by shooting 45% (98-for-218) from the field.

He recently racked up 40 points in a pivotal 73-71 victory against Klamath Union to keep the Pirates in the race for the Skyline Conference title game.

“We really had to win that and I needed to step up,” he said. “We had two of our top guys foul out and I feel fortunate to be in a position to give my team that.”

Pirates senior Robin Trenbeath also took it upon himself to be a leader and be an example throughout the season.

“This year, I definitely feel like I’ve done a really good job leading the guys,” said Trenbeath, who is averaging almost 10 points and 4.5 assists. “It’s definitely been a great opportunity because I love all these guys.”

“Just all of them want to get better every day, it just makes me want to work harder at being a good leader,” he added.

McNichols said he’s been happy to see Harper and Trenbeath, who he has coached since they were freshmen, step up so much in their final go-round.

“The way that they see the game, but more than that, the leadership aspect of it is something you would not have seen a year ago,” he said. “We were excited because we had two guys coming back that really had bought into what we’re trying to get done here.”

Diego Hernandez has also risen to the occasion and helped fill the middle by hustling and averaging 4.9 points, while Brayden Decker is averaging 7.1 points on 41% shooting on 3-pointers (25-for-61).

Another hidden treasure on the roster has been Amaru Williams, a transfer from Ashland.

With increased playing time, the sophomore has helped spread the floor — shooting 43% from beyond the arc (34-for-79) — to average 8.4 points.

“Amaru’s impact has been huge for us,” said Trenbeath. “It was definitely an adjustment for him coming over the summer, but after Tobias went down, he saw it as an opportunity for him to step up and that’s exactly what he did.”

Now, Phoenix has a chance to win the Skyline title against Henley, a foe that it hasn’t beaten in its last eight tries and is ranked No. 9 in the Class 4A coaches poll.

That opportunity has been the carrot on the stick for the Pirates, after finishing in last place in the league standings in the 2022-23 season.

“I think the best motivation we have is for us as a team to win the league,” said Harper. “It would be awesome to leave that as our legacy because the past couple years have been rough and we haven’t really made it that far.”

With the Pirates still standing after these trials, McNichols said he could not be more proud with his team’s growth and fortitude.

“It is just amazing that we’re in this position,” he said. “To know that we would have easily folded a year ago, it’s just a true testament to what these kids are bringing to the table every day.”