Keith boys’ basketball coach Tommy Tisdale started practice off Friday with a stern reminder to his seniors.

“Seniors, practice like this is the last Friday you’ll ever practice at Keith,” Tisdale said. “Because, by the way, it is the last Friday you’ll ever practice for Keith.”

On a day where the mood of the team was relaxed, the message was clear. Keith wants to win the state championship next Thursday, but the Bears plan to enjoy the last week of the season regardless.

“If you believe in your coach, believe in yourself and do what you can, you don’t really have anything to worry about,” said senior Morris Collins of the team’s relaxed state.

The team practiced at Wallace Community College Selma on Friday so that the Bears could get used to shooting on unfamiliar goals. Wallace’s gym floor is larger and will be similar to the floor the Bears will play on Monday at the BJCC in Birmingham.

“Every day we should practice at a different site,” Tisdale said of the team’s weekend plans. “I’m just trying to put us in the best position we can be in before we tip off at 1:30 [p.m.] on Monday.”

It won’t be all business for the Bears before Monday’s game though.

The teams will make the trip to Birmingham on Saturday and will watch the UAB-Western Kentucky game at 11 a.m. at Bartow Arena. Tisdale said for his team, it’s a reminder that they can compete with anyone.

No. 1 Sacred Heart has plenty of firepower in Kevion Nolan and D.J. Heath, but so did former Dallas County High School star William Lee, who now is starring for the Blazers.

“There’s a chance for us to go and see somebody we actually know and somebody we played against,” Tisdale said of Lee.

“I’ll use [Johnson] as an example. He guarded [Lee] as a tenth grader. If you guard the Gatorade Player of the Year as a tenth grader, you’ve seen it all.”

After the game, the team will practice before spending the afternoon enjoying their time in Birmingham.

The Bears’ girls play Spring Garden at noon Monday and the boys will play directly after at 1:30 p.m. If either wins it’ll play again Thursday for the 1A state championship game.