SHELBURN BROTHERS
It’s not unusual to find brothers playing together on a sports team. But at Wilson (Henryetta) there are four brothers playing together in not just one sport but three. These four brothers teamed up to take the Tigers to the Class B state basketball championship last year and they’re back for another go-round as the 2024 basketball season is underway. So let’s meet Charles, a senior, Ke’Shon a junior, and sophomore twins Zion and Za’brien Shelburn who all play football, basketball and baseball.
VYPE: What was it like to win the state title last year with all four of you playing?
SHELBURNS: It was like a dream for all of us to be on the same team. We were excited to not only win the state championship but even better to do it together and bring the first state title ever to our school.”
VYPE: Which game at state was the most important for you?
CHARLES: “I think beating Frontier in the opening game was the most important because it allowed us to regain our confidence after coming through the consolation bracket in the area tournament.”
BROTHERS:” We felt the last game was the most important. Calumet was ranked number one in the class and undefeated, so we felt like we really wanted to step into that challenge, and it was fun because there were so many people in the Big House on that day.”
VYPE: For the twins, what was it like being the youngest in this group growing up?
ZION AND ZA’BRIEN: “We felt like it was kind of an advantage because we got to watch our older brothers play and learn from them. But it was also always competitive no matter what sport or game we were playing.”
VYPE: For Charles, as the leader of your brothers and the team, tell us about your leadership style.
CHARLES: “I try to be a good vocal leader for our team, especially the underclassmen. Making sure that they know how everything works on and off the court and what coach expects from us. The next leader will likely be Ke’Shon and he’s always positive and uplifting to his teammates.”
Obviously, coach Grant Proctor is glad to be seeing these four back for another year as the Tigers look to repeat as state champs.
“You know any one of the four can be our stat leader on any given night. Charles is a big key for us. He was here when we weren’t very successful in his freshman and sophomore years so to see him being able to reap the benefits of his hard work has been nice. He’s a great leader and sets a good example for his brothers and the rest of the team.”
And the tale of the Shelburn brothers won’t end this year as brother Jacquorrie is in eighth grade and will have an impact when he steps on the court next year after Charles graduates.
