Colt Fowler is only a junior. But he knows his time at Byrnes won’t last forever.
Fowler has mentioned on several occasions wanting to set Byrnes up for success in the future. The junior point guard wants to leave the Runnin’ Rebels in a good place when his curtain comes calling.
That’s where Kellen Leverett comes in.
“Kellen Leverett, I'm telling you, he's the next up,” said Fowler. “He’s coming up after me.”
Leverett, who’s just a freshman, is more than likely to slot in as the primary ball-handler point guard after Fowler’s gone.
Fowler has been “trying to be a role model” for Leverett, showing him the ropes the past two seasons.
“Playing with Colt is special,” said Leverett. “He can score, he can pass and find guys open with the ball. I love getting to work alongside him.”
And if Leverett’s performance in a 68-55 win over Dorman on Tuesday is any indication, he’s far beyond his years in preparation.
Leverett finished with 17 points on 5-6 from three-point range as Byrnes cruised to a win over the No. 1-ranked Cavaliers.
“It’s about working hard, being in the weight room,” said Leverett. “You have to put in the work to be in this position… hard work pays off.”
The freshman guard has seen more minutes than perhaps even he expected coming into the season. Originally not a starter, Leverett slid into the first five for Byrnes about a month into the season. He hasn’t looked back.
In a game with huge rivalry stakes and even bigger region implications, Leverett couldn’t miss from downtown. He hit three first-half treys to give the Runnin’ Rebel offense an early boost.
It was his first real taste of the storied Byrnes-Dorman rivalry, and even at such a young age, Leverett showed the moment was far from too big.
“Every shot, the crowd was going crazy,” said Leverett of the Byrnes home atmosphere. “It was great. It’s amazing getting to have this experience already.”
“Kellen is one of those kids you just love coaching,” said Byrnes head coach Layne Fowler. “He’s a ‘yes sir, no sir,’ type of kid. You love coaching kids like that. Last year, we actually brought him up as an eighth grader to get a little bit of the varsity experience.”
Immediately upon being given a varsity opportunity last season as just a middle schooler, Leverett made a request. It was a request that earned him respect early — from both his coaches and his teammates.
“Kellen’s a quiet kid, but from the start, he came up to me and was adamant that he wanted to guard Colt in practice,” said Layne. “I thought that showed so much competitive edge and maturity. He has more growing to do, obviously, but he’s learning so much about the game.”
Leverett was the beneficiary of several assists from Colt on the night, as was junior forward Fabian McClintock. Leverett’s 17 points combined with 23 from Colt and 19 from McClintock accounted for 59 of Byrnes’ 68 points.
The win propelled Byrnes to a 14-3 record overall and a 5-0 region mark — leaving the Runnin’ Rebels as the last unbeaten team in 5-A Region 2 play.
Leverett’s role has steadily increased throughout a recent run of great form for Byrnes. And if the Runnin’ Rebels are to make a charge back toward a state championship, the freshman sensation will have to keep shouldering some extra weight.
His biggest fan will be right there in his corner.
“I’m definitely proud of [Kellen],” said Colt. “He’s learning the game more and more and learning the system.
“If he keeps doing that? Yeah, it’s over.”
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