CLEARWATER -- Every time the Clearwater Boys basketball team practices, they’re reminded of one thing. The last time the Tornadoes were in the playoffs was in 2011. This year’s team is looking to change that.

“We’re trying to win a state championship and we’re trying to do everything we can to make that possible,” said senior Gilbert Mendez.

Teammate Nirobi Peeler echoed the same sentiment.

“We want to go undefeated the rest of the season, the only thing that can stop is, is us,” Peeler said.

After one of their best starts in years, the Tornadoes have a legitimate chance of making a run with a fast-paced, high-scoring team.

“It’s a very unselfish bunch,” head coach Kris Foote said. “We know any one of them any night can score big points.”

The team retained four starters from last season, who are once again having double-digit seasons. This year, they’re even more in sync.

“I think their mindsets are ready. They feel they’re good, they have chemistry together,” Foote said.

That chemistry is evident on the state sheets. Together, the four of them have scored over 600 points. But these teammates consider themselves more like brothers.

“We’re like family man,” Mendez explained. "We’re just always together. Always talking to each other, always playing, always hanging out, always at each other’s houses.”

They keep things fun, but they are also dedicated to their goal.

“We worked hard over the summer,” Peeler said. “We went to USF camp went 6-1 we’ve just been working hard all summer, fall and spring.”

But it’s not just about the countless s hours spent inside the gym. It’s also about the work this team is doing off the court and in the community. In fact, Foote believes that service is one of this team’s biggest keys to success.

"It just brings them together, they get to see each other, you know, helping out for other reasons and everything’s not just about basketball,” he said. "So, just to help each other away from the game, it just brings them even closer.”

From volunteering at breakfast with Santa to raising funds for Autism awareness — this team spends their days off giving back.

"Other kids are inspired by us and how we work — a lot of kids look up to us and we’ve gotta be good role models,” Peeler said.

Foote said his team’s focus on the community sets them apart.

"That is one special thing about this bunch is they’re so awesome off the court that I always tell them anything we do on the court is icing on the cake.”

In sports, we often hear the adage that an unselfish team leads to success. The tornadoes are an example of just that.