Senior forward muscles past hearing loss on court and off

CHAMOIS — It’s just before 7 p.m. After making the hour-and-a-half bus ride from Fulton on a two-lane road that continuously dips like a camel's back, the Missouri School for the Deaf boys basketball team is ready to take on the local high school.

The team is having its pre-game meeting right outside the gymnasium in a small cafeteria. Two lunch tables and three vending machines fill the room.

Ten players are huddled in front of one of the brightly painted tables with their arms wrapped around one another. They sway. Grunts and yelps emit from the circle of gold and green jerseys.

The players each have a varying level of hearing loss. Some wear bulky hearing aids. Others can hear well enough to have a conversation. Senior forward Dexter Corley Jr. cannot hear at all.

Inside the pack, they are signing, using their eyes as ears and hands as mouths. What is signed during the pre-game speech is similar to what could be heard prior to any high school basketball game. Things like: “Rebound well.” “Make smart passes.” “Get out in transition.”

But all of the players’ eyes are connected. It takes every ounce of focus just to communicate. Their facial expressions are exaggerated and filled with passion as they discuss the game plan.

The huddle breaks with an unsynchronized cheer and the team forms a single-file line.

The Missouri School for the Deaf's cheerleading squad, which consists of two girls who quickly changed out of their basketball uniforms after they lost to Chamois just minutes before, greets the players.

Corley Jr. is second in line. At 5 feet 9 inches, he’s not much taller than most of his teammates, but the senior is the Eagles’ big man. Corley Jr. is also a fullback on the football team, so he knows how to play tough. He’s wearing three pairs of socks of varying lengths, plus a thin sweatband around his shins.

When everyone’s ready, Corley Jr. and his teammates jog onto the court. Eight of the 10 boys on the team, including Corley Jr., are black. This creates a contrast with the Chamois bleachers across the gym where about 50 fans are sitting. It’s mostly relatives and girlfriends in the stands – the vast majority of them are white. None are black.

The Missouri School for the Deaf's players make their way to the far side of the gym for warm ups. The Chamois band is playing on a stage just behind their hoop. They’re blaring Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” But for Corley Jr. and most of his teammates, the entrance is silent.

As they pass the stands on their way to the hoop, a classmate is sitting two rows behind their bench. Next to her is an old snare drum. It’s worn from age and brutal beatings. As each player passes her, she pounds it with an oversized mallet.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Just like when a powerful subwoofer blasts a low beat, Corley Jr. and his teammates can feel the vibrations.