Father and son face off in hoops for the first time

Author: Zach Oliveri
Published: Updated:

Everything Gateway High School senior guard Quran Pettyjohn Jr. knows about the game of basketball came from his dad, Quran Sr.

The two have been on the same team since Quran Jr. was three years old, with Quran Sr. as the head coach of those teams. That spans from the YMCA, to AAU, to Gateway High School.

“It’s like having a rock really,” Quran Jr. said. “It’s like no matter how good or bad you play, you always have someone that supports you in the background.”

“One of my biggest things in the world was being a dad and watching my son be able to grow,” Quran Sr. said. “Be tough on him at times too but watching him grow up to the player he’s become and being able to witness it front row seat, has been by far the best thing to happen to me in my life.”

This season, Quran Sr. became the head coach at East Lee County High School. He decided to keep his son at Gateway so he can finish out his high school career with his longtime teammates.

On Thursday night, the father and son were back on the same court, facing off for the first time.

“Oh I don’t talk to opponents,” Quran Sr. joked. “So he’s been calling me all day and I haven’t been answering the phone or texting me about little things. And I told him we can talk after the game.”

“I’m trying to get in his head as well,” Quran Jr. said. “Let him know let the players know we’re coming.”

Even as competitors, the two still kept their pregame handshake tradition. Quran Jr. and Gateway beat his dad’s East Lee squad 81-66.

“I don’t want to hear nothing at the house any more,” Quran Jr. said. “I get all the bragging rights.”

Quran Sr. responded to that by jokingly saying, “Yeah he’s going to have to walk there.”

“Just means everything to beat the person who taught you how to play basketball,” Quran Jr. said.

“We can compete talk crap and at the end of the day we can love and eat dinner,” Quran Sr. reflected.

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