If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it.

That’s not the case with Pleasant Home senior Blake Herman, who has had to endure playing basketball since breaking his hand approximately four weeks ago.

Since then, he says he’s managed with the pain.

“I know I’ve got to step it up — it hurts — but it’s my last year,” he said.

Herman said the reason he hurt his hand was due to a performance in an earlier game this season.

“It’s kind of funny, but I hit a fridge,” he said. “I was just a little bit upset about a game that we had played against Excel.”

That dedication to the game of basketball for Herman has come a long way.

He started to play basketball Pleasant Home in the sixth grade.

“I love it,” Herman said about basketball. “Basketball has been a tradition here at Pleasant Home.”

While on a break from practice Tuesday afternoon and with sweat dripping off of his face, Herman said being coached by Jerry Davis is a privilege for him.

“Outside of the basketball court, he’s probably one of the greatest guys you can be around,” he said. “I know on the court it looks like he yells at me a lot, and I kind of take it the wrong way, but I know that he’s trying to do what’s best to get ready. He’s an awesome coach.”

After high school, Herman plans on attending Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, then transferring to Troy University.

In addition, he plans to focus on his love of music.

“I’ve mixed up songs for the basketball team before games,” he said.

One such song that is commonly played before basketball games has music in the background while a speaker announces the players on the teams.

“I recorded it on a CD on a computer modified voice,” he said. “It’s my voice, but modified.”

Tomorrow night, Pleasant Home will travel to Georgiana to play in the Class 1A, Area 3 tournament at Butler County Magnet School. They will play Kinston at 6 p.m. in the first round.

Herman said the “key” to victory for the team is to “play together.”

“If we do that, then it’s real hard to stop us,” he said. “I know if we can get motivated about it, then it could get pretty nasty.”

Herman is the son of Paige Thomasson and Jimmy Herman of Andalusia.