The first domino is always going to fall, but what happens after that is up to chance. The slightest margin determines whether it’s a jumbled mess of fallen tiles or just a lonely one – the others untouched.

At Northern Nash High School, the first domino was expected.

The rest wasn’t.

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The 2011-12 season was supposed to be a special year at Northern Nash High School. Coming off one of the better seasons in coach Rick Ruffin’s 10-year career, the Knights were poised for that elusive first playoffs victory in the past decade.

Everything was set up for the Knights to succeed. They had plenty of senior leadership returning and one of the better players in the area serving as the anchor. Then the dominos started to fall.

Deshawn Freeman left for Rocky Mount Prep, and Michael Brackett decided to take the winter to focus on his grades.

By the end of the tumble, the Knights lost two starters, one rotation player and a junior varsity player with potential.

“Life goes on,” Ruffin said. “I’ve moved on with what’s here. I’m just getting the kids to buy in with what we have to do this year and next year. A lot of these kids will be back. I’m just kind of planting the seed for next year.”

The new era started roughly for the Knights, who opened the season with two freshmen, a sophomore, a junior without varsity experience and a senior in the starting lineup. It goes without saying that Northern Nash was young and dealing with the pieces that were left behind.

With those pieces, Ruffin is trying to build a foundation for a program that he envisions competing for the Big East Conference title by the time his freshmen are seniors.

“We are moving on,” Ruffin said. “You can’t dwell on what you lost or what’s not here. When you move on, life goes on. It might not be the way you wanted to be. You just move on and do the best you can with what’s here to work with.”

Keys to that rebuilding process are Julian Cowell and Lorenzo Wilkins, two seniors who have been with the program for four years. Whereas some seniors might be frustrated by the lack of wins – (1-15, 0-7 Big East) – Cowell and Wilkins have made it their mission to persevere when others might have quit.

This season isn’t measured by wins and loss at Northern Nash. Cowell and Wilkins are measuring it based on what happens years down the road.

“Granted, my senior season didn’t go the way I preferred it go, but I know that next year, they’ll have a lot of people coming back, and they’ll have a good base to work from,” Cowell said. “You’ll have the people last year who know what it was like to lose games, but be in a lot of games.”

There have been flashes this season of what the Knights can become. The defense has been there routinely, and Northern Nash even shut out Wilson Hunt in the third quarter last Friday.

The offense hasn’t always followed suit – Freeman, Brackett and graduated guard Darius Freeman accounted for 69.4 percent of the offense last season. But one night, earlier this season, against Rocky Mount High, it all came together.

Northern Nash lost but topped the 70-point plateau and nearly handed the Gryphons their first conference loss. Rocky Mount’s four-point win was its narrowest margin of victory this season.

“We really have the ability to do it now,” Cowell said.

The Knights might be even younger next season. At best, Northern Nash might have just a couple seniors – compared to six last season.

Players that might have been stuck on JV this season have been brought up to varsity, and, like it or not, are playing a major role. Sophomore forward Darryl Prunty is learning what it is like to play varsity basketball on the fly, even when, at times, he might wish he was still playing JV.

That’s what happens when the dominos tumble.

Players have to step up and play outside of themselves – maybe make an extra sacrifice or two for the team. That’s exactly what the Knights who remain are doing.

“It’s all about being a team player and being there for your teammates,” Wilkins said. “... We feel that we are establishing an environment that will further the team for years to come.

“Even though we won’t be a part of it, we feel we had a big say in how the team will be next year and the years after.”

That’s exactly what Ruffin and the Knights need, players that see the big picture no matter the costs, like Cowell and Wilkins.

“They’ve stuck with it, through all the thick and thin of what we’ve had transpire since the summer,” Ruffin said. “They are still here.”

Justin Hite can be reached at 407-9951 or at jhite@rmtelegram.com.