Sports

Buoyed by recent success, South Shore enters year full of confidence

South Shore coach Mike Beckles gets animated during a scrimmage against Cardozo.

South Shore coach Mike Beckles gets animated during a scrimmage against Cardozo. (Lauren Marsh)

Three years ago, Terrence Samuel and Shamiek Sheppard bypassed traditional powers Lincoln, Boys & Girls and Thomas Jefferson to attend South Shore for one reason: The two wanted to create their own legacy, not follow in anyone else’s footsteps.

They’ve already changed the once-floundering program – South Shore failed to win a single league game the year before their arrival – leading the Vikings to the PSAL Class A quarterfinals last March and nearly upsetting two-time champion Boys & Girls. But they want even more now.

“South Shore hasn’t been to the championship in [21] years,” said the 6-foot-4 Samuel, a pass-first point guard who holds a series of Division I scholarship offers from, among others, Iowa State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Oklahoma State. “We never won a championship. We want to change that. That’s our No. 1 goal.

“We want to make history.”

For that to happen, the two juniors need to become leaders, coach Mike Beckles believes. They are in their third year as starters and the coach said a major problem last year was a void in leadership. He wants to see a toughness develop, especially when the team is behind, or in a slump. Who better than to take the lead than the two highest rated prospects, Samuel and Sheppard?

“Being a leader is on and off the court,” said Sheppard, a hybrid 6-foot-5 wing known for his high-flying finishes who has offers from Iona, Hofstra and Drexel. “We have to encourage our teammates, not yell at them. Pick everybody up.”

He added: “No matter what we go through, we have to find a way to stick together.”

Samuel and Sheppard are far from alone. South Shore has one of the deepest – and most talented – teams in the city. Transfers Gene Toussaint (Rice) and David Tate (Brooklyn College Academy) bolster an already impressive front line which includes Sheppard, 6-foot-6 senior Wayne Martin and 6-foot-7 junior Kwanique Martin.

The 6-foot-4 Samuel anchors the backcourt, though he has plenty of help in elite defender Ayodele Akinmola, improving sophomore Doudmy Saint Hilaire and sharpshooting sophomore Tyrone (Bird) Johnson.

“We’re gonna be only as good as we work,” Beckles said. “We have to understand teams are going to look to bring it to us. You have to work hard to be successful.”

Furthermore, unlike most of the PSAL’s other top programs, chemistry shouldn’t be an issue for the Vikings. Only Toussaint and Tate are new; the rest of the expected rotation has been together for at least a year, and in some cases, two years.

“It’s somewhat of an advantage if they can use that experience,” Beckles said. “I like that they’ve been through this together.”

Sheppard said: “I think we’re ready. The challenges we faced last year, we’re prepared for.”

While expectations are naturally high for South Shore, Beckles is doing his best to temper the excitement. There was a similar feeling last year at the time, before the Vikings dropped their first four league contests, and needed to rally just to finish in a fourth-place tie with Robeson.

“For me, it’s about improving every day,” he said. “I don’t want these guys to look ahead. We have a very good [non-league] schedule and we play in a very tough league.”

Samuel had a hard time not looking ahead. Though he played sparingly in a recent scrimmage against Queens powerhouse Cardozo, South Shore still won four of six quarters. He is surrounded by a wealth of talent, from skilled forwards to experienced guards.

“When we play our best, we can be the best team [in the city],” Samuel said. “We can go all the way this year.”

zbraziller@nypost.com