Nothing much is certain in life other than death, taxes and Homestead boys’ basketball being good.
Isn’t that the saying?
But last season was a bit different for the Spartans, who finished 14-13 overall, the first time the program had suffered double-digit defeats in a campaign in over 15 years.
When we go so long just presuming a program is always good, we wonder what is going on when it has a “down” year, by Homestead standards anyway.
Turns out, it was merely a blip on the radar, as well as a learning experience for a roster of players that bounced back in a big way in the 2024-25 campaign.
At the helm for both seasons was Coach Chris Johnson, who has led the Homestead program now for 26-plus years. Not many coaches in this area, let alone the state, are as accomplished as Johnson, nor as skilled in directing their team.
Buoyed by a mix of veterans and talented newcomers, Homestead bounced back in a big way this year, going 22-6 and capturing sectional and regional championships.
For his leadership, Coach Johnson has been selected as the 2024-25 Outside the Huddle Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year.
“I thought the 24-25 season could be a good one if our kids could learn how to finish,” Johnson said. “We finished (last year) 14-13, but we were competitive, and would either be leading or three or four points behind going into the fourth quarter in about every game we played.
“The year of experience is always helpful.”
It is also helpful to have the ‘buy-in’ of the players. In the world of egos and me-first players, even at the prep level, Johnson did not have any of those on this year’s roster. A highly-capable senior group led the way in the huddle, while sophomores Jake Coolman and Mack Welker broke out in a major way as proven scorers.
“Our coaching staff tries to put kids in spots where they are comfortable, who defends, who scores, who rebounds, who can handle the ball under pressure and who compliments and fits the final piece of the puzzle is what we are looking for in a team,” Johnson said. “Which players are willing to come to practice every day to push over players successfully is a key factor that is a lot of times overlooked. Without this, you will find a dysfunctional locker room.”
Johnson doesn’t believe a loss is ever a good thing, but there was a silver lining when the Spartans fell to Warsaw in overtime early in the season. It gave the team a boost to know they could compete with a top 10-ranked team in the state. That, coupled with success just after Christmas in Homestead’s own holiday tournament, helped the roster find its groove.
Homestead went on a nine-game winning streak to begin 2025. After a close loss to Wayne that helped effectively decided the SAC, the Spartans won seven-consecutive games, including avenging that loss to the Generals in the sectional championship.
For the Spartans, it was a ‘return to form’ campaign, with its veteran coach at the helm.
“We were very fortunate as a coaching staff to coach players that were hungry, competitive, coachable and believed in their abilities to play at a high level,” Johnson said. “As I have always said, you have to be good (which we were) and have to have some luck go your way.
“Believe me, I have been on the other side where a missed opportunity (an easy shot didn’t fall or a bad turnover in a crucial moment) put our team into a tailspin.”
Be the first to comment