Four Patriots named to All-State team
Homewood High School’s basketball programs had another banner year, with the girls team reaching the State Final and the boys team bringing home its first ever state championship.
With that success comes postseason honors. Sophomores Hannah Barber and Ajah Wayne each were named to the Alabama Sportswriters Association All-State team. Barber was named to the Class 6A first team with Wayne making it as a second team member.
“Both of them, they carry a lot of the load for us throughout the year,” head coach JoVanka Ward said. “Last year, in the championship game, they were co-MVPs, but they didn’t make any of the other (postseason) teams.”
Most postseason lists include a majority of juniors and seniors, but the presence of the two sophomores speak to how good the young Lady Patriots team is and was, and will return everyone next season with no departing seniors.
After winning the state title in 2015, they fell short in the State Final, losing 80-65 to LeFlore, something that will eat at the team all offseason and provide more than enough motivation heading into the 2016-17 season.
“They’re glad and definitely proud about it, but it’s bittersweet, because they didn’t accomplish what they set out to,” Ward said.
Barber, the point guard, drained 63 three-point baskets on the season, and posted 12.5 points and 5.1 assists per contest. Wayne was on the receiving end of many of those assists, and scored 17 points per game with 7.5 boards. She scored a career-high 31 points versus Shades Valley.
On the boys side, Luke Touliatos was named to the second team, and Austin Patterson found his name on the third team.
Touliatos was the leading scorer for Homewood, averaging around 15 points per game. The junior has also shown a penchant for elevating his game in big moments, such as Homewood’s run through the Steel City Invitational and scoring 31 points in the State Semifinal win against Huffman.
“It’s been good to see him really develop here over two years as a player,” boys coach Tim Shepler said. “He’s brought some unique talents and he’s really kind of been a key to our team this year, because of his ability to score in a lot of different ways.”
Patterson was one of nine seniors on the experienced Patriots’ squad, and after a conversation with his coach, really came on strong towards the end of the season. He lifted Homewood to the Central Regional title by sinking the tying and go-ahead free throws against Bessemer City in the final seconds.
“He’s been solid his whole career, but the neat thing is, in the last month (of the season), we challenged his leadership and him leading the team for our tournament run,” said Shepler.
Patterson averaged 12.5 points and 3.5 assists per game in his final campaign, but his coach lauded his transition over his career to become an all-around point guard from his early days as a scoring shooting guard.
“It’s exciting to see both of those guys get honored,” Shepler continued. “Those guys were really jacked up about us just winning the championship.”