Photo by Erin Nelson.
Homewood’s Carter Vail (2) takes the ball towards the goal during the first half of the AHSAA Class 6A boys Northeast Regional Semifinal at Pete Mathews Coliseum on Feb. 17.
Homewood High School boys basketball coach Tim Shepler has seldom willingly implemented a full-court press defense outside of late-game pressure situations.
If he’s being honest, the last time he can recall doing it was about 15 years ago, against Gadsden City in the playoffs.
But the Patriots may be breaking away from the traditional mold of Homewood basketball this season. The graduations of Donte Bacchus and Christian Thompson from last year’s team will force the Patriots to look a lot different this year. Bacchus was an elite offensive player, standing at 6-foot-6, while Thompson was a defensive force at 6-8.
Both guys are now playing college hoops, and the top returning players this season for Homewood are guards Carter Vail and Carson Cole.
“We’re going to look a lot different than last year,” Shepler said. “We’ll extend pressure up a little bit and play more full court, which makes me nervous, but I think that’s what our personnel dictates.”
Shepler also expects his team to let the 3-pointers fly a little more often this year. The team shot 38% from behind the arc during a productive summer.
“I would say we’re going to be a balanced team that gives a green light to our shooters,” he said. “Confidence grew with each play date. I’ll be interested to see if we can carry that over.”
Vail and Cole are seniors this year, and Shepler has made it no secret the team will depend on both of them. Canon Armstead is another senior who played minutes last year but will be expected to contribute quite a bit this time around.
Juniors Will Pope, Harris Fowlkes and Jeremiah Gary have proven to be effective guard options for the Patriots as well.
Kiran McCool and Jake Stephens are forwards who spent time behind Bacchus last year but will be counted upon now at the forward position. David Stone will also step into a starting role after playing in support of Thompson last winter. Jarryd Cline will back up Stone at that spot.
“He’s going to need to be that guy at the 5 [center],” Shepler said of Stone. “He’s a pretty good athlete.”
Once football season concludes, Clay Burdeshaw will find his way into the mix. Will Myers is the team’s lone sophomore and Shepler said he led the team in assists over the summer.
“We’re going to have a good locker room, but we’re going to need some guys to bow up and take on some challenges,” Shepler said. “That’s kind of our team. If we got going, we could be really good if we’re playing with confidence.”
Homewood will play in Class 6A, Area 9 this year with Parker, Minor and Jackson-Olin. It’s an area that will likely present challenges, but Shepler believes the Patriots can win it if they “play well at the right time.”
Homewood will also host the Metro Tournament over the Christmas break. The likes of Vestavia Hills, Cullman, Hartselle, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Clay-Chalkville will be represented.
Shepler noted the Patriots are playing three strong 7A teams this season, as Vestavia Hills, Spain Park and Hoover will provide great challenges.
