This year the boys’ basketball team is in sectional #36. It is a special year because we host the game on our home court. The 2024 team has seen its fair share of ups and downs. We have battled sickness, injuries, and much more. But one thing is for sure, the Kings know how to battle through and say, “good” when presented with unfortunate events.
The teams in Sectional #36 include Rochester, Wabash, North Miami, Winamac, Pioneer, and Cass. Wabash is once again favored to win this as they were last year but were beaten by the Kings who went on to the Final Four in 2023. Rochester and Wabash are the only opponents that are also in our new conference. For years, these teams have both had dominant programs. In the Sectional Championship last year, we bested the Wabash Apaches with a score of 61-56, according to Maxpreps.com. The Kings were led last year by our athletic senior class of Tyson Good, Luke Chambers, Keaton Lewellen, Hayden McClain, and Breyton Hensley. They finished the season with a superlative record of 20-8. With this record, head coach, Kyle Johnson, retired from his position. After four years coaching at Cass, Johnson boasted a 59-42 record according to Johnharrell.com
Now looking back, this season raised many questions. Who will lead the team? Who will the coach be? Will Lewis Cass be as good as years past? When asked about his first year as Head Coach of the Kings, Coach Eric Branz said, “There is a lot more that goes into being a head coach than most people realize. A good thing for me was that I have had that experience before so all of the off the court stuff was not a surprise for me. The combination of being at the school the last four years and the fact that we have great young men made the transition to this position a little easier.”
This year there are only two seniors: L.J. Hillis and Owen Lowe. Both players have been building elite chemistry with one another since they were in second grade when they first played basketball with each other. His sophomore year, Owen Lowe tore his ACL which ended that year and sent him into a long recovery stage. After working hard to come back his junior year, Owen Lowe played and played a respectful amount on the 2022-2023 team. Unfortunately, Owen once again injured his knee this year ending his basketball season. L.J. Hillis has started since he was a sophomore, which may have helped him build relationships and trust with the seniors last year and could have contributed to their Final Four appearance. I asked Coach Branz about how he thinks the year has gone so far and his expectations, and he said, “This has been an interesting season. Going in we knew we were going to be young and have to gain experience. We talked a lot about how we would be a different team once mid-January came around. Injuries hurt the growth of our team, but players got minutes that maybe they wouldn’t have. Because of that experience, we are deeper than what I anticipated. Our expectations were not placed in wins and losses. Instead, we were focused on getting a little better each day and becoming more consistent in our discipline and effort. I am happy with where we are, but we are always pushing to be better.”
As well as having a new coach, some assistants have also been added to the staff. “We have had two additions to the coaching staff at the high school level, Coach Kessler (Freshman/C Team) and Coach Besser (Volunteer Assistant). They each have done a great job, especially taking into account this is their first high school basketball coaching experience. Coach Kessler did a great job with the freshman team this year. Watching that group of guys play the last couple of years and at the start of this year was much different by the end of their season. Coach Besser had a head start joining us this year because he was a student manager at a previous school I coached. He has been around me in another program, so he had a really good idea of how we would do things. He has a long drive so he is not here all the time, but he is great to talk to and get a different perspective.” said Branz when asked about how the new additions to the staff have been benefiting the season and players so far.
With a large senior class leaving last year, the team was looking for who would step up and lead the team. Coach said, “LJ Hillis has done a tremendous job leading our team this year. Your best players are not necessarily your best leaders. In this case, LJ leads us in many statistical categories. However, I feel his impact is much deeper than that. He has a drive to win that is not found in every high school athlete. He demonstrates that in every drill, scrimmage, and game. He is not afraid to hold his teammates accountable, even though they are friends away from basketball. Being a leader is difficult and LJ is one of the really good ones.”
If I had to describe the Kings’ basketball team this year it is resilient. At the end of last year, very few people expected us to have even the eight wins that we have earned. Many obstacles have been placed in our path, but we have conquered them every time. Some impressive wins this year for Cass include: Taylor, Rochester, and Carrol. I asked Coach Branz about how his team has responded to the ups and downs of the season. He said, “I am proud of how our players have responded to the adversity we have had this season. It is very easy to begin pointing fingers when things do not go your way. On the other hand, it is easy to focus inward when things are going your way. I think our players have done a great job of not falling for those traps. They have kept their focus on becoming better basketball players and building their relationships.”
In conclusion, I strongly believe we have a good chance of coming out victorious in the sectional once again. We will have to play our best games of the season and really limit our mistakes if we even want to put ourselves in the running.