The Homestead boys basketball team is coming off of one of its best seasons in recent history, and this year’s team is looking to match the success that last season provided.

The team will have to make do without Jaylen Key, current player for the Division I Northern Illinois Huskies, and Cameron Marotta who followed in the steps of his late father to play for the Marquette University Golden Eagles.

Head Coach Kevin McKenna says the team will miss the scoring aspect and the size from Key and the competitiveness that Marotta brought to the court game in and game out. The team had its first game of the season on Friday, Dec. 4 against the Grafton Blackhawks, but were unable to come out with the win. The team will have to step up to fill in the scoring role that Key was for the Highlanders.

This year’s team, however, brings something that previous years lacked: aggression. “I think that this team is more willing to take the open shot rather than pass up for the shot. In past years we have been too complacent, not aggressive enough. This team is probably one of the most aggressive that I’ve had,” McKenna said.

On top of having to sort out player’s specific roles on the team, Jack Popp, four year varsity football and basketball player, will miss the first portion of the season due to having to recover from a broken arm that he sustained in the playoffs for football. He hopes to be back sometime in January, but his loss will be something that the team will have to work around for the time being.

“His defense went unnoticed last season. You look at our first game against Grafton, they had a lot of open looks that Jack would have covered or led the charge to cover,” McKenna said. “He runs the floor really well, he’s aggressive off the dribble, he can shoot from the outside, so we are going to miss his game day aggressiveness and all around game, but once we get him back that’s just going to be a bonus for us.”

Every person on the team will have to come together to make the team goal of competing for the conference title and making a run into the playoffs become a reality. The Highlanders have one sophomore in specific, Greg Foster, son of former NBA player Greg Foster Sr. and current assistant coach to the Milwaukee Bucks, that will bring talent on both sides of the ball.

Having a former NBA player as a father comes with perks when it comes to improving his basketball game. “My dad and I are very connected to basketball. He tells me how it is and doesn’t sugar coat anything when giving me advice, which helps me learn all aspects of the game. But mostly he says to play hard no matter what,” Foster said.

In addition to the young players, two Homestead seniors will have to step up their game even more from last year to fill the void of the graduating seniors. According to Coach McKenna, Jacob Urban, senior, has already improved in the way of aggression on the court from previous seasons which will help the team both offensively and defensively.

“We need to work on being vocal and closing out on defense. As a senior, I’ve been trying to lead as best as I can so that we can obtain our every year goal of competing for the conference title,” Urban said

Without Marotta at the point guard position, Isaiah Hennings, senior, will have to do a lot of different things for the team in regards to shooting and defending to take on that role, but the team is confident in the abilities of all of its players this season.

The chemistry that the team has will prove to be a big factor in its success on the court throughout the season. “The environment of the team this year is great. We’re very excited about the season and go hard every practice to make each other better. We all have a positive mindset and trust each other like a big family,” Foster said.

With all the new changes and adjustments that the team will face this season, it is still looking to make its way to the top. The team’s next game comes on Tuesday Dec. 15 against Milwaukee Lutheran.

“I think our team is one that can compete with anyone,” Popp concluded.