On Thursday, March 12, the Homestead boys basketball team took on the defending state champion Germantown Warhawks in the sectional semifinal game. The game ended with a final score of 50-42, Germantown.

With the magnitude of the playoff atmosphere surrounding the Highlanders, it could be easy to be intimidated, but the team was ready to go. “We just tried to go in like any other week and make sure we execute[d] on all the little things,” Jack Popp, junior, said.

The Warhawks came out with a strong defensive plan that consisted of preventing Jaylen Key, Homestead senior captain, from taking his usual strong shots in the paint. The first quarter ended with Germantown leading the Highlanders 11-10.

The only lead for Homestead came from a three pointer early in the second quarter by Josh Mueller, junior, that gave life to the Highlanders’ bench and the Homestead student section. Although one team did not completely dominate the court in the first half, Germantown came out on top at halftime 22-18.

In any game, teamwork is key, and without it, it is hard to win. That seemed to be a factor for the Highlanders. “I think we didn’t play well as a team and were down the whole game trying to fight back, but we couldn’t match their aggression,” Mueller said. The Highlanders were taking smart shots, but the rim seemed to be working against them while Germantown kept hitting jump shots.

“I think we fought hard last night but our shots weren’t falling for us,” Key said. With the end of the third quarter, the Highlanders only added six points to their halftime score while the Warhawks added 13, setting up the score of 32-24 at the start of the fourth. The fourth quarter brought excitement to both benches and student sections, but ultimately the Warhawks ran away with it.

Juwan McCloud and Max Keefe of Germantown both finished the game with 15 points, leading their team to victory. Key led the Highlanders with 13 points, and scored his 1,000th point in a Homestead Highlander uniform.

Although the game did not end the way the Highlanders and their student section had hoped, the season brought many accomplishments for the team and the school to be proud of. Mueller credits the leadership of the seniors on the team for the season’s success. “They will be missed next year, but the rest of the team, especially the juniors, will have to step up next year to take their place,” Mueller said.

The Highlanders overcame adversity all year and surprised the state by claiming the regional championship trophy after a hard-fought game against a very good Sussex-Hamilton team. “I am proud of my team this year. No one thought we could be regional champions and we also brought excitement back to Homestead’s basketball program,” Key said.