Some things in life never change.
But in the landscape of high school sports, things always change. And at The Rock, things have changed in a number of ways for this upcoming season.
With the new season nearly upon us, here’s an inside look at all six boys basketball teams as they aim to build on last season’s successes.
National Team Looks to Repeat as Champions
• Last Season: 25-8
• Finish: #1 (SIAA State Champion)
• 2024-25 Schedule | Roster & Coaches
The last time The Rock’s national team was on the hardwood, they walked off as SIAA State Champions, their 5th state title in 15 years in the SIAA, more than any other program in the conference.
The Lions defeated DME Academy in a thrilling come-from-behind victory to claim their 2nd state championship in 3 years.
The team was led by seniors who are now on college campuses, RJ Jones (Virginia Tech) and Erik Taylor (Sam Houston). With them gone, the Lions now look to new leaders on the team.
Senior point guard and four-year starter Evan Sterck is the most likely place to look for leadership, as the Jacksonville University commit is poised for yet another All-SIAA season.
Sterck has led the team in assists each of his 3 years in a TRS uniform, and he has seen his scoring numbers increase each year as well.
Joining Sterck in the backcourt again for the 2024-25 season is junior guard Joseph Hartman.
A starter as a sophomore, Hartman got a lot of playing time that equipped him to lead his club team, Southeast Elite, to the Adidas 3-Stripes (3SSB) 16U Championship this summer.
Hartman’s success over the summer garnered a lot of attention from colleges at all levels, as he is now being courted by schools in the high-major and mid-major ranks from across the country.
The Lions have made several changes to add to the consistency brought by the return of Sterck and Hartman.
Tampa native and University of Tulsa commit Kentrell Martin Jr. was added to the roster this year. The 6’7″ forward is versatile and will certainly help the Lions in the front court with his ability to pass, shoot, and dribble.
“We were not expecting to turn over our roster as much as we did after last season. But that is the nature of sports now. Change is imminent and you have to adjust,” said Coach Justin Harden.
“We are grateful for the 4 guys who returned from last year (Sterck, Hartman, Jake Schuh, and Isaac Jacobs), and thankful for the other guys we were able to bring in like Tayshawn (Caesar), Tyler (Bright), King (Sanders), Dorijan (Ivanovski), and Colton (Sembower) coming up from Varsity.”
The Lions will look to add more hardware to the trophy case, but it won’t be easy, as teams will be looking to knock the reigning champions off the throne.
“We know teams will be out to get us,” Harden said. “So we have to be ready for everyone’s best shot each game. Because getting to the top is hard; but staying on top is even harder.”
Game #1: At home on Tuesday, November 5th against Central Pointe (7pm).
Varsity Team Looks to Finish on Top
• Last Season: 23-8
• Finish: #2 (SIAA Sunshine Runner-Up)
• 2024-25 Schedule | Roster & Coaches
The last time the Varsity team was on the floor, they lost a heartbreaker in the SIAA Sunshine championship to The Vine School, a team they had beaten twice earlier in the season.
But on that Sunday in February, it was not to be.
Entering a new season, the Lions have lost their leading scorer, Sembower, to the National team and had several transfers in the offseason that shook up the starting line-up and made room for some new faces to emerge.
Junior big man Hendrix Loughridge is probably the most notable of them all. At 6’9″, Loughridge gives the Lions the frontline size they need.
And alongside returning 2-time Lion’s Heart Award winner, Malik Johnson, Loughridge should help with interior defense and inside scoring.
Sophomore guard Kayden Merricks moved up after a great season on Junior Varsity, and is joined in the backcourt by transfer guards Josiah Dixon and Kyroe Jordan.
Other players that made the leap to Varsity within the program include 8th graders Avery Jones and Marco Johnson.
Several players from last year’s team who seek to overcome the tough title-game loss last year include senior guards Lorrenzo Morris, Noah Cook, and Camdyn Quarles.
“We lost come key players from last year’s team,” said Coach Brian Findley. “But we are ready to see what this year’s team can do. I feel like we have the talent and depth to do some really good things this year.”
“We just have to put it together to make it a reality.”
Game #1: At home on Thursday, November 7th against DME Academy Gold (7pm).
JV Team Makes Leap to SIAA Coastal
• Last Season: 9-8
• Finish: Winning record in team’s 1st year
• 2024-25 Schedule | Roster & Coaches
Last year, The Rock added a JV team to its program to field three teams at the high school level in 2023-24.
The team finished with a record of 9-8 — a winning record in its first season of competition.
In its second season, the JV team will be led by head coach Mykiel Woods, a former standout player at The Rock.
The team, which is made up of players ranging from 8th to 11th grade, will now compete in the Coastal Division of the SIAA — a significant jump from the independent schedule the team played last year.
Game #1: At home on Thursday, November 7th against DME Academy (6pm).
Freshman Team Added as 4th High School Boys Team
• Last Season: 0-0
• 2024-25 Schedule | Roster & Coaches
For the 2024-25 season, the Lions will now field a Freshman team in addition to its three other high school boys teams, a huge feat for a small school like The Rock.
The Freshman team will play independently and schedule about 15 to 20 games this season.
Brad Zachritz will serve as head coach of the team for its inaugural season.
The team’s addition gives the program more players to be a part of the feeder program that The Rock envisions going forward.
Game #1: On the road Friday, November 22nd at Santa Fe High School (4:30pm).
Middle School Teams Look to Win It All … Again!
• Last Season (Varsity): #1, KOTS Champions
• Last Season (JV): #1, KOTS Champions
The Middle School boys Varsity team has won back-to-back Kingdom of the Son (KOTS) championships.
Not to be outdone, the Junior Varsity team has won the last 3 consecutive KOTS championships.
It’s safe to say that The Rock has established itself as the leader of the Kingdom of the Son Conference and aims to repeat its success again this year.
MS Varsity will be led by head coach Newell Fox, while MS Junior Varsity will have head coach Leith Finnegan at the helm.
Look for The Rock’s middle school teams to continue making an impact in the new season.
Game #1: At home on Tuesday, November 12th against Grace Christian. (MS JV @ 4pm, MS Varsity @ 6pm, MS Girls game in between).
