Heritage Academy boys basketball coach Russ Whiteside knows how difficult it will be for the Patriots to follow up on last year’s success.
“It’s hard to be as good, because last year we did about as well as we could do,” Whiteside said.
His team capped off the 2018-19 campaign with its second straight state title and won its first-ever MAIS overall championship. That’ll do a lot to set expectations high — and leave the top-ranked Patriots with a target on their back.
“We’ve just gotta get in here and work and understand that we’re more of the hunted now than we are the hunter,” Whiteside said. “There’s no more flying under the radar.”
If Heritage Academy aims to repeat an unprecedented season, the talent the Patriots have is a strong start. The team returns nine seniors, including first-team all-state selections Eli Acker and Jared Long.
But Acker, Long, two other starters and a couple key bench players will have a late start to the season. They’re on the football team, which is gearing up for next Friday’s home playoff game, and they won’t rejoin the basketball team until the football season is over — “hopefully after the state championship,” senior point guard Reid Huskison said.
“As long as we get out of football season healthy and get everybody going, we feel pretty good about it,” Whiteside said.
Until then, the remainder of the Pats will have to hold down the fort, and Huskison is confident they can.
“I don’t think they should have a problem with too many of the teams,” he said. “I think they’ll do good.”
Senior Steele Altmyer, who broke his foot in the second game of last season and missed most of the year, will play a big role for Heritage Academy.
“He can do a ton,” Huskison said. “He’s a great shooter that we have, and he’s gotten really tall, so he can help us out on defense.”
With the shooting Altmyer and freshman Mack Howard bring, Long’s leaping ability and talent in transition, Acker’s post presence and the strong on-ball defense Huskison and senior Carter Putt offer, the Patriots check seemingly every box. They also play with considerable familiarity after years and years together on the court.
“Most of these guys have been playing together since sixth grade, so the chemistry’s really huge on this team,” Acker said.
The Ole Miss football commit knows well that Heritage Academy will need to start games with a bang to put away upset-minded opponents.
“This year, the target’s on our back,” Acker said. “Everybody’s gonna want to beat us.”
Whiteside acknowledged as much, but he said the Pats remain confident in their talent. As long as his team works its hardest, Whiteside said, Heritage Academy will be at the top again.
“We feel like we can make another run at it, but you’ve still gotta get in here and put in the work and put in the hours that it takes to do something special like that,” he said.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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