Their first season as a full KHSAA member school was a historic one for the Heritage Christian Academy Warriors. The Warriors had a winning record at 16-15. They picked up their first-ever win in the 8th District tournament with a 54-38 win over Fort Campbell. And, HCA had one of the state’s top scorers in junior Jason Leek.
With three of the top four scorers from that team set to return as of the end of last season, the 2024-2025 season was positioned to be a really good one, and it may still be, but then the off-season arrived and things changed a bit.
With the arrival of summer came the departure of two of those three players. Layton Giltner and Cash Bolinger made the decision to head to Hopkinsville High School to play for the Tigers in 2024-2025. With them went 15.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per contest. It also left Coach McGowan and staff looking to fill two big slots in the lineup.
When you start talking about the Warriors, you start with senior Jason Leek. Leek was among Kentucky’s top scorers last season at 25.1 points per game. Do not, I repeat, do not be surprised if Leek were to make a serious run at the state scoring title this season. He is a hard-nosed, give it all he’s got, kind of player, who just finds a way to get to the basket. And, by the way, he was the team’s second-leading rebounder in 2023-2024.
He hit 52.9 percent of his shots last year, including 34.4 percent from behind the 3-point line. Leek also knocked down 78.3 percent of his free throws.
The question for Heritage Christian in 2024-2025 centers around being able to find a supporting and contributing cast to go with Leek.
Some of the candidates to step up and become key parts of this year’s Warriors team are Nathan Wheatcraft, Samuel Thompson, and Ethan Miles.
McGowan says Wheatcraft is an early favorite for “most improved” and adds that he is playing with confidence heading into the season.
As for Thompson, McGowan noted that he “is playing well early in the season. He put in a lot of work this off-season. Great kid.”
McGowan points toward Miles as a candidate to provide some strength down in the paint. He adds that Miles “has the physical tools to be a defensive stopper for us. He’s learning the game and gaining confidence every time he touches the court.”
How quickly this trio develops, and some others, will hold the key to a successful season for the Warriors. As for the coach’s view, “the biggest concern/question for me is what does that timetable of growth look like? We’ll be asking quite a bit from inexperienced players. I’m confident they’ll be able to handle the pressure that’s coming.”
Player Under the Radar – A player to watch on the Warriors’ roster this season could well be Cadyn Travis. Coach McGowan says “He’s starting to become comfortable on the court with his own size and use his leverage on defense. He was an absolute pest the other night.” Travis saw action in 11 games for HCA last season.
Big Games – The Warriors will play in the KCAC tournament the first weekend of the regular season. They will find out a good bit about themselves December 27 when they head over to Caldwell County and take on a very solid Tiger team that could be in the running for the regional title at the end of the season. HCA will also be matched up against University Heights in the opening round of the 2nd Region All A Classic. And then there is the little matter of those games in the always brutal 8th District.
Outlook – The Warriors feature one of the top players in the region in Jason Leek but will need some quick development from some younger faces. The schedule will give them some confidence-building opportunities, but that same schedule will throw some big tests at this group as well. They will play hard and they will be fun to watch. How quickly they come along over the first few weeks of the season will determine how this team is positioned for the All A Classic and the 8th District tournament. The KCAC tournament in the opening week will also be a good early season gauge for Coach McGowan and the Warrior fan base.
