By VINCE LOVERGINE
TopSports.news
Shawnee Heights boys basketball coach Ken Darting is 76 years old and will be calling it quits after this season following his eighth season with the Thunderbirds and a legendary run with Highland Park.
Ken Darting, a member of multiple Halls of Fame, will close out his legendary coaching career this season at Shawnee Heights. [File photo/TSN]
Darting said he doesn’t want this to be a farewell tour for him because it’s not about him, it’s about the kids.
“Leave me out of it,'' he said. "When I left Highland Park, they wanted to win the state championship for me in my last year so bad and you get side-tracked with that. I want them to play as hard and as together as they can and we will be good.
"I never set a goal of winning a state championship . A bad referee call, an injury… if you can play as well as you can play, I’m going to be happy with you and we’ll have a chance when it matters and anything can happen,” Darting said.
Brennon Dodge, Jaret Sanchez, Deacon Pomeroy are just some of names that led the T-Bird program the last couple of years.
Darting said there’s not one specific player that will be that superstar or may standout per se this winter but he always preaches everybody has to do a part. While he believes there may not be an all-state player or all-conference player as the T-Birds have had in the past, he said that if they all contribute, they’ll be fine.
Continuing what he’s built over the years, Darting says it’s simple.
“Good assistants, great wife and good players,'' Darting said. "We always had the ‘We, not Me’ on our shirts and I believe in that. It’s two things, discipline and high expectations. Kids walk around cool and tough and scared to death inside. You want to get them where they’re confident,” Darting said.
Darting said the T-Birds have implemented a new offense that’s taking some time to figure in but it’s getting there. And the strength of Darting's teams will always be defense.
Darting told TopSports.news that he will enjoy this final ride.
“I feel like I’ve never worked a day in my life. Coaching is just a vacation, it’s just fun and I can't wait to get to it… but I can’t wait to get to the other part, too,'' he said. "I think it’s going to be a fantastic year.''
Senior Ontarius Emmot is a top returner for Shawnee Heights, which has advanced to the Class 5A state tournament the past two seasons. [File photo/TSN]
Seniors Ja'Veon Austin, Jai'Marion Cook and Ontarius Emmot love their chemistry together and finally have the opportunity to share the court at the same time.
“Our main goal is to play as a team and win together,” Cook said. “We’re trying to build a family here, start a foundation for all the elementary and middle school kids and build them up until the high school level. We break down every practice with ‘family’ because that’s what we want to be is a family.”
“We have to sacrifice for each other, taking in the moment, realizing how big it is and seeing that down the road you won with the people you’ve played with your whole life,” Emmot said.
