MONTGOMERY, Ind. — Heath Howington was meant to be on a cruise this week.
The trip was planned months in advance to line up perfectly with Spring Break. There was only one small problem: it coincided with the Indiana High School Athletic Association basketball state finals in Indianapolis. The odds of reaching that point weren’t nonexistent but still small, Howington thought. The vacation was booked.
His family is enjoying the warm weather and sunshine in the Caribbean. Howington is at home by himself. Part of him isn’t too upset considering what he’ll be fulfilling a lifetime dream on Saturday morning.
No. 2 Barr-Reeve (27-1) faces No. 4 Triton (25-3) for the Class 1A state championship at 9:30 a.m. CT on March 28 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. A familiar destination for one of the stronger small-school basketball programs in Indiana.
This moment will represent something much bigger for its head coach. A tangible reward for years of hard work, heart break and faith in the bigger picture.
“We’re just trying to embrace it all,” Howington said. “Only eight teams remain in the state. We’re one of them.”
To understand the importance of this opportunity, one must go back to his youth. Howington grew up a “basketball junkie” on the West Side of Evansville. He has nearly 10 worn-out basketballs mounted on the wall of his office at Barr-Reeve. A few have lost all semblance of color, dating to when he learned the game in the driveway.
Harrison coach Nathan Fleenor was there to witness it. He was three years older, but Howington was good friends with Fleenor’s younger brother. A few other sports took up his attention, but nothing like basketball. Going into his first year as the Harrison freshman coach, Fleenor was on vacation with family when the topic of a volunteer assistant came up.
Howington was the first and obvious choice.
“Two things you knew you were getting with him,” Fleenor said. “He was going to work, and he was a really good person. He was a good teammate and had a high IQ. Barr-Reeve is a perfect fit for him. You have skilled, hard working, high IQ players and really good kids that focus on basketball. All qualities just like him.”
That effort was evident throughout his playing days in Evansville. Howington could shoot the ball and soaked in any and all instruction. All he lacked was size. It mattered not to Michael Adams, the long-time coach at Reitz. Howington was sharp, knowledgeable and never took shortcuts. Everything a coach wants in a player.
When Howington entered the profession, Adams called J.R. Holmes at Bloomington South on his behalf. You need to hire this guy, he told his counterpart. Howington was “over the top with knowledge, enthusiasm and high character.” You won’t regret it. The Panthers won the Class 4A state championships in 2009 and 2011 with Howington on the bench.
“I’ve told all of our kids ― knowledge is power,” Adams said. “When you have knowledge, I don’t care what your field of work is. You have empowered yourself. Heath is one of those guys that understood it. I saw J.R. at the coaches clinic (after the first state championship) and he about knocked me down giving me a hug. He said, ‘Everything you said about Heath Howington is true.’”
Howington paid his dues before receiving the keys to his first program. Two years as a volunteer with Fleenor. The freshman coach under Rick Stippler while student-teaching at North. A year with Andy Igel at Eastern Greene. Three years with Holmes. A year with Bryan Speer at Harrison.
Each step of the journey made an impact before earning the North Posey job in 2012. Two stand out though with Howington comparing Adams and Holmes to additional fathers. The latter made a two-hour journey to play the Vikings in 2018, saying, “Two hours is a long way, but I can do that for Heath. He did a great job as an assistant coach and has been a great friend for me.”
“We wouldn’t be in this position without (them),” Howington said. “Adams helped us fall in love with it. We used to buy brand new basketballs and see who could wear them out the quickest. Now, I’m more obsessed by the day. J.R. was sitting right behind our bench (during the semi-state). The opportunity he gave me as a young 24-year-old and experience something that so many people never get to ― he’s the best.”
The journey included several moments of doubt and heartbreak
There were moments when Howington nearly let doubt take over.
He only had two winning seasons in eight years at North Posey. Those struggles to breakthrough were only amplified in March. The Vikings haven’t won a sectional title since 1966 but lost twice in the championship game under Howington. Both times in brutal fashion — Forest Park hit a three at the buzzer in 2018; North Posey missed game-winning shots in regulation and overtime against South Spencer in 2020.
He continued to lament, even after leaving for Memorial. Howington lost twice to Bosse, both by single digits, in the sectional championship during his first four years with the Tigers. The cloud of doubt was briefly lifted last year with a title victory over Central ― his first postseason success in 13 years ― until another tough loss to Brownstown Central in the Class 3A regional at Washington.
“A lot of heartbreak,” Howington said. “It took five times to get that sectional championship. It shows that if you put your head down and keep working, it can happen.”
He kept coming back to the same thought: trust the process. Howington continued to remind himself of this even months after moving to Barr-Reeve last May. He was genuinely afraid of messing up a good thing.
He was comfortable at Memorial with a senior-driven team returning. His family was happy. His in-laws were within walking distance of their home in Haubstadt, while his parents weren’t too far away in Evansville. His three sons (Trey, Ty, and Turner) are all second grade and younger. Other possible opportunities came up over the years but never matched the right timing. His old mentors relayed the same advice. Hear them out. It costs nothing to listen.
Howington laughs now about any feelings of hesitation or regret. Barr-Reeve hasn’t lost since Jan. 6 despite a potential minefield of tough opponents to close the regular season. That doesn’t even consider the tournament path thrust upon the Vikings. They beat rivals Loogootee and North Daviess, followed by defending state champions Orleans, to simply win the sectional. A tense regional victory over West Washington. A last-second bucket from Joshua Miller to beat Liberty Christian. A four-quarter battle, anchored by an all-time effort by Kierson Lengacher, to knock out Hauser.
There’s not a single headache Howington can pinpoint. Not with this team, school or community. He also sees his family beginning to thrive in the new environment. His wife, Megan, is the assistant principal at Barr-Reeve for grades 6-12. His oldest son refuses to miss anything related to basketball. That included sneaking onto the team bus in between semi-state games.
“We took a leap of faith,” Howington said. “Moved away from our own families. (The support) kind of solidified that if you trust the process and rely on your faith, good things will happen. He put us here for a reason.”
Fulfilling a lifelong dream this weekend
A letter sits framed on the wall of his school office.
Howington wrote it to himself in the summer entering eighth grade. A reminder that everything in basketball was dependent on hard work. It reads in part: “Everybody said I was too small to make it anywhere. This made me strive to be something better. I thought if you didn’t practice, you didn’t deserve to dream. Nothing is automatic. You have to work for everything.”
Those words carry heavy weight now. Because the dream becomes real.
First was media day at Gainbridge on Monday. Next came team practice on Thursday, followed by the state finals banquet. Each moment has been accompanied by his coaching staff, even though they’ve been together for mere months. It was the same courtesy Holmes gave his assistants, including Howington, nearly 20 years ago.
Adams, in his final year as the president of the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association, met with others last Sunday for the All-State selection process. The group included Holmes and Fleenor. Their conversation quickly turned to Howington, because of proud he is of the former player.
“I think one of the greatest honors is when you have a former player go into our profession,” Adams said. “What a year he’s having. 27-1 and a chance to win it all. A great family. I’m excited for him and can’t wait to watch him Saturday.”
Barr-Reeve is guaranteed nothing on Saturday. The opponent is a carbon copy in many ways. Triton ranks fourth in the state in defensive scoring. Four players average between 9-12 points per game. The lineup isn’t overly big but physical and coached well (fifth state finals appearance for Jason Groves). This will, in all likelihood, come down to the final minutes like other tournament games this month.
Howington wrote on the board during a team meeting to soak in moment. That was meant for himself as much as his team. The drive into the building on Saturday morning. The rendition of ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’. The opportunity to return with a blue medal. Each of these are on his mental checklist to remember.
Following the semi-state last weekend, Howington was embraced on the floor by his best friend. He quickly reminded the Barr-Reeve coach, “it started in the driveway.” A journey marked by hard work, pain and now success. Howington wouldn’t script this moment any differently.
“It’s all surreal,” he said. “We earned it, and we’re here.”
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Heath Howington leads Barr-Reeve basketball into the state finals
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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