By Lee Davis
The next time Homewood basketball fans want to show their appreciation to coach Tim Shepler, they might want to thank Rand McNally.
That’s because a map might be the reason Shepler is coaching the Patriot boys team.
Three decades ago, Shepler was the head coach at Christian Life Academy in Baton Rouge and brought his team to Birmingham every year for UAB basketball camp. He made friends in the local coaching community, and eventually an opportunity came. Homewood needed a new basketball coach, and Shepler was interested.
“It was an easy decision to make,” Shepler recalled. “My parents lived in Indiana, and Birmingham is five or six hours closer to their home than Baton Rouge. Homewood was a good fit.”
Over the past 26 years, neither Shepler nor Homewood has regretted his decision. Last month, the Patriots defeated defending Class 5A state champion J.O. Johnson of Huntsville 51-41 to win the prestigious Steel City Invitational, giving their coach his 500th victory at the school. Those wins, along with several Final Four appearances, have solidified his place as one of Alabama’s top high school basketball coaches.
“I’ve been fortunate,” Shepler said. “We’ve had great players and a good administration that helps us be successful. Our players have been willing to work hard and have believed in what we are doing here.”
Shepler said that, while the quality of basketball at the high school level has improved over the years, the things that motivate teenage athletes haven’t changed much.
“The skill level is higher because of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) and other leagues,” he explained. “A lot of kids play all year now. Culture overall has changed – and not necessarily for the better – but the kids themselves are very much the same. Some are excited just to be a part of a team. Others are very competitive and are driven to win. There’s always a certain mix to it.”
Shepler said that the style of play has become more aggressive since the early 1990s. “There’s more dribbling and less passing,” he said. “But good teams still win by playing solid defense.”
As the calendar turns to 2016, Shepler’s successful formula seems to be working. Homewood ended 2015 with a 17-3 record despite the graduation loss of all-state guard Malik Cook. The 17 wins include a 44-36 triumph over defending Class 7A champion Hoover and claiming the championship of the Rebel Classic at Vestavia Hills in addition to winning the Steel City Invitational.
“It’s hard to replace a player like Malik but we’ve got a good mixture of experience and we’re getting the job done so far,” Shepler said.
Luke Touliatos leads the Patriots in scoring, averaging 14 points per game. He also averages three rebounds per contest. Touliatos was named Most Valuable Player of the Steel City Invitational.
Trey Jemison is the top rebounder, averaging five rebounds per game. Guard Austin Patterson averages 12 points and three rebounds. Other key Patriot contributors include Chris Miller, Logan Padgett, Peyton Brown, Ronald Claiborne and C.D. Daniels.
Homewood’s start has been impressive enough to make the Patriots one of the top-ranked teams in Class 6A. Despite Final Four appearances, Shepler has yet to capture a state title. Could 2015-16 be the year?
“Certainly that is a goal,” Shepler said. “We’ve come close in the past. We just have to work to get better and be more competitive every night we play.”
At age 56, the Oral Roberts University graduate has no plans for retirement. “I’ve got kids in the ninth and eighth grade in the Homewood system and I want to be here for their graduation,” he said. “So I can see my horizon – it’s going to be at Homewood.”
While Shepler’s coaching record has been a model of consistency, there was a recent change in his household. After years of holding out, he finally purchased a cable television package for his home about three months ago.
“For a long time, if there was a game that I really wanted to watch, I’d just make sure to be somewhere that had ESPN,” he said, laughing. “There are a lot of great things on cable TV, but it can eat up all of your time if you’re not careful. There are only about seven or eight channels that my wife and I actually watch. We bought a very small package.”
Tim Shepler’s television viewing habits may have slightly changed, but his devotion to coaching Homewood basketball has not. At the rate he’s going, it won’t be that long until Shepler and the Patriots are celebrating win number 600.
