Family, faith and basketball: Father and son reflect on their time with the Houston boys’ basketball program

WASILLA — Kade Taylor has grown up around the game of basketball.

Houston High School basketball.

Kade’s dad, Rick, was a two-time state champion with the Hawks, helping Houston High school score 3A state basketball titles in 1990 and 1991. His older brother, Lane, a 2014 graduate played for the Hawks. Kade’s cousin Jayce, graduated with Lane in 2014, and was also a Houston basketball player. Another cousin, Kolby, has played with Kade and will graduate with him in May. Yet another cousin, Landon, was a freshman on the 2016-17 team.

Kade’s younger brother Cole, a future Hawk, is in the sixth grade.

Kade, one of the most prolific scorers in Houston High boys’ basketball history, is capping his career Saturday during the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches Senior All-Star Game at the Wells Fargo Arena. Kade is one of three Houston High players and 11 Valley athletes invited to participate. Ben Bitler will join Kade in the 3A/4A boys’ game. Aspen Ruth is slated to suit up in 3A/4A girls’ game. Wasilla’s Isaac Houck and Kobe Brown were invited to play in the 3A/4A boys’ game. Colony’s Claire Steiner, and Wasilla’s McKenna Dinkel, Catherine Baham and Kaylyn Kelly will play in the 3A/4A girls’ game, and Susitna Valley’s Ellie Beitsch will compete in the 1A/2A girls’ game. Wasilla’s Willow Drorbaugh was also invited, but is unable to play due to injury.

“It should be pretty fun,” Kade said of the chance to play in the all-star game. “It’s going to be pretty cool to play with some of the best kids in the state.”

Kade said he’s also excited to be able to cap his high school — and perhaps competitive basketball career — as an all-star. Kade amassed 1,479 career points during his high school career.

Kade said he didn’t really think of his career scoring totals, especially early in his career. He said he thought it would be cool to hit 1,000 in a career, but he blew by that number. The shooting guard, a threat to score from anywhere on the floor, hit nearly 1,500 points despite missing half of his junior season due to injury.

Kade also had the opportunity to go through his Houston High basketball career surrounded by family.

“It’s pretty cool knowing you are doing something you know your family does,” Kade said.

Taylor not only grew up around the sport, but around the Hawks program.

“I was always involved. All the open gyms during the summer,” Kade said.

And Kade helped carry on a family tradition.

Rick Taylor, a 1991 graduate of Houston High, said he’s happy his sons have had the chance to play in the same program he did. But he also said he’s thankful his sons have also had the chance to learn the same life lessons from their time with Houston High sports. And Rick said he’s happy to see Kade create path for himself that will include serving on a mission for his church before attending college in the fall.

“The thing about sports is teaching teamwork and teamwork transcends athletics,” Rick said. “That’s something I was taught growing up. Through our family. Through my experience with high school basketball. We’re hoping through our involvement with high school basketball, we’re showing there’s service, there’s family, there’s friends. It’s not just (me) as much as the team.

“The big picture. Even if he doesn’t play ball again competitively, those lessons will follow him.”

Rick helped the Houston boys win 3A state titles as a junior and a senior in 1990 and 1991. Thinking about those years in the program still makes him feel, “very nostalgic,” he said.

“Every time I walk into that gym, I look at those banners and it comes flooding back to me,” Rick said. “It’s very nostalgic to have our boys’ playing there.”

Rick said it doesn’t take a trip to the Houston High gym to think about those moments.

“Something in my life happens daily that makes me reflect,” Rick said.

And it brings him back to an old saying that he’s carried with him since his own days as a player.

“Play hard, play smart, play together,” Rick said.

It’s something he applies to his every day life, whether it be work, family or sports.

“Effort and teamwork and not being selfish,” Rick said.

Rick played for former Houston High head coach Chuck Martin during the championship years. Martin is now the head coach of the Palmer High boys’ basketball program. During the 2016-2017 season, Rick had the opportunity to see Kade take on the team now led by his former head coach.

“It brought a lot of memories back,” Rick said. “It was really cool. Listening to (Coach Martin), I still call him coach, stomp his foot a certain way. His voice carries so well. It was like music.”

Many of the life lessons Rick refers to, he said he learned from Martin.

“We experienced a lot together,” Rick said. “It’s certainly something I’ll never forget. To taste, what not everybody gets to taste, winning a state championship, back-to-back, me getting to play for one of the greats.”

Kade said he considered playing basketball at the next level, but there is a good chance Saturday will be the final game of his career. He is headed to college, mostly likely just as a student. Kade’s first choice is BYU-Hawaii, where he hopes to study business administration. Kade made a recent trip to Hawaii to visit the campus.

“It was pretty nice. I liked the campus,” he said.

Kade also has plans to go on a mission for his church. The paperwork has been filed, and he’ll soon find out where he’s headed.

“Just helping other people out that need help. Makes you feel pretty good about yourself,” Kade said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.