ROGERS — Rogers High boys basketball coach Wayne Herren was in uncharted territory before the season started.
Herren won more than 100 games in his six seasons at Maumelle before taking the Rogers job. But he never had a freshman during that time whom he thought was good enough to play at the varsity level.
That changed when he met Mounties freshman Jake Killingsworth.
“This is new ground for me because I never felt I had a ninth-grader that could step up and play varsity,” Herren said. “If you do this, they have to be able to contribute and play.”
After weeks of practice, Herren was convinced that the 6-foot-3 Killingsworth could help the Mounties. Herren decided that he shouldn’t make the decision alone.
“One of the first things I did is I sat down with our seniors, and this is one thing that really impresses me with them,” Herren said. “I talked with them about it before the final decision, and they were all for it. They wanted to do what was best for the team.
“Jake was for it from day one. It was understood that he would have to earn playing time and that nothing was guaranteed, but he has worked his way into a starting position.”
Despite being just 14 years old, Killingsworth has been a key contributor for the Mounties. Killingsworth scored a team-high 11 points against Fort Smith Southside, and he scored 20 in a win against Mountain Home just before Christmas.
“I was excited and have been thankful for the opportunity to come up and play,” Killingsworth said. “I knew this was going to help me in the long run.”
Killingsworth is a threat in the paint, and he’s an effective 3-point shooter. He had three 3-pointers against Mountain Home.
“I think his breakout was in the Arvest Tournament,” Herren said. “But like a freshman, he has been up-and-down, but lately he has been more consistent. We are asking him to play various positions. Jake is one of those players that goes to work in practice and earns respect.”
Rogers will look to break into the 7A/6A-West Conference win column when Van Buren visits tonight. Killingsworth said he’s adjusting to the level of competition in the conference.
“The speed of the game is so much faster,” Killingsworth said. “It’s challenging playing in this conference, and it is so much more physical. I’m starting to get more comfortable.”
Herren said Killingsworth has the potential to play college basketball like his mother, Kelly, who played at Georgia in the late 1980s.
“The advantage of this is that Jake will be like a junior instead of a sophomore next year,” Herren said. “That will be a big help for us. We are hoping he gets to 6-6, 6-7, but you never know what God has in store for him.”
Profile
Jake Killingsworth
School: Rogers High
Class: Freshman
Height: 6-3
Notable: First Mounties freshman to see considerable varsity playing time since current Heritage coach Tom Olsen played for Rogers in 1985. ... Scored 20 points against Mountain Home earlier this year. ... His mother, Kelly, played college basketball at Georgia in the late 1980s.