Highlands boys basketball team off to solid start but knows there is room to grow

By: Greg Macafee
Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 5:03 PM

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The Highlands boys basketball team is off and running this season with a 4-2 record, but it’s still searching for more as section play heats up and each game becomes more important.

In the Golden Rams’ first six games, a four-game winning streak — which included come-from-behind wins over Hampton and Burrell and two victories by at least 25 points — was sandwiched by two losses. While averaging 65.8 points per game, the Rams have learned from their early-season success and are looking to capitalize.

Highlands has benefited from continuity across the roster. Coach Michael Foster has overseen this iteration of the Rams from grade school and took over last winter after an early-season hazing investigation left the team with nine players.

They finished last year with a 6-14 record after losing nine of their first 10 games. However, after the season ended, they got right back to work, and the product they have showcased is a direct result.

“We have a lot of work to do still, but I’m very pleased with their never-quit attitude,” Foster said. “These kids have worked extremely hard throughout the summer and the fall to get work in and get better. We gave them a list of things they needed to do at the end of last year, and they’ve done that. We’re still not where we need to be.”

Led by returning starters Carmine Lacava, Ty Hall, Brayden Spiering, Troy Bielak and Preston Foster, the team has started to come together. Their coach praised their ability to produce across the board, as any player can be the leading scorer on any given night.

During their nail-biting win over Burrell last Friday, Lacava’s late 3-pointer sealed the deal, but Bielak scored 21 points while adding six rebounds and four assists. Foster chipped in eight, and Hall and Brady Celko added seven each.

The balanced scoring hasn’t been specific to one game, and the elder Foster believes it’s why they’ve had success.

“They’ve all done everything we’ve asked them,” Foster said. “We’ve had some guys lead us in scoring. In our best games, we have balanced scoring where four of the five or all five guys are in double figures, and they are all able to do it. I’m very pleased with each and every kid that we put on the floor.”

However, an 89-67 loss to Mars on Tuesday showed improvements can be made. Like Highlands coaches before him, Foster wants his team to play the fast and physical “Running Rams” style that has been the hallmark of the program.

They want to push the pace, play aggressive defense and move up and down the court quickly so they can capitalize on the opportunities presented to them. They haven’t reached that standard yet, Foster said, but that’s their goal.

“This is who we are. This is what we do,” Foster said. “We’re going to run, we’re going to play defense aggressively and we’re going to try and put up 70 to 80 points. We’re not there yet, but that has a lot to do with the fact that we’re not pushing the pace. We have the right idea. There are just a few fixes here and there, and we’ll be right on track to get what we want to do. But we want to play fast.”

Along with playing at a faster pace, Foster also wants his team to establish its rhythm more earlier in games. The Golden Rams often have trailed in the opening minutes, which has forced them to find a way to battle from behind.

While overcoming that adversity can be a positive for Highlands, building early leads and playing from ahead is a focus moving forward.

“Winning those games to start and losing that game to Indiana early when we were at the foul line and had a chance to win it in regulation at the foul line with a kid who is a very good free-throw shooter, our confidence is there,” Foster said. “They stormed back, and they were able to do that against Hampton. But I think they got comfortable. I think we got a little bit comfortable as a group saying, ‘OK, we can always fight back.’ I love that no-quit attitude. They won’t ever quit. But we have to start games faster. We have to execute our game plan faster.

“The key is, it’s a game of basketball. That’s it. You do not have to put all this pressure on yourself. Go out and enjoy the fact that you get a chance to play with guys you’ve played with forever. Enjoy yourself, but remember you have a job to do.”

The Golden Rams are back on the court tonight as they host Knoch (3-2, 2-0) at 7:30 p.m.

Greg Macafee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Greg by email at gmacafee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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