Jermaine Council, more Cardinal Newman football stars dominating the hoops scene in 2024

WEST PALM BEACH − When former Cardinal Newman basketball coach Tavarus Harris stepped away from the team in 2021, the Crusaders had no idea what the next few years would have to offer.

Two new faces serving the school as head basketball coach and athletic director. A return to 3A playoffs in the 2022 season with a record of 13-12 − then a departure in 2023 after finishing the year 10-15. And, as is tradition in the wild, wild west that's become South Florida, a handful of impact transfers, both in and out of the program, along the way.

After a 79-53 victory at home over John I. Leonard on Friday evening, Newman hoops is 13-4, back on its way to the postseason, and if all goes as planned, state championships in Lakeland. How so soon after dark days not all too long ago?

As he made his way to the sideline to meet second-year coach Reilly Campbell and his teammates for a timeout talk, a fired up Jermaine Council answered it best.

"I'm here," the senior point guard exclaimed, pounding on his chest.

Almost appearing in disbelief of his own talent, which created a team-leading 26-point performance against the Lancers, Council shook his head.

Council finds new home on the hardwood

"Jermaine is a difference maker. That's the understatement of the year, right?" Campbell said.

Council spent the 2023 season as the lead scorer for nearby 3A rival King's Academy. The year saw the Lions make a 27-2 run, highlighted by a district championship, Council hitting the 1,000-point milestone to open up playoffs, and a region runner-up finish against state runner-up Windermere Prep.

It was a stark contrast from the year Newman had. Former Crusader impact player Andrew Signorelli even transferred to King's in the offseason. So why wouldn't Council stay?

"People talk about how they were 10-15 last year, but when I came here, it was a winning culture," Council said, still the top scorer for his new crew.

"This is a really good team," he said. "Obviously, coming from King's I had to adjust my playing style, but it was easy. I've got coaches that work with me, teammates that work with me. Everybody works together and we all want the same goal."

"Last year, I had a team with other good scorers and other good point guards, but this team, I came, coach told me what I needed to work on and told me he wanted me to be a point guard, and that's pretty much what I've adjusted to the whole time − just working on pass work and setting up the offense, just getting right into it."

"It sucks that we have him for one year, but he's a good kid. He sees the floor well. He moves the ball well, and when he's locked in at finding his teammates, like tonight, then that opens up the floor," Campbell said.

Newman football stars shifting trajectory on court

Another pro of moving to Newman was the opportunity to be part of Palm Beach County's top football team. Not to say that King's wasn't posting successful seasons of its own in Class 2M, improving from 6-4 to 8-3 after Council, a cornerback and wide receiver, joined the roster.

Even if it's darn near impossible to get past back-to-back-to-back state champion Chaminade-Madonna in Class 1M, there's almost always a promise of finishing region-runner up with the Crusaders. Meanwhile, going the distance in the postseason for King's has become more of a question, cycling through three different head coaches since 2021.

Newman tends to have a chemistry on the football field that surrounding squads crave, and this season, it's translating to the hardwood for the school's basketball team.

Star linebacker for the Crusaders Max Redmon is another multi-sport athlete back on the team for this season of hoops. The junior spoke to the difference that Council has made. Furthermore, how a team's trajectory can shift when you're with your teammates from football season, to basketball season, spring for track and field, only to roll right back into offseason training for all of the above.

"Coming in late from football, me and Jermaine, it was a little rough, but we've got some good chemistry," Redmon said. "Seeing these people 24/7, it's like a home. It's our family. We argue. Makeup. It's a brotherhood."

Redmon makes quite the impact of his own, putting on the turbos to give Newman an unparalleled speed against opposing teams and bringing his defensive skills to block shots and deflect passes, the main focus of Newman's practices as a team.

"He's a spark. Max is one of those dudes, when he gets on the floor, he's gonna go 100 miles an hour and play really hard," Campbell said. "When you have an athlete like Max, you can guard him one through five. Offensively, he can turn the corner on people and get to the rim. He's a dog."

"I think when you have football guys, it adds a physicality," Campbell said.

While teams like Michigan State could have to put on the shoulder pads if coach Tom Izzo has his way after a recent loss to Wisconsin, Newman is lucky enough to have a "couple guys who act like they wear them non-stop," according to Campbell.

"We're not a big team, so we know that defense has to be first," Council said.

This season, Council and Redmon managed to recruit speedy sophomore ATH standout Jyron Hughley to the team, billed at 6-foot-2, as well as junior tackle Will Matasavage to give the Crusaders a much-needed 6-foot-6, 255 pound big body on the floor.

"Even though we were in football season, all we talked about was, 'Basketball, basketball,' and we just wanted to come out here and have fun," Council said. "I know my guys that do it for football, but I asked them, 'Can y'all play with me?' and they all bought in and that was the best thing about it."

"They come out and play hard and give the team all they've got," he said. Campbell doubled down.

"When you're sharing the ball, it's easy to get back on defense and get in the passing lanes and play," Campbell said. "They play for each other. Have a lot of fun. That really helps when you're having fun."

Staples of Crusader hoops stick around, too

Beyond transfer additions like Council and former Wellington forward LT Noegel, there's still a group of Crusaders that have stuck around for the good, bad, and the ugly.

"Teams can focus on Jermaine, but we've got a lot of guys around him who can hit shots and do other things," Campbell said. "Add a piece like Jermaine, it makes everybody a little bit better.”

Senior point guard Joe Duran has been with the team for the last three years. Guards Izzy Joseph, a junior, and Alex Grande, a senior, have been members for the last two. Redmon's high school career began at Cardinal Newman, but it wasn't until his sophomore year that he'd join the basketball team. When he finally saw the difference Newman had needed with Campbell's arrival.

"More discipline," Redmon said. "That's a big part."

"I think there was a three month period where there was no head coach, no AD, and that uncertainty, it matters to kids. Kids want to know who's coaching them. Kids want to know what style. Kids want to get in the gym," Campbell said. "It's obviously a great feeling to be 13-4. We're not done, but at the same time, you've got to appreciate the 10-15 to also appreciate the 13-4."

Newman has still had its trials and tribulations in the 2023-24 season, although only in tournaments. Its first loss of the season came against Divine Savior Academy, who won 69-50. The Crusaders built a seven-game win streak before the Holiday Classic of the Palm Beaches, falling to top teams like South Fork, 71-69, in overtime, or Wellington, 79-65, before ending the lackluster weekend with a 59-22 upset from a gritty Bartow.

Those tournament routings cloud the Crusaders' record − and status in the Florida High School Athletic Association's power rankings, where they stand No. 157 overall and 29th in Class 3A. But if you look away from those, the Crusaders are perfect in the regular season.

"We know we're going to win our district, so that's number one. We don't pay attention to rankings because at the end of the day, rankings are just numbers, but when you come out here, you've got to prove that you're better than us," Council said.

"I don't think we've talked about the rankings in the locker room once. We talked about stacking practices, stacking games, playing the style that we want to play," Campbell said. "You hope that the FHSAA and the MaxPreps rankings, however they're figured out, works out in our favor. We have 25 games on our schedule and we're going to play each one of them like it's important, because it is."

With just eight regular season games remaining, the pressure is on to see if Newman stays unscathed. Especially with a highly-anticipated visit from viral point guard Brooklyn Vick and St. Andrew's on deck for Jan. 30, and a regular season finale against a Benjamin squad that's fallen on tough times, but stands as the Crusaders' top foe, nonetheless.

Redmon's mission for the rest of the season?

"To give us a path to regionals and look forward to states."

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jermaine Council leads Newman football stars dominating the hoops scene