BOILING SPRINGS, SC - When Boiling Springs boys' basketball coach Craig Martin took over the Bulldogs program in June, the one thing he always mentioned was that he wanted his team to always be the toughest team on the court.
While his team has bought into that message and been able to knock off multiple top-10 teams this year, one player has taken that toughness to another level. Senior forward London Hogan left Friday night's game against Gaffney leading the state in a rare category, but a category that a coach like Martin takes great appreciation for, as Hogan leads the state in charges taken with 52 on the season. With this number he leads the state of South Carolina and is currently third in the nation, as the leader has 68. "For me, he's one of those kids that you can always count on being at the right spot," said Martin. "He's such a disruption for our opponents because every time down the court they have to account for where he's at when they attack the basket. People don't realize how much a charge can impact on a game and on a team's offense, as he's as disruptive as a good shot blocker would be for a team. He's a key in the success of our defense." In basketball taken a charge requires some guts because it usually means that the defensive player is going to be ran over by an offensive player and therefore taking a hard hit to the body. As Hogan has dealt with injuries in the past, it's even more crazy that he would lead the state in a stat like this, but he says that he doesn't mind taking the punishment if it helps his team win games. "It's fun knowing I lead the state in a stat like that," said Hogan. "If it helps my team win it's worth the sacrifice. Coach Martin preaches toughness, for us to step up and put our bodies on the line to get the ball back with charges and I look it as something I can do to help the team." Hogan said that there is an art form to taking a charge and it's having the ability to read offensive players intent. "You can tell by the look in a guy's eyes if they're intent on scoring with the ball at that moment," said Hogan. "Most guys aren't heading to within two feet of the basket to be stopped and pass the ball at the high school level so if you can slide in front of them, you're probably going to be able to pick up the charge." Hogan said the feeling of hearing the whistle and knowing he has picked up a charge call makes the getting up off the court easier, especially at home when you can feel the electricity and appreciation from the crowd. "It feels great because you know you're getting the ball back for your team so there's an adrenaline rush from that knowledge and seeing the referee make the call for a charge," said Hogan. "When picking one at home seeing our crowd going crazy over it just gives the team and myself that extra bit of energy to keep fighting." Martin says the way that Hogan puts his body on the line for his team with each charge he takes is the type of selfless attitude that will make him successful after high school as well. "He's a team first guy and that's why he's going to be successful once he graduates high school and goes into college," said Martin. "He's going to be a success no matter what he does because of that selfless attitude and thinking of others before himself. That's the type of guy he is and those are the type of guys you need to be successful as a team." As a kid, Hogan never thought about that as being something he might lead the state in but says it's pretty cool to be leading the state in charges for his senior season. "It's weird because I never thought about it as something you could lead the state in but if it's something that helps my team win, I'm happy to do it," said Hogan. "Being able to help our team win is something big to this senior class, as in recent years we've struggled to win but with the new guys coming in and wanting to change things that want to win by them inspires us." Martin says the play of Hogan is setting the standard for the younger kids that will be future Bulldogs that come and see him play. "There are younger kids that come to watch our games and all of a sudden they see this guy taking five charges in a quarter and next you'll start seeing these younger guys coming up understanding the importance of taking a charge," said Martin. "He doesn't understand currently the impact he's having on future Bulldog teams but it's out there and I can't thank him enough for his contributions now and to the future of our players." Martin also added that Hogan is part of a group of seniors that has really set the new standard of what people will expect from Boiling Springs basketball and the dedication it's going to take from any future Bulldogs. "The amount of work these seniors have put in from the weight room to the June scrimmages to the getting shots before and after practice, they have set the standard," said Martin. "This is now the normal as whenever the gym is open, we're going to be here. It's a grind but these kids have proven that with that grind comes success. I can't be more thankful for my first year to have a group of seniors like we have here, I have been absolutely blessed because it's tough coming into a new program and trying to convince kids to play a certain way. Our style is very taxing and demanding on players but these kids have stepped up to the challenge which I think is going to only breed success in the long run." When asked how much having the record would mean to him personally at the end of the year, Hogan answered in a way that anyone has seen him play wouldn't be surprised by at all as he said it'd mean more for his team to succeed. "Whether I finish with the lead or not in charges, if we can finish the season strong with a good playoff run, that's all I could ask for," said Hogan. Hogan and the rest of the 2023 Boiling Springs senior basketball players will be honored on Tuesday night in the Bulldogs final home game of the season against Spartanburg. They will also be honoring Boiling Springs legend Sheila Foster in between the boys and girls game at approximately 7:15 PM. Comments are closed.
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