Rams charging ahead with a full combo effort

When Jeff Harris and his son Josh, a junior guard on the Riverview boys' basketball team, get in the car after a game, they don’t talk about basketball. They might discuss their days outside of the court or whatever else fathers and sons typically discuss, but the basketball conversation, unless prompted by Josh, ends at the court. 

That’s probably a good thing, considering that so much of their time together is spent on the court. Jeff Harris is in his third year with Riverview, 7-7 as of Jan. 2, and his first as head coach. Josh, a lanky 6-foot-4 combo guard, has also been thrust into a new role with the Rams in 2025. This year, Josh is unquestionably the team’s best player, leading Riverview in scoring with 19.9 points per game, up from 12.7 last season. 

“This is his first year truly being, undoubtedly, the man,” said Jeff Harris. “It’s something that will take a little while for him to grow into, but once he fully gets it, it’s going to be a problem for the other team.” 

Harris is hoping his son and the rest of his team will continue that growth in 2025. Last season, under Head Coach Brandon Knecht, the Rams went 17-10 before bowing out to Plant City 58-51 in the Region 3 semifinals of the 2024 FHSAA state tournament. In 2022-23, Riverview went 10-19 and in 2021-22, the Rams posted a 21-8 record. 

The wins and losses, however, hold less significance than the name of the man leading the team. Following Knecht’s departure, Harris will be Riverview’s third head coach in three years. The new Rams’ leader said he wants to bring some stability to a group sorely in need of it. 

Photo by Dylan Campbell

While Harris is a familiar face to Riverview’s returning players, his coaching — and the style of basketball he wants the team to play — is less so. The Rams graduated five seniors in 2024, including forwards Jayden Dudash and Jeremiah Dawson, both 6-foot-4. 

Together, Dudash and Dawson formed a formidable interior presence, ranking first and second on the team in rebounds per game, with 6.7 and 5.6, respectively. Dudash and Dawson also contributed offensively, both averaging a tick over 11 points a game. 

In the wake of their absence, the Rams have to play a different style of basketball to be successful, one contingent on speed, pace and hustle. It’s why Harris spent a not insignificant portion of a recent practice running a three-second drill, where participating players have three seconds to inbound the ball, cross half court and make a play. 

“I think that we always wanted to play fast, but in the previous couple of years that we’ve been here, the personnel definitely slowed the game down some,” said Harris. “Now we’re at the point where not playing fast isn’t an option. We have to make an emphasis on how we’re going to play and how I want the team to play and holding the players accountable to that.”

The Rams are "height-deficient," Harris said. The team’s two tallest players, sophomore Tonga Ouatarra and senior Rhys Gamble, stand around 6-foot-5. In an offense that is more guard-oriented, Riverview has had to find a way to scrap and claw for every last possession. In seasons past, Riverview has had the luxury of having players like Dudash and Dawson to grab rebounds, extend offensive possessions and shorten defensive stands. This season, the team has had to employ an every-man-counts strategy, said Harris. 

The departure of several key seniors, while difficult to deal with, has paved the way for others to take the helm. Gamble, a forward, has stepped into his own this season, leading the team in rebounds per game with 5.0.

Photo by Dylan Campbell

At his height, with a long wingspan and the easy athleticism that allows his head to live above the rim, Gamble has the tools to be a handful on both ends of the court. The only trick, said his coach, is figuring out how to unlock it.

“Rhys is like a Swiss army knife,” said Harris. “He can guard any position on the court. He can work it in the post. He can, and oftentimes does, bring the ball up. Once he fully understands his skill set and what he’s capable of, then he’ll be incredibly dangerous. It’s like a superhero coming to terms with their own powers.”

Gamble’s emergence as a legitimate scoring threat will be a key factor in Riverview’s potential success this season, said Harris. Gamble’s skill set compliments Harris’ naturally — Gamble is a rim-running big man, capable of both slashing to the basket from outside the paint as well as finishing lobs and passes below the net. Together, the pair make a natural pick and roll combination — Harris can move off of screens set by Gamble, capitalizing on advantageous matchups around the perimeter while Gamble clears space down below.

Harris is also hopeful Gamble will alleviate pressure from his son. Harris is averaging 19.9 points per game in 2025, nearly 10 points more than the next highest scorer, senior Cole Coggins. While it’s encouraging to see Harris’ growth as a scorer, it also poses the question: Are the Rams too one-sided? When Harris is double-teamed or having an off night, where can Riverview turn for offensive production?

As for his son, Harris said he looks for Josh to mature into a more complete player. His talent is readily apparent — Josh is a natural scorer, capable of generating offense from all three levels of the court. Defensively and emotionally, however, is where Josh is working to make the biggest strides this season. 

“He plays with his heart on his sleeve and when we lose a game he’s broken up about it,” said Harris. “We want to be able to understand how to channel that heartache into something positive. He puts in a lot of work and puts a lot on himself, so getting him to understand that there are four other guys on the court with him and not everything has to be on him is big for us moving forward.”