Joseph Depasquale awarded Sun Sentinel’s coach of the year

Story by: Klay Ilhardt, Sports Editor • April 11, 2024

Coach JD with his fourth period students.

Joseph Depasquale (JD), Jupiter High’s basketball head coach, has been named Sun Sentinel coach of the year after leading the Warriors to a record of 23 wins and three losses in the 2023-2024 basketball season.

“I am very humbled by the award. I am a big believer that to have a high level of success at a big public school you have to have support from the top down,” Depasquale said.

Depasquale shares the team’s success with the staff and everyone who helped out along the way this season.

“We are so fortunate to have the support we do from Dr. Iannitti and Coach Selvidge. A lot of what we do would not be possible without them,” Depasquale said. “I also am grateful for our coaching staff and players as they are just as important to the program as I am.”

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The team is grateful for having a coach that is on top of things but also lets the players play their own game.

“He’s a great guy and makes sure everyone is on the same page,” Brandon Collum, freshman, said. “He prepares for every game and we knew what [the other team] was gonna do. He knew to trust us and just let us play.”

Depasquale feels that his two biggest strengths, having a growth mindset and connecting to the players, is what makes him a great coach and leader.

“Our staff is very demanding of our players and I think we are able to coach our kids hard because they know we care about them,” Depasquale said. “I also think to a certain extent programs take on the personality of the head coach and I think my work ethic and toughness wears off on our players leading to a mentality of getting better.”

Along with JD, Kenneth Greenling, senior center position, also received recognition by the Sun Sentinel for his standout year by making Palm Beach County First Team.

“It’s really rewarding [making All County]. I feel like I’ve been working up to this and it just feels really good,” Greenling said.

Greenling’s hard work can be seen by him going from being an end of bench player as a junior to making the All County First Team as a senior.

“Kenny had a great senior season. He did not play much as a junior but worked incredibly hard in the off-season, transformed his body and improved his skill level,” Depasquale said. “A nice amount of our on court success this year can be credited to his development.”

Jupiter Basketball is looking for another great season next year with Depasquale leading the way.

“The Jupiter Basketball program has a very proud alumni base and as one of those alumni I know the responsibility that comes with the job.” Depasquale said. “I am so grateful to get to do what I love at a place that is so special.”

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About the Contributors

Klay Ilhardt, Sports Editor

Klay Ilhardt, junior, is going into his third year in War Cry and second year as the Sports Editor. In his free time, Illhardt likes hanging out with friends, working out and playing pickleball. His love for sports writing stems from his own personal experiences, with Illhardt playing baseball for both Jupiter High and a private travel team. As he approaches his senior year, he hopes to go to college in North Carolina or at the University of North Florida, where he plans on continuing his baseball career. In the time being, he plans on continuing to cover school sports events and is excited to continue writing articles.

Addison Gload, Media Manager and School News Editor

Addison Gload, junior, is the Media Manager and School News Editor for the Jupiter War Cry, having joined her sophomore year. Gload is always looking for new information to share with her peers; she enjoys being able to make school news known and sharing the ins and outs of what is happening. As a Fla. native, Gload takes part in clubs and leadership positions such as, Historian of Student Government Association and Parliamentarian of the Class of 2025 and now as a manager and editor in War Cry. “I like the class dynamic. [The staff] is really nice and sweet and helpful,” Gload said. “I also like being able to write and being on the website and being proud of what I put out and have other people be able to read it and learn from it.” Gload enjoys pursuing her passion for photography and being able to catalog wonderful memories through pictures. “I kind of started more in ninth grade when I took Media Studies, and they taught us how to photograph and then I’ve just been doing it on my own a little but I found that it's really fun to take really pretty pictures and seeing it again in the end,” Gload said.