Tuscola's Justin Bozarth grateful for 200 career wins leading hometown team

TUSCOLA, Ill. (WAND) - Adversity is part of the grind through a long basketball season. As the calendar flipped to 2026, Tuscola boys' basketball entered the new year as one of central Illinois' winningest teams. They still are, but were humbled with 4-straight losses against other fierce foes.

"We had a brutal stretch here in January and we found out a lot about ourselves," says Warriors head coach, Justin Bozarth. "Now we're at the point where we are trying to fine-tune some of those weaknesses."

Their breakthrough, a 79-29 win over Arthur-Okaw Christian, provided more than one reason to celebrate. Not only was their losing streak over, Bozarth had reached his 200th win at the helm of the Tuscola program. Perhaps most impressive - he did it in just his 9th season.

"We've been blessed with talented kids," Bozarth says. "In the landscape of it, usually if you've got talented kids, you win games.

Senior point guard Logan Kurtz says players had planned to shower Bozarth in the locker room with water following his achievement, but the coach playfully shot down the idea. Still, the senior and many on the Tuscola team share their admiration for what Bozarth has done for the program.

"It's just a testament to show what he's done for Tuscola basketball only being here not that many years," Kurtz says.

Excluding the shortened season in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bozarth has led the Warriors to six-consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins. This includes a third-place finish at State in the 2022-23 season, where they notched 31. Primed to add a 7th to his tally, coach credits his supporting staff who've been alongside him since the beginning.

"We've had the same coaching staff for all nine years," Bozarth says. "The trust and confidence that we have in each other, and our ability to challenge each other's thoughts."

As a Tuscola native, Bozarth grew up during an era of athletic success in the Warriors program. His goal was always to contribute to that, even as a kid looking up to varsity-level athletes.

"When I was a little kid, I was in my driveway just hoping to be the high school kids that were in high school at that point," he shares. "Now to be able to kind of lead a particular team its rewarding. Obviously, our community supports our students to the highest degree and, obviously, they love when we've got success on the athletic field as well."

Today, he's keeping the winning culture alive on the court, leading the basketball program to continued promise.

Tuscola now preps to host the CIC boys' basketball tournament beginning February 2.