Josh Gomes just couldn’t beat him.

The Panthers’ junior guard remembers trying to outplay his first tough opponent – his father, Lonny.

And during his seventh grade year while he was living in Windsor, Conn., Gomes got close to defeating his dad.

But, he said, his father wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“Me and my dad always had one-on-one battles in the yard,” Gomes said. “He would foul me and push me; he wouldn’t let me win.”

But the following summer, Gomes’ game got the boost it needed to get him over the top against his dad – a seven-inch growth spurt.

And then, at 5-foot-11, he got his first win.

But despite the extra inches on his frame, Gomes didn’t have the opportunity to unleash his talent on Connecticut foes. During the middle of his eighth-grade year, Gomes’ family relocated to Indiana.

And he wasn’t done moving around. Gomes spent his high-school years bouncing between three high schools, starting at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis and ending at Frankfort Christian High School.

“It was crazy; I don’t know how I did it,” he said.

Gomes entered Ben Davis High School when he was 13 years old, one year early, and after his freshman year, he opted to stay in the grade.

But two weeks into that year, he was faced with a decision, he said. Gomes could either stay at Ben Davis and not play his senior year after exhausting four years of eligibility or attend a school not under Indiana High School Athletic Association eligibility guidelines.

Gomes opted for the latter and enrolled at Heritage Christian, a school of 400 students. But before his senior year at Heritage, the school announced plans to enter into IHSAA jurisdiction.

Wanting to play his senior year, Gomes enrolled at a third high school, Frankfort Christian.

During his last year of high school, he averaged 29.9 points per game and helped his team win the National Christian High School Tournament.

But Gomes said all the moving around wasn’t for him.

“I was uncomfortable with everything.”

But now in his third year at Eastern, Gomes is feeling secure.

“It’s cool to be settled and know that you aren’t going to move,” he said. “It’s comfortable.”

And on the basketball court at Lantz Arena is where he wants to be.

“I feel like I can play the whole game,” he said. “I’m the type of person where you’ve got to just keep sticking with me.”

And by looking into the stands at a Panther home game, fans can see someone who has stuck with Gomes – his dad.

“He gets up and screams,” Gomes said. “I always hear him and see him and give him a nod.”