After dealing with the national glare, Bryce Heard just wanted to come home.

Heard, a junior guard/forward for Homewood-Flossmoor, played last season at prestigious Montverde Academy in Florida. And the Eagles are known for their basketball prowess.

Montverde has produced elite talent from Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid to Duke recruit Cooper Flagg, the top-rated senior in the country. Heard enjoyed his time there.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about Montverde,” he said. “It was a good experience. I think this was a better opportunity for me to come back. Homewood is where I am from.

“We have a great group of players here, and I just want to push for my hometown. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Hear, hear. And Heard scored 16 points and added seven rebounds Friday night for the Vikings in a 49-39 victory over Bloom in the Chicago Heights Classic championship game.

It’s the first classic tournament title for H-F (4-0) since the Vikings defeated the Blazing Trojans in 2016. Junior guard Elijah Lovemore scored 15 points Friday for Bloom (3-1).

Lovemore’s breakaway off a steal at the start of the fourth quarter put Bloom up by four points, but Heard responded with a rare 4-point play to turn the table for H-F.

The Vikings outscored Bloom 21-9 in the fourth quarter.

The 6-foot-6 Heard has scored in double figures in all four games for the Vikings. He earned all-tournament honors along with senior guards Gianni Cobb and Carson Brownfield.

“I just try to make plays,” said Heard, who hit two 3-pointers during a burst in the third quarter after battling a slow start. “I try to do what the coach asks of me.

“I could be a playmaker. I could be a scorer. I could be a rebounder. I could do anything out there.”

Like Heard, Cobb is a transfer with roots in the Public League. Heard played at Kenwood as a freshman. Cobb played at Perspectives Leadership.

Cobb finished with 15 points and four assists Friday. His 3-pointer off Heard’s assist with 1:14 remaining in the fourth quarter helped break the game open.

“This is our first time playing together in high school, but we have known each other since we were little,” Cobb said. “We played youth and recreational leagues together and we’ve also hung out.

“The coaches have done a great job of just trusting us. I know Bryce is a great player, one of the best in the country for his class.”

In his second season directing the program, Jamere Dismukes knows Heard represents more when he steps on the court. Symbolically, his presence is perhaps greater.

The Vikings had multiple college prospects who began their playing careers at H-F leave just before Dismukes took over.

Heard signifies a reversal of that trend.

“Bryce is a top 100 player on everybody’s rankings list, so this is huge for the community,” Dismukes said. “Once other kids see a player like Bryce coming back, they immediately think, ‘If Bryce is at Homewood-Flossmoor and having success, why can’t I go there?’”

Junior guard Jayden Tyler also contributed 12 points in the victory. The cohesion of the Vikings was impressive given the injection of new talent.

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“It has been tricky,” Dismukes said. “We have been focusing on rebounding, playing defense and just having them jell. We feel like once we do those things, we could beat anybody.”

Heard is used to operating in the spotlight. He knows what’s expected from him.

“I think I have handled all of that really well,” he said. “I just want to be a role model for kids. I want my talent to shine through.”

Being back home, in his mind, is good enough.

“I missed my parents,” Heard said, pointing out how “yesterday was Thanksgiving.

“I’m very confident in saying this is a great group of guys and the sky’s the limit for us.”

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.