Chillicothe History Making Day!

[Hitchbone64]

Just to start another thread (since there is only 3 going).....

Today not only did Chillicothe win their first ever State Championship but the following two events also occurred during the game.

1) Ray Chambers surpassed the 1,000 pt mark in his High School Career.

2) Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens became Ross County's all-time leading scorer for boys with I believe a total of 1,745 pts. He passed Matt Combs to take over first place. Another great honor in a great career. I will confirm the pt total with Coach K. or Hump's dad.

GO CAVS!!! 2008 STATE CHAMPIONS!!!

[Ironman92]

Back in the fall of 2004 while I was at parent/teacher conferences at Whiteoak I was lucky enough as one of the phys ed teachers with no conferences to have a basketball scrimmage to watch. I believe it was the first scrimmage of the year and Whiteoak was hosting Zane Trace. I was at the entrance of the gym for the visitors and as ZT went from the lockerroom to the gym and onto the floor. In the back of that line was an athletic looking (Barry Sandersesque build of a player). As it turns out this freshman had just had a HUGE rushing season for the Zane Trace Pioneers and had just got to practicing basketball for the varsity squad. He got in the game in the 2nd qtr and I noticed a ridiculously quick first step and an odd ability to get his shot off for a 5'8 kid. All I saw in his 2 qtrs of scrimmage was an unmatched level of quickness and loads of potential..........

Was THIS the first showing of Humpty Hitchens?....or did he have a scrimmage before that?

I could see greatness then.....but I didn't think I was watching a future state champion..but it turns out I was.

I still cannot watch him play basketball with his unmatched quickeness and not forsee a potentail NFL tailback.

Hey Hump...how about running track for the Cavs...I think there would be a few events in which he would be incredibly interesting....though h....he does have a state championship in the 94 ft dash...with a ball and 5 guys trying to stop him. His time......5.1 seconds....including assist!

[Hitchbone64]

^^^^^

Ironman, That is a great story. Hump had over 1700 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns his Freshman season. I told his dad, he could be a D1 tailback.

Another story, that I hear about is ZT tourney run that year. Humpty broke his hand late in the year and played against a tough North Adams squad that was loaded. A guy I work with had been following North Adams and said they would kill Zane Trace. North Adams won, but he came back and told me the best player on the floor was this little freshman that played with one hand and broke the press everytime.

GO CAVS!!! 2008 STATE CHAMPS!

[Army]

He will be a great addition to Akron that's for sure. Look for the Zips to be winning more in the MAC. I only wish Ohio State would of looked at Humpty.

Way to go CAVS

D II State Champions

[RiverRatRay]

Congratulations to all of the Chillicothe Cavs team, coaches and fans.

[Dshanton3]

hitch...humps point total is 1743.

i was at the North Adams/ZT game you speak of. Hump broke his right hand in the sectional semi and had to have pins put in it. he really couldnt shoot the ball because it was his right hand. but he dribbled through their press with only his left hand all night. i said that if hump had not hurt his hand ZT would have had a good tourney run that year because much like Chilli's teams under Kellough, they peaked late in the season and played their best ball going into the tourney.

Ironman92...i often wonder what he could have done on the football field. When he got back to chilly i believe there was a little resentment for him leaving by the football coaching staff and therefore they unexplicably put him at receiver. you dont take a 1700 yard rusher and put them at receiver. until the other tailback quit with 5 tough OCC games left to play and hump moved back there and proceeded to run for like 130 yards a game to close the season. But i think that experience completely turned him off of football and its a shame. Probably would have went over 2000 yards jr, and sr. years and got bigger offers for football than bball. but oh well. things didnt end up too bad how they are haha!

[Lamont Cranston]

At this point, probably every adjective, description, emotion, and analysis from those who attended, and those who didn't, has been given here and elsewhere. So, my take would add very little other than to mention again how epic this game and season was. I personally attended my very first state tournament game with my father when some guy named Art Schlichter was a senior @ Miami Trace. Oddly enough, an assistant coach on that squad was none other than Gary Kellough. Now some 30 years, and several hundred state tourney games watched later, it seems to have come full circle. This is my opinion only, but the unbelievable decisions by the Board of Education @ ZT 3 years ago, led to a sort of "Phoenix" being arisen in Chilly. But, even this sort of meteoric rise was likely beyond optimistic. "Little" Lamont and I stayed around and watched the other three finals yesterday, and 2 things jumped out at me that are worth sharing. 1- it just isn't all about the "talent" anymore, especially in high school sports. Yes, all 4 champions yesterday were talented. But, all 4 also seemed to believe in each other, and their coach, with little, or no doubt. Chilly could be put at the top of that list. 2- we obviously continued to sport our Cavalier gear throughout the rest of the day, and let me tell you people, when you win a game like that, on a stage like that, other basketball fans look at you "differently". And I mean that in a complimentary way. There were smiles, winks, nods and just a general overall recognition of who and what Chillicothe basketball is. As I shook coach Kellough's hand to congratulate him at the reception by the Schott after the game, he seemed to calmly be taking it all in. Part of the thanks in our brief conversation was also a reminder that from this day forward NOTHING will ever be the same for Chillicothe, and even Ross county, basketball. There will always be the reference point of either before, or after Chillicothe won the state title... this one is forever. Go Cavs!!!

[baller3]

Great Post Lamont.

I think the title sums it up. Chillicothe History Making Day!

I would like to thank all of the Chillicothe fans because your voice could be heard at the Schott!

This Chillicothe program guided by Coach Kellough made dreams come true yesterday and a lot of us former players of Coach (regardless of school) enjoyed this celebration thru Coach & his Cavs players!

Go Cavs!

[Dshanton3]

you notice how in the celebration in the auxillary gym after the game coach K thanked Jesus for this? thats no coincidence! God is definately good. Coach Kellough leaving ZT was definately a blessing in disguise. I told someone about a month ago that with his style of coaching and the players on this team that he was in his utopia. That has only been enhanced ten fold after he proves all the doubters wrong and validates himself with a state title! How fitting that his team used hard-nosed defense to come back and win this game. Gary preaches defense first, and that won out. I watched the replay and how fitting was it moments before the winning basket, to see coach K on TV holding his white clipboard, drawing up the final play, COACHING, and the result being a game winning buzzer beater and state championship. that my friends is the stuff legends are made of.

[hilltopkid]

you notice how in the celebration in the auxillary gym after the game coach K thanked Jesus for this? thats no coincidence! God is definately good. Coach Kellough leaving ZT was definately a blessing in disguise. I told someone about a month ago that with his style of coaching and the players on this team that he was in his utopia. That has only been enhanced ten fold after he proves all the doubters wrong and validates himself with a state title! How fitting that his team used hard-nosed defense to come back and win this game. Gary preaches defense first, and that won out. I watched the replay and how fitting was it moments before the winning basket, to see coach K on TV holding his white clipboard, drawing up the final play, COACHING, and the result being a game winning buzzer beater and state championship. that my friends is the stuff legends are made of.

As a football coach(although I wasn't here when Humpty played) I can only imagine what the last 2 seasons would've been like if Humpty, Seth Dawes and Stu Bevrly would've played football. Wow. Throw big Ray in there at TE or WR and good googly-moogly! I hear that Dawes was one of the better FB players in that class asa youngster, and that's saying a lot b/c the rising SR class is loaded w/ talent. Oh well, like you said things turned out good for him and thats what matters. Evidently thats the way it was supposed to be.

[Army]

you notice how in the celebration in the auxillary gym after the game coach K thanked Jesus for this? thats no coincidence! God is definately good. Coach Kellough leaving ZT was definately a blessing in disguise. I told someone about a month ago that with his style of coaching and the players on this team that he was in his utopia. That has only been enhanced ten fold after he proves all the doubters wrong and validates himself with a state title! How fitting that his team used hard-nosed defense to come back and win this game. Gary preaches defense first, and that won out. I watched the replay and how fitting was it moments before the winning basket, to see coach K on TV holding his white clipboard, drawing up the final play, COACHING, and the result being a game winning buzzer beater and state championship. that my friends is the stuff legends are made of.

Great Post...as an Army Reserve Chaplain and Pastor I agree. These kids were truly blessed, and one reason was, Coach K at the helm. They say God works in mysterious ways. Well, put it it this way. What if ZT would have kept Gary? Would there be the same results? Thank God we had him instead of ZT.

Way to go CAVS

You represented Chillicothe, Ross County, SE-Ohio and your league the SEOAL with honor and pride

State Champions

[beezee420]

D3- just to clear something up for you about humpty and football. when he moved back to chilli, chilli already had a senior starting tailback. he had been the starter for the past 2 seasons, and thats a hard situation to overcome for a sophomore. but coach d found a way to put him on the field and once the senior was released from the team hitchens became the man. i to wish that he would've played football for the past couple of years, but he has done well on the hardwood and sometimes things happen for a reason.

[trojandave]

Congratulations to both Anthony and Ray......two future members of the Chillicothe High School Cavaliers Hall of Fame.

[TrojanXplosion]

Congratulations to both Anthony and Ray......two future members of the Chillicothe High School Cavaliers Hall of Fame.

And very deserving players.

[Dshanton3]

hilltopkid i've always thought Dawes would be a great tight end!

beezee we could get into quite the debate about this but its water under the bridge and its all about the cavs state title!

[Bobcat Thunder]

By the way, Sports Time Ohio programming says that there will be a re-run of the game tonight (Monday) at 8:00 p.m.

[beezee420]

hilltopkid i've always thought Dawes would be a great tight end!

beezee we could get into quite the debate about this but its water under the bridge and its all about the cavs state title!

yes we could but i didn't want people to get a wrong impression of the football coaching staff by your original comment. they do a good job as well. and yes this is all about the state title!!!!!! wow i still can't believe it really happened!!!!!!!!

[Hitchbone64]

hitch...humps point total is 1743.

D3,

I added two somewhere. I had 1558 before the Z-Ville DOC game. I had 187 after that. Help me correct my stat sheet, as I lay out this nice tourney run Hump had.

Z-Ville 34
Hillboro 22
Marietta 14
Logan Elm 14
Vinton County 28
Meadowbrook 27
Poland Seminary 24
Toledo Libbey 24

Regional and State (Final 4 games) averaged 26 ppg.

GO CAVS!!! 2008 STATE CHAMPS!!!

[Dshanton3]

hitch...you sent this to me on feb. 19

D3,

Here goes the update

1) Matt Combs 1,726
2) Ron Shoemaker 1,673
3) Jeff Reisinger 1,646
4) Anthony Hitchens 1,614
5) Mick Shoemaker 1,564

Hump is 112 away from tying Combs.

Hump netted 14 against marietta. 14 against LE. 28 against VC. 27 against Meadowbrook, 24 against Poland and 24 against Libbey. that to me adds up to 1745 which would mean that you arent the one that missed a bucket, its was me. i shouldnt have dared to doubt your statistical intuit!

[Hitchbone64]

^^^^

That is why us old guys use calculators, or maybe that expensive UD education I got paid off somewhere.

In any event a great accomplishment and definitely some worthy players there. If you notice 3 of the top know have lead their respective teams to the State Tourney.

GO CAVS!!! 2008 STATE CHAMPS!!!