First Posted: 3/25/2015
This week it’s the boys’ state basketball tournament in Columbus.
I love it!
It’s the 93rd edition of boys’ state.
I first went to the boys’ state tourney in 1981 — a young reporter for WLIO-TV.
My assignment was covering Kalida and its Class A State Championship match-up versus Columbus Academy.
The Wildcats won their first and only boys’ basketball state championship that day, defeating Columbus Academy 58-44.
The head coach of the Wildcats then — Dick Kortokrax — is still the head coach today.
That’s 34 years ago, folks.
Kalida had been to the state tournament the year prior, but lost in the semifinals.
That has been a recipe for a number of schools — make it one year to state and then win the championship the following season.
Not every school.
Remember Lima Central Catholic’s string of bad-luck appearances at the state tournament?
The Thunderbirds’ first trip to state was in 1989, a closer than expected 83-81 championship final versus powerful Columbus Wehrle.
But then, the T-Birds lost shockingly in state tournament games in ’92, ’93 and ’94.
Those were tough to take.
Three consecutive years, they made it to state, but each time, came up just short of winning that elusive championship.
Fortunately, it did happen for T-Bird fans, with LCC winning its first boys’ basketball state crown in 2010 and then doing it again last year.
How about that?
But, I think we forget, just to get to the state tournament is an incredible accomplishment.
It stinks that many remember LCC losing games it was supposed to win at state, instead of the joy of just making it to Columbus.
And it’s not just LCC that we remember that way.
Remember, LeBron James at the state tourney?
Ask who his Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary teams beat during his incredible high school run, and most may not remember.
But you do remember which team defeated LeBron and the Irish in the 2002 Division II state title game — Cincinnati Roger Bacon.
We remember the bad instead of the good.
I remember when both LCC and Lima Senior both made it to Columbus — 1992.
Heartbreak for both schools during that state tournament — Ugh!
We nearly had both again at state this year, but Lima Senior lost 50-42 in the regional final last Saturday versus defending Division I state champ Lakewood St. Edward.
But going back to ’92, did you remember that we had a Limaland team competing in every division at state in that year, besides the two Lima schools, with Van Wert in D-II and Patrick Henry in D-IV?
And you have to go back clear to 1976 when there wasn’t at least one team from our area representing us at state.
That’s a long time ago.
Before my time in Lima.
It used to be that I would go to the state tournament just to cover a team, and then have to drive back to Lima after the game.
But, for the last several years, thanks to Childers Media Group, I am there all weekend long now.
We broadcast every boys state tournament game on Sportsradio 93.1 The Fan.
There is nothing like being live at Value City Arena, and watching some of the best players and coaches in the state over three days.
Let the games begin.
And best of luck to all of the Limaland teams competing.
Congratulations for making it to state.
You are winners no matter what happens this weekend in Columbus.
