VWHS basketball team has top GPA

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

First place. Numero Uno. Head of the class, and, in this case, the class is the entire state of Ohio.

The young men of the Van Wert High School boys’ basketball team might not have had a season for the books, but they certainly had one hitting the books. Team members recently received word that, together, they carry the highest cumulative team grade point average of any team in the state, any division.

It’s an impressive accomplishment, and a prime example of “the big picture” of high-school athletics, said Head Coach Dave Froelich. “As much as we want to be successful on the floor and win every game, in the big picture, the guys know that this will serve them a lot better in life,” he said.

To be considered for the award, each school submits the grade point averages of nine varsity roster players. The local nine’s team GPA came in at a near-perfect 3.826, edging out New Riegel High School’s 3.818. Van Wert’s basketball program reached the top five in 2003, but has never placed first.

Froelich said it’s an impressive honor to add to an already-impressive list of academic accomplishments from student-athletes at Van Wert High School.

“It really adds to what these kids have done over the years,” he said, adding, “we’ve had kids make academic all-Ohio, or kids go to West Point, and those kinds of things. When you have kids like that, they get it. They get the big picture of things for the most part.”

This year, senior point guard Joey Hurless led the charge on the court, averaging 12.6 points per game, and in the classroom, where he earned a 4.0 GPA during the first semester.  His academic and athletic efforts earned him a spot on the Academic All-Ohio First Team for Division II, based on his GPA, as well as his basketball statistics.

“It’s definitely rewarding for Joey, and the whole team,” Froelich said. “Quite honestly it’s makes it a lot easier to coach when you have kids like that.”

Hurless echoes the sentiment and credited his coach for always pushing him on the court, as well as off it. “A lot of people only get to see Coach when he’s on the court, but what they don’t see is how he interacts with everyone from the team during the week,” Hurless said, adding, “he’s always checking in on us, and checking grades and making sure we’re doing the right thing. He not only wants us to be successful in the game of basketball, but the game of life as well.”

Hurless also gave credit to his teammates and his parents, who he said have always taught him that school comes first. “The biggest thing they’ve taught me is prioritizing,” he said, “and that’s probably the biggest struggle in high school. But they taught me how to prioritize my time and set aside the time I need for basketball, or school, or whatever was going on at the time.”

The senior, who participates in soccer, basketball and baseball, will keep his court skills fresh while playing for Ohio Northern University, where he will major in pharmaceutical business. But for now, he’s helping lead Van Wert’s baseball team during its season, while reflecting on a productive and successful high school career. “The award really means a lot to me,” Hurless said. “I’ve worked hard in school all four years, so it’s nice to get this award as a senior and seeing that all that hard work paid off in the end.”

As it has for the entire team, whose award was sponsored by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association, in conjunction with the Ohio National Guard.  A plaque will be presented to the school and will be placed in the locker room, while the team will also enjoy a pizza party later this year.

The demanding pressures placed upon high school athletes, coupled with heavy workloads in the classroom, can oftentimes overwhelm a young athlete. But Cougar basketball team members have managed to successfully juggle their various commitments — in many cases, year-round.

“That makes it even more impressive because most of them are multiple-sport athletes, so it’s not just a basketball season type thing,” Froelich said. “So they’ve been able to balance that for obviously their entire careers.”

And even though that critical free-throw in the final minute of the game seems important at the time, realistically, it pales in comparison to the importance of a good education, Froelich added. “Sure, at the time we really want to hit that free throw and we want to win games. Obviously, athletics are an important thing, but it’s not the most important thing.”

The long-time coach knows he places a huge time commitment on the team, and he said it’s extremely difficult to find the right balance between sports and education. “It’s tough to do. We’re practicing two hours a day, and we’re in the weight room. Add in the film scouting reports, and everything else, and then they get to go home and get ready for an AP (Advanced Placement) test the next morning.”

Even still, the team has successfully maneuvered the long and winding path of high school, and has come out on top, regardless of an 11-12 season. “It might not have been the season we wanted, but the self-discipline of these athletes to balance everything with obviously superior academic standing is certainly commendable,” Froelich noted.

For the five seniors on the team, it’s a positive end to a productive and memorable high school basketball career, as well as a credit to the parents of team members. “For these young men to balance athletics and academics and all their other commitments is not only a testament to the type of kids they are, but a credit to their parents, who obviously place an emphasis on them being well-rounded, solid kids.”

The accomplishments didn’t stop there in the local area as the Lincolnview Lancers girls’ basketball team finished its academic year with a slam-dunk as well. The team’s GPA of 3.905 earned it second-place in the state behind Stow-Munroe High School’s 3.957 showing.

Rounding out the academic All-Ohio teams on the boys’ side were Gibsonburg, Bryan and Smithville, while Carey, Avon and Berne Union took the final three places of girls’ teams.