Just last week Miamisburg welcomed graduate David Bruton back. A defensive back with the Denver Broncos, Bruton awarded the school a Golden Football as part of the NFL’s initiative to have any player who has played in a Super Bowl present the gift to his alma mater. He’ll miss next week’s Super Bowl against the Panthers after suffering a leg injury and being placed in injured reserve.
Also, former girls basketball standout Erica Allenspach’s jersey was retired and five inductees were added to the athletic hall of fame.
Miamisburg all-time leading scorer and current assistant boys coach Rex Gardecki was among many who were instrumental in organizing this weekend’s event.
“Our town is so entrenched in athletics,” said Gardecki, who starred at Miamisburg from 1964-68 and later at the University of Dayton for coach Don Donoher.
“You think of places like Versailles and Minster and all those great little communities, that’s how we are. We’re not a big school but everybody in the community really cares about everybody. It’s been a great situation for me to be involved with.”
Gardecki, Jeff Montgomery (1967-71) and Josh Robinson (1993-97) are the top three scorers in Vikings history.
Gardecki totaled 1,46 — 2 career points, averaging 19.5 for his career. He credits an abundance of area talent back then — and no AAU circuit — as keys to his success. He said players such as Donald Smith of Roth and Dan Gearhart of Chaminade and many others would designate certain nights to play at community parks, often at the Westside YMCA, Kettering and Sunset Park in Middletown.
Montgomery totaled 1,409 points and later starred at Bowling Green. A 3-point specialist, Robinson amassed 1,274 points.
All guards, they all received numerous honors in high school, including All-Ohio.
Gardecki has been a fixture at Miamisburg head coach Tim Fries’ side the last nine seasons. Gardecki estimates he’s been coaching basketball for 40 years, including stints with UD and West Carrollton. He’s long since retired following three back surgeries.
“The last one the neurosurgeon said, “You’re done,” he recalled.
Miamisburg sports has been on an uptick after the passage of a contested school levy several years ago. Its campus athletic complex will feature a new stadium this fall.
A reception for the returning top scorers will be held in the high school commons at 6 p.m. Saturday followed by the varsity tip at 7:30.
“It should be a great weekend,” said Gardecki.
• Two of the area’s best boys programs were on display when Wayne defeated visiting Trotwood-Madison 82-61 before a sellout crowd.
The senior-laden Warriors (15-0) are the defending Division I state champions. Ranked No. 1 in the state, Wayne appears to have all the ingredients of a potential repeat. Trotwood (14-2) should make a deep D-II run and with its youthful lineup will be loaded the next couple of seasons, too.
None of that was lost on Wayne coach Travis Trice, who labeled the Rams a D-II state-title contender.
“I hope he’s right,” Trotwood coach Rocky Rockhold said. “We’re going to readjust. All the goals we set didn’t change because the best team in the state beat us. We still have a chance to win the GWOC North and put ourselves in a good seeding position and hopefully make a (postseason) run. This didn’t change our goals; it changed what we have to work on.”
Wayne hosts Beavercreek tonight and Trotwood is at Piqua.
• The girls basketball seed meetings are Sunday at various locations throughout the Southwest District. The boys season is one week behind and that seed meetings is Sunday, Feb. 7 at Centerville, Northmont, Springfield, Piqua, Troy and Lakota West.
• This is the 50th anniversary of Chaminade’s Class AA state championship of 1966. Coach Jim Turvene’s Eagles (26-1) defeated Warren Harding in the semis but trailed Toledo Libby by double digits in the fourth quarter of the title game. Chaminade rallied for a 55-52 win at OSU’s St. John Arena.
Chaminade (27-0) also won the 1970 Class AA state title under Turvene.
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