Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

Ironton Lady Fighting Tigers’ Lexi Wise must have something about the number 1,000.
After amassing her 1,000th career kill during volleyball his past season, the Ironton 5-foot-9 senior point guard reached a basketball milestone with 1,000 career points.
Wise needed 10 points to achieve 1,000 points and she scored 11 in a 56-35 rout of Crooksville in the Division III sectional tournament finals at Jackson High School.
“It was something I wanted to do. No one’s ever done it here before,” said Wise.
She was thrilled to reach both milestones but she said both were exciting in their own way.
“The excitement in volleyball was crazy because no one has ever done that in volleyball,” said Wise.
“Basketball just felt good was because I did it with my team and I really wasn’t expecting to get it. It was more exciting for basketball and that’s my love.”
Wise — who helped Ironton reach the state tournament during her sophomore season — has given a commitment to play at Glenville State due to their nursing program.
Wise said her parents were part of the reason she achieved the two milestones.
“I always set a lot of goals,” said Wise. “My mom always made me make goals for myself and so did my dad and definitely one of my goals was to play college basketball and get 1,000 points in basketball. I guess I underestimated myself being able to do both sports.”
Wise is the 11th local player to score 1,000 career points.
Also scoring their 1,000th career point this season were St. Joseph’s Chase Walters, South Point’s Tayshaun Fox, Coal Grove Lady Hornets’ Emily Compliment and Alexis Hall, Symmes Valley Lady Vikings’ Jensyn Shepherd, Green’s Tanner Kimbler and the Fairland foursome of Kollin Van Horn, Isaiah Howell, Luke Thomas and Emily Chapman.
Chase Walters
Reaching 1,000 points in his basketball career for the St. Joseph Flyers meant a lot to Chase Walters, but the 6-foot-1 senior center may have only been a fraction as interested in the milestone compared to his parents Tyler and Julie.
Walters and his father talked briefly about it before the season. His father told him how many points he needed. Chase said it was in the back of his mind but he didn’t want to think about it.
“As long as we win is all that mattered. The past two years have been great. We want to get back to the Convo (Ohio University Convocation Center) and win,” said Walters of the team’s aspiration to return to the district tournament.
“We got there last year and now we know what we have to do to get there and win.”
Walters recorded his 1,000th career point on Feb. 3 against New Boston and he admitted the game superseded his personal accomplishments.
“I wanted to win that game so bad,” said Walters.
Later in the season, Chase’s mom quizzed her son.
“My mom asked me if I knew how far away I was and I said I had no idea. She said, ‘do you want to take a guess?’ I said 200? And she said, ‘No, not even close.’ I said 100 and she said no. I said 50 and she said no. I said, ‘I have no idea.’ She said, ‘You’re 38 away,’” said Walters.
“We still had six or seven games left and it kind of shocked me I was that close. I had no idea.”
Once Walters scored his milestone points, he was congratulated by his teammates and the fans cheered as they held signs signifying his milestone.
He went over to the crowd and thanked the fans and his parents.
“I was glad to get it over with. I just wanted to get back out there and start playing,” said Walters.
“It was a nice thing and I worked so hard for this. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coach (Rex) Cooksey.”
Tayshaun Fox
Getting 1,000 points in his career didn’t seem to be a question since South Point Pointers 5-11 guard Tayshaun Fox is just a junior.
Fox reached his milestone early in his career when he achieved the record total against Rock Hill on Jan. 31.
Still, Fox said there was definitely some pressure.
“I needed to get the points but we needed to win the game. It was hard to balance out both,” said Fox.
The excitement of the achievement was dampened on Feb. 13 when Fox hurt his knee in the final 25 seconds of a game against Wheelersburg and was lost for the rest of the season.
“I just want to get back and start playing again and help get my teammates back to the Convo,” Fox said of his goal to return to the district tournament at the Ohio University Convocation Center.
Fox will undergo surgery in a few weeks and begin his rehabilitation. Once he returns he will not only try to help his teammates, but he could be in line to challenge for the school’s all-time scoring record.
Emily Compliment
& Alexis Hall
Talk about a potent one-two scoring punch, the Coal Grove Lady Hornets added two seniors to the program list this season.
Alexis Hall reached the milestone against Lucasville Valley on Dec. 2. Compliment joined the elite club against Ironton on Jan. 8.
Both the 5-9 Compliment and 5-10 Hall are guards who can handle the ball, drive to the basket and shoot the 3-pointer.
“It was a goal of mine when I entered high school,” said Compliment. “I was excited to reach the milestone. I never doubted that I would get 1,000 (points).”
Hall said she never had any expectations but believed it was within her capabilities.
“It was never really a goal that I set out to achieve. However, I always had the confidence that I would reach 1,000,” said Hall.
Jensyn Shepherd
Symmes Valley Lady Vikings’ 6-foot senior center Jensyn Shepherd began her quest for 1,000 points on a rocky road and then ended it on the road.
Shepherd racked up her 1,000th career point on Jan. 18 in a win on the road at Sciotoville East. But she admits there was some doubt created in her early days of playing basketball.
“I had a pretty rough start in junior high and I never thought I’d ever have a chance (to score 1,000). My junior year I started thinking I might have a chance. My senior year, I knew I could do it,” said Shepherd.
As the points continued to pile up, Shepherd said there was only one time when she felt the pressure.
“One night (coach Alvin Carpenter) was sick and I thought I was going to get it. Alvin showed up anyway and I really wanted to get it. That was the night I put more pressure on myself,” said Shepherd.
Although the milestone came on the road, Shepherd said it was okay because she liked playing on the road.
“It was kind of funny because (the opponents) weren’t expecting it. When the buzzer went off the and everyone wondered what was going on. The announcer came on and said I had just scored my 1,000th point. My parents knew and the coaches knew and my teammates knew, but (the other team’s players and fans) didn’t know what was going on,” said Shepherd.
Tanner Kimbler
Green junior guard Tanner Kimbler celebrated his 1,000th career point milestone in a win over South Gallia on Jan. 7.
Kinbler — who scored 26 points in the game — is known for his 3-point shooting. He not only hit a 3-pointer to reach the milestone but was fouled and added a free throw for a four-point play.