Boys basketball: Shawnee’s McGuire honored for 200th win

Chris McGuire had no idea why he was being called to center court before Shawnee High School’s game against Kenton Ridge earlier this month.

The Braves head coach won his 200th game in the Division II sectional tournament last season, but was never recognized for the accomplishment. The surprise ceremony honored McGuire, but he was quick to downplay his role in the program’s success after winning his 206th game.

The victories aren’t about him, McGuire said, but rather the hard work put in by his players and coaching staff over the years.

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“It means I’ve been around awhile and I’ve had a lot of good guys,” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate that I was given the opportunity back in ‘05 and that the guys have bought into what we do. The guys have worked hard for me. They’ve worked year-round for me.”

McGuire holds a career mark of 206-109 through Tuesday’s games. In his 14th season as head coach, the Braves have won four CBC Kenton Trail Division championships and have won 15 or more games 10 times under McGuire. In 2012-13, the Braves set the school record for most wins in a season with 23.

Shawnee has had five different players win the CBC Kenton Trail Division player of the year award since 2008, including Justin Williams, P.J. Howell, Jaelin Williams, Jaden Greenwood and Seth Gray.

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McGuire, a Graham grad and basketball junkie, grew up wanting to be a head coach. He and former teammate Brook Cupps, Centerville’s head coach, always talked about having their own program someday, he said.

“It was always my dream,” McGuire said. “I’ve been fortunate to have success and be with great people. Shawnee has been a great place for me. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

The Braves started the season 2-5 against a tough schedule that included trips to Butler and Chaminade-Julienne. They’ve won three of their last four games, including a big CBC Kenton Trail victory over Kenton Ridge. The Braves are led by senior D.J. Hayden, who is averaging 11.5 points per game.

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“We knew it was going to be a process,” McGuire said. “We had a tough stretch early on. We feel like we’ve weathered the storm. We feel like we’ve gotten better.”

On Saturday, the Braves (5-6) will head to Knightstown, Ind. to play Bellefontaine in the historic Hoosier Gym, the homecourt of the Hickory Huskers from the movie “Hoosiers.”

The Braves have been attending a summer camp in Fort Wayne, Ind. for a decade with directors of the facility, McGuire said. After talking with the director, McGuire worked with Bellefontaine to schedule the game that will serve as one of Shawnee’s home games this season.

McGuire, an Indiana native, called “Hoosiers” his favorite movie.

“The boys, probably not as much as me, are super excited about it,” McGuire said. “It’s going to be a great experience that the guys and me are going to cherish forever.”

Of course, a few of his players hadn’t seen the 1980s classic film loosely based on Milan High School’s 1954 Indiana state championship.

“We have to watch the movie,” McGuire said. “I think when we said the Hoosier Gym initially they thought it was Indiana University’s gym. We had to clear that up a little bit. Once we watch the movie, they’ll be excited and understand kind of how big of a deal it is.”

Rescheduled: The Emmanuel Christian at Catholic Central has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 29. The game was previously scheduled for Jan. 15, but was postponed due to inclement weather.

The Lions (10-2) and the Irish (10-2) are two of the top D-IV teams in the area. Both squads advanced to the district finals last season.

Double-double: Southeastern senior Charlie Bertemes is averaging a double-double through 12 games this season, scoring 16.0 points and a league-best 10.4 rebounds per game. He scored 23 points and pulled down 22 boards — both season-highs — in a 53-50 win over rival Northeastern on Jan. 4.

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