PICKERINGTON, OH (WCMH) — The Pickerington Central High School Boys’ Basketball team aims to make history this weekend. The Tiger Football and Girl’s Basketball teams already won Division I State Titles this year.
If the boys manage to win, PHSC will become the first high school in the State of Ohio to win these three state titles (football and boys’ and girls basketball) within the same school year. So, as a graduate of Pickerington High School, I asked Mayor Lee Gray, “What’s in the water in my hometown?”
“That’s priority secret…we don’t talk about the water,” Mayor Gray said with a chuckle.
But since I’m a Tiger, Mayor welcomed me into his office, one decorated with State Champion Tiger signs, to talk about the success of Pickerington athletics.
“People ask me all the time, ‘hey, what is it about Pickerington that you have all these great athletes?’, if I’m in a hurry, I say ‘well, it’s the water,'” said Mayor Gray.
So, I visited the Pickerington Water Treatment Facility to check it out, and then, I asked boys basketball head coach Eric Krueger, if he thought there was something in the water.
“I don’t know, I think there is something in the water, feels that way doesn’t it? But I think we have a good group kids…the basketball team obviously, the football team, the girls basketball team, great group of kids, great coaches,” said Krueger.
The boys’ basketball team started the season with a 7-8 overall record, but fought hard to win the Regional Title, earning the Tigers a return trip to the State Semi-final game against Solon. To the players, their success has nothing to do with the water.
“Chemistry wise, we’ve been clicking a lot…feel like a family when we play, so it’s a great thing to do when we play out there on the court together,” said senior Adrian Nelson.
“We have put a lot of time and effort in, you know, at practice, a lot of hard work, the kids have fought a lot of adversity to get to this point,” said Krueger.
PHSC held a pep rally to send the team off to the Final Four in style, and Mayor Gray could not be more proud of his city.