HOWARD – Weston Melick began playing basketball at the age of 8. His father, Chuck, remembers those days vividly.
He’d load up his silver Chevrolet suburban with Weston and his teammates and they’d trek across the county, playing weekly in the Wilson League at Highland High School. It was something to do during the winter, between football and baseball seasons, to keep the boys active.
And Weston played on the court like he played at home: rough. Growing up with an older brother, Kenton, Weston learned quickly how to fight for space. The two were constantly jostling throughout the house, Chuck recalled, playing whatever sport was in season (or simply just wrestling).
Chuck had one rule.
“I always said, ‘If you’re gonna break something in the house, it better be with a ball,’” he recalled with a laugh. “Or else you’re in trouble.”
As Weston grew older, he worked hard to refine his skills. Once “a chunky little kid,” Chuck recalled, he now boasts the frame of an elite high school athlete. And his accolades back that up: coming into his senior hoops season at East Knox, he’d already earned all-Ohio recognition in football, basketball and baseball.
But he never lost that physicality. And on Friday night, 10 years after he first hit the hardwood, Melick used it to make school history.
With 50 seconds remaining in the first quarter, East Knox junior Blake Bonham pitched the ball ahead to Melick, who dribbled up the sideline to break Highland’s full-court pressure. Melick came into the night with 996 career points, and moments earlier, he’d scored a transition lay-in to narrow the gap.
As Melick crossed half-court, his defender, Highland senior Wyatt Groves, swiped at the ball. Seeing his opponent’s balance shift, Melick attacked, putting his head down and charging toward the rim.
When they got there, Melick and Grove remained in lock-step, jostling for position under the hoop. Most high school players would struggle to get a shot off in this situation – particularly over Groves, a lengthy forward who had Melick beat by a couple of inches.
But Melick thrives – and has always thrived – in situations like these. When it comes down to manpower – to muscle, and determination, and toughness – the senior rarely loses.
And with that, he made history.
Melick flipped the ball in off the glass, through contact, and the crowd roared. East Knox Athletic Director Aaron White stopped the game to congratulate Melick, and those in attendance gave him a standing ovation.
According to East Knox Assistant Coach Ron Fannin, Melick became just the third player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark. Rod Johnson did it in 1970 (he holds the school’s scoring record with 1,202 points), and Luke Branstool did it in 2010 (he finished his career with 1,138 points).
“I’m truly blessed,” Melick said afterwards. “God’s protected me through these four years of high school; I’ve barely had an injury. So that right there is just special.”
Ever the competitor, Melick was not satisfied with 1,000. He would finish Friday with a game-high 22 points, leading East Knox to a demonstrative 50-33 win over the Scots.
He gave all the credit afterwards to his teammates and coaches.
“It’s just special to be a part of this group, this team, this community …” Melick said. “It makes you realize how good of teammates you’ve got and how good of coaching you’ve got. You don’t get 1,000 points by having bad teammates and bad coaching. It’s just a whole group effort.”
***
When Melick scored his 1,000th point Friday, he received high-fives from teammates and recognition from fans. The officials switched out the basketballs, so Melick could save the one he made history with.
But he only received one bear hug. And it came from his head coach, Ryan Powell.
The two share a complicated history together.
Powell became East Knox’s head coach four years ago, heading into Melick’s freshman season. He recalled Friday how they met.
The team was playing in a summertime shootout at Mount Vernon, Powell said, and East Knox was getting ready to take the court. He had seven players at that point, and thought he had a general sense of who would be available to play that winter. Community members had told him about the returning lettermen and the incoming class.
“We’d had two open gyms, and Weston wasn’t at either of the two because he was at a baseball tournament,” Powell said. “He shows up to the shootout and he introduces himself to me, and I’m like, ‘No one’s mentioned this name. I don’t even know who this kid is.’”
Then Melick said he was a freshman. Great, Powell thought. I’ll have to play a freshman in a varsity shootout.
Once the game started, Powell quickly came to a different realization.
“It took me about three minutes to realize, I don’t know why anybody hadn’t told me about this kid,” Powell recalled.
Their first season together was tumultuous. Melick was the team’s leading scorer as a freshman, averaging 10 points per game, but the team struggled. The Bulldogs went 7-16 that year, finishing seventh of eight teams in the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference.
Powell was attempting to put his stamp on the program, making East Knox more defensive-minded and methodical, and Melick wasn’t having it. He wasn’t alone.
“He did not like that his first year, no one did,” Powell said. “We didn’t win any games and everybody thought I was crazy.”
But Melick stuck with it, and eventually, things started to click. The Bulldogs won 11 games his sophomore season, placing fifth in the conference. Last year, they finished 15-9, tying Fredericktown for third place.
Powell credits Melick’s resilience and coachability for the program’s upward trajectory.
“Him buying in is what has turned our program around,” Powell said, “from where we were three years ago to (now).”
Looking back on it Friday, Melick said it came down to maturity.
“We butted heads a lot. I was a dumb little freshman and he was the boss, and I had to learn that quickly,” Melick conceded. “Once he gave me a couple earfuls, I finally learned that he’s probably right.”
Melick’s evolution as a leader has mirrored his evolution as a player. He’s become a reliable outside shooter and an elite defender, while also maintaining that trademark physicality.
“He just has an understanding for the game that is far beyond his years, and it was that way as a freshman. His work ethic and determination is why he’s good at everything he does,” Powell said. “I mean, he’s not gonna settle for not being – I wouldn’t say the best, but he’s not ever gonna let anybody outwork him at anything he does. That’s a credit to his parents, I think.”
Buying into Powell’s ground-and-pound system meant sacrificing the individual accolades that would likely have come at different schools. The Bulldogs play hard-nosed defense and take their time on offense, working the ball around until they find a quality shot. Most programs are far more favorable to high-volume scorers like Melick, Powell said.
“He averages about 16 points per game. For other coaches, he would probably average 24 or 25,” Powell said. “But we play a different kind of style, and he’s bought into that.”
Melick and Powell still butt heads occasionally, both agree, which is expected.
“We unfortunately have two very similar personalities,” Powell said with a laugh.
But they know how to make it work now. And in many ways, both Powell and Melick believe this shared experience has only made their bond stronger.
“It’s a love-hate relationship. We love each other, we hate each other, it’s just a nice little blend of that,” Melick said with a laugh. “But he’s got my back and I’ve got his back. And that’s just how it’s been all four years.”
When Melick scored his 1,000th point on Friday, his embrace with Powell afterwards meant something. It was the culmination of years of hard work – of growing together, and learning together, and creating something special in the process.
“It’s a great accomplishment. I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Powell said. “Nobody deserves it more than him.”
***
Despite the magnitude of what Melick accomplished Friday – doing something only two other boys in his school’s history had done – those close to the senior claim he didn’t think about it much ahead of time.
His father, Chuck, said it never came up in discussion over the last four years – even after Weston scored 200-plus points his freshman season, then 300-plus points his sophomore season (he’s been the team’s leading scorer and rebounder each of the last four seasons).
“We haven’t talked about that since he started,” Chuck said. “We don’t talk about the 1,000 points at home – it’s just, something’s gonna happen.”
When Powell told Melick how close he was to reaching the milestone after practice Wednesday, the coach said his star forward seemed surprised.
“He doesn’t care about stats, he doesn’t care about any of that,” Powell said. “I told him Wednesday after practice, I said, ‘You realize you only need 4 points for 1,000?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I had a feeling I was getting close, but I didn’t really know.’
“His answer was, ‘I just want to win. That’s it.’”
This became evident Friday. After hitting the 1,000-point mark, Melick quickly refocused, rattling off 10 first-half points to put the Bulldogs ahead 26-11 at intermission.
When Highland came out hot to start the second half, cutting the deficit to 8 with 7:41 remaining, Melick responded. He scored 9 straight points to start the fourth quarter – including two three-pointers and an and-one lay-in – to stretch the East Knox lead to 15.
This stretch poured cold water on Highland’s furious comeback attempt, halting all momentum and effectively putting the game out of reach. Melick said afterwards that his mindset during this time was simple: finish the job.
“You fight fire with fire. All of our coaches in all three sports will preach that,” Melick said. “And they started catching on fire, and now it’s time for us to get going. You don’t want to ruin a good thing that’s going on. So coach just said, ‘Get back on the gas pedal and put the nail in the coffin.’”
And while Melick’s scoring stood out Friday, so did the other elements of his game. He tallied a team-high 8 rebounds and was a key distributor in the East Knox offense. He also managed to set the tone for his team defensively, using his physicality and athleticism to deter shots and come away with steals.
“I think this is the best game he’s played for me,” Powell said afterwards.
While Melick shone bright on Friday, both he and Powell termed it a complete team win. Peyton Lester and Shane Knepp, the Bulldogs’ speedy backcourt duo, combined for 25 points. The team moved in lock-step defensively, making Highland uncomfortable from start to finish.
“I thought our team defense was excellent,” Powell said. “We kind of hang our hat on our defense – it’s been good at times, but we haven’t put four quarters together all year. And I thought we did that tonight.”
After starting the season 1-4, East Knox has now won five of its last six games. The Bulldogs (6-5) will stay home Tuesday for a rematch against Fredericktown (11-0), which is now ranked fifth in the state.
East Knox jumped out to a 29-16 halftime lead against Fredericktown on Dec. 8, but couldn’t close the deal. The Freddies outscored the Bulldogs 32-14 in the second half, securing a 48-43 home win.
Powell believes the Bulldogs have a chance to knock off the undefeated Freddies on Tuesday, in a game that will likely carry major KMAC title implications. But it’ll take another four-quarter effort from his team.
“I like where we’re headed. We’ve got a big challenge on Tuesday. We played well over there, but didn’t finish it; they came back and outplayed us in the second half. So we’re looking forward to (the rematch) …” Powell said.
“We’ll have our hands full, but if we play like we did tonight, I think we can compete with those guys.”
