2009-10’s Most Memorable Moment

Tuesday, February 17, Jimtown H.S. gym, Baugo Twp., Indiana

The seeds for 2009-10’s most memorable moment were sown two years earlier, on another Tuesday night, two days before Thanksgiving of Seth Kauffman’s sophomore year. That night he took the floor in the Menno Lands for the first time in a varsity uniform, and he led the team in points that season with 258.
Forwards Jordan Shetler and Stephen Pettifor graduated in 2008, and Kauffman stepped in at the first chance he got. In that season’s inaugural game, he poured in 28 points; a last-second three-point shot from Justin Jantzi won the game for Westview 53-50.
The above games are just two examples of how Kauffman reached his standing on the career points list; at 693, he was ninth behind Ed Lewis, who graduated with 706 points, after playing only two years. Kauffman passed Lewis with 26 points in his first game, then surpassed Myron Bontreger’s mark of 751 on December 4 at Prairie Heights and topped David Plaster in a game five days later.
The names of Larry Crilow, Gary Chupp and Tom Lantz went down in similar fashion, and Kauffman entered the Fort Wayne Blackhawk contest January 30 with 932 career points. His 14 that night were three better than Michigan State recruit Russell Byrd did, and Bethany won 52-45. Kauffman added 18 against Clinton Christian and 13 versus Elkhart Christian the next week, putting him only 10 points from Jordan Buller and a tie for second place in school history; he would get 20 that Thursday night in Auburn, Indiana against Lakewood Park.
That set up a memorable Tuesday night on County Road 26, although the game would end up being memorable for a different, unexpected reason. Kauffman entered the game needing only three points for 1,000 in his career. For the man who was averaging 19 points per game, that was not expected to be a challenge.
A challenge it was: the Bruins as a team were held scoreless in the first quarter, and Kauffman did not score in the second quarter or the first three minutes of the third, missing his first three attempts. But with 4:52 to go in the penultimate period, orange pebbled rubber met white nylon and left Kauffman’s career total at 999.
The history Bruin fans were waiting to see came with 1:45 on the clock in the third quarter. Kauffman drove to the lane and shot a right-handed layup. The ball kissed the backboard, then the rim’s left side, and fell through the hoop. Play was blown dead after another second elapsed and Kauffman’s achievement was announced to all in attendance. He would be presented with the game ball before Bethany’s home game four days later against LaVille.
Kauffman finished his career with 1,104 points, only 42 behind four-year varsity player and 1997 alumnus Eliot Friesen.
(Layup photo by Ricky Yoder/Be Blessed Photos, via Michiana Sports Authority; sign photo by Jay Seawell/Elkhart Truth)