By FRED SWIFT
With high school sports action being suspended because of the pandemic, one might ask what do you find on the sports page? Maybe a review of some sports records would be interesting, and we have outstanding records in Hamilton County.
For example, we have a sports dynasty here in Hamilton County that most sports followers are generally aware of, but don’t always realize how impressive it is or what factors brought it about.
The word dynasty has rarely if ever been used to describe the Carmel High School record over the past half-century, but it would certainly be applicable.
After 152 state championships in 22 High School Athletic Association sanctioned sports, Dynasty is the right description although CHS itself is cautious about using the term.
The 152 championships are more than twice the number of the next highest number, 64, won by North Central. Last year alone Carmel won seven championships which is a record.
The question arises as to how the program is so successful year after year. Some would say the sheer size of the school, now the state’s largest, is the reason. But in the 1970s when CHS began winning its many titles, it was far from the largest.
Size does help, but it has taken more. Good coaching has been a trademark in Carmel success. Coaches like Bill Shepherd, Jim Belden, Eric Clark, Dick Nyers, Dick Dullaghan and Scott Heady certainly have gotten well- deserved credit for great success in basketball and football.
Actually, the coaches with the greatest number of championships are Cross Country and Track coach Chuck Koeppen, with 23, and Girls Swimming coach Chris Plumb with 21.
Another major factor in the success of the dynasty can be found in the home where parents have provided the advantages and the encouragement that allow their kids to excel.
And, finally a community organization, the Carmel Dads Club, has been a tremendous asset in introducing youngsters to organized sports, and producing a type of unofficial feeder system for the high school teams.
CHS always guards against the idea that the school is only a sports factory. Actually the school ranks near the top of Indiana schools academically. And, in for those awards that are given on both sports success and academic achievement, CHS athletes have won 57 mental attitude awards, also a state record.
This spring, Carmel was playing pretty good basketball when the season came to an end Thursday with cancellation of the tourney. Could they have won another state title? We will never know.