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TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you free by WICU: Swearingen forever linked among Northview's greatest scorers
When Caleb Swearingen began his high school basketball career as a young freshman, there were things he wanted to accomplish.
One of the goals on his list was to get his name on the 1,000 points Club banner hanging on the walls inside Northview’s gymnasium.
On Nov. 21, 2017, he began his march to accomplishing that when he scored four points against Vincennes Lincoln in his first game donning the Knights uniform.
Fast forward to Jan. 9, 2021 when Swearingen entered the evening needing just 11 points to eclipse the 1,000-point mark.
He scored 19 on the night in a win against Owen Valley, but hit the milestone in the third quarter on a mid-range, fadeaway jump shot, making him the seventh to reach the 1,000 points milestone in program history.
“Caleb is a very hard-working young man. Seeing him accomplish something like that is awesome because he puts in a lot of time into the game. It’s well deserved. His game has evolved tremendously over the years,” said Northview coach Michael Byrum. “We kind of talked about that after the game in the locker room. I mentioned he came a long way from being a scrawny, little freshman. His freshman year, he was the point guard. His job was to distribute and kind of shoot open 3s. Now, his game has evolved so much and it’s because of his hard work.”
Swearingen joins Kenny Rowan (1989), Micah Workman (1993), Chris DeHart (1999), Logan Whitman (2004), Zack Keyes (2004) and Brigham Booe (2018) in Northview’s 1,000-point club.
“It definitely means a lot. Coming in my freshman year, that was a big goal of mine, to join the 1,000-point club. My freshman year, one of my good buddies, Brigham Booe, did it and I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” he said.
What will he remember most from the night he entered Northview’s history books?
“The bench’s reaction, probably,” he said.
“I knew I was getting close, but I didn’t know the exact number or what shot it was going to be. It was kind of my go-to, the one-legged fadeaway. The bench’s reaction just kind of hit home for me.”
With Swearingen becoming the seventh player to earn a membership into Northview’s 1,000-point Club, The Brazil Times reached out to the other six members to see what they remember from the night they accomplished the milestone and what it means to them after accomplishing the achievement years ago.
Kenny Rowan (2,138 points)
“To be honest, it has been so long ago I don’t recall how I felt about reaching the milestone of 2,000 points and I don’t recall what game or when it happened. Times were different back then. I know I did find it hard to believe that it happened and that I was proud of it.”
Logan Whitman (1,697 points)
“It seems like a lifetime ago, but if I really dive into the memory bank it feels like yesterday. I remember being at Sullivan my junior year. We needed to beat Jeffrey Moore to win the WIC. I had to seal the game with two free throws with just a few seconds left. I hit them both. I knew I needed 34 that night to get it, but I wasn’t sure where I was at for the game. Then, they announced that my last free throw made put me over the mark. I remember sharing the moment with my teammates, not so much as an individual accomplishment but sharing those moments with your teammates are what makes it worth it.”
Zack Keyes (1,315 points)
“It was an unusual night. We were playing at Rockville – the old Rock-O-Dome. I needed 11 points and ended up with 34.
Logan Whitman – teammate and good friend – was going up for a dunk during the game and had his legs taken out from under him. They had to bring a stretcher in and take him to the hospital. It was an emotional night. He ended up being okay, but it was a wild night. I got my 1,000th point on a free throw.
Playing basketball at Northview was special. The students, community, teammates, my coaches, just everything about those years was special. It’s something I will never forget. It’s an honor to have your name up in a gymnasium. It’s cliche, but so true – it wouldn’t be up there without the coaches and teammates that were surrounding me those years. Those memories, coaches and teammates, they are the reason I coach and teach today. Those high school days shaped my future.”
Micah Workman (1,116 points)
“That is a big milestone to achieve. Congratulations to Caleb. Unfortunately, the high school did not keep track when I was playing. It wasn't until Logan Whitman was close to reaching 1,000 points did they go back and do the research and find out who all had scored 1,000 points in their career. That was several years after I had graduated. That being said, Charlie Jackson was gracious enough to give me a game ball after all those years with my total and the date that I scored my 1,000th point. It was February 5, 1993 against Greencastle.”
Brigham Booe (1,016 points)
“To me, scoring 1,000 points in high school was always a goal of mine. I never thought I would be able to accomplish it after I transferred from Clay City to Northview and had two years of varsity eligibility to do it in. It meant a lot to me because I worked very hard to be the best player I could be and that drive really came from the people who pushed me day in and day out, which all really started with my parents from a young age and also all the coaches and mentors I had during my career. It feels pretty special to be a part of the 1,000-point club with some of the greatest players to play at Northview. I’m very proud of Caleb and what he has accomplished. I’m really excited to see what the future holds for him as he goes to the next level.”
Chris DeHart (1,001 points)
“First, congratulations to Caleb on his achievement. I’ve been fortunate to be able to watch his career at Northview and watch the player he has become, but more importantly the young man he has turn into.
Reaching this achievement is special but I was fortunate having great teammates and wonderful coaching staff led by Coach Crooks. I reached it my final game in sectionals on a one-and-one with, I believe, 30 to 40 seconds left in the game. Have to say that was the most nervous I’ve been shooting free throws. Again, I benefited with great group of people around me. I still joke around with Coach Crooks for not letting me dress varsity my freshman year.”