UPDATED: Jack Howland sets new Hillsboro all-time scoring mark

HILLSBORO — A new all-time scoring mark was set for Hillsboro High School Monday night as Hillsboro junior Jack Howland became the Indians’ all-time scoring leader in basketball following a 22-point point performance against the Jackson Ironmen. 

Monday, at HHS, the Indians hosted the Ironmen and fell by a 56-33 score in the Frontier Athletic Conference game.

Howland needed 13 points entering the game to set the new all-time record, and he set the new mark with 1:45 left in the third quarter by sinking a free throw. In Howland’s 22-point effort against Jackson, he now has 1,253 points thus far in his career, which is 66 games. 

“It is pretty cool to get the record, and I am grateful for the opportunity to play,” Jack Howland said. “I think I’ve worked pretty hard for it, and I am just grateful for the opportunity, and I am glad to be here. 

“They (Jackson) had a pretty tough defense, but getting it on a free throw wasn’t as cool, but Jackson is a good team and I got what I could.”

Howland also spoke about all the family, friends and fans cheering him on. 

“I have a lot of support and I am really grateful for them,” he said. “I have a lot of good people around me and a lot of good teammates. I am just glad to be here and to be surrounded by a lot of good people.”  

Howland in his career is averaging nearly 19.0 points per game and recently had his career-high total, a 41-point game on Saturday, Jan. 31 at New Richmond, as he currently has scored 477 points through the first 19 games of this season.  

“First, the young man Jack passed, T.J. Turner, he was back in my day, and that record has been around for 27 years,” Hillsboro head coach Josh Howland said. “He was at 1,245, and T.J. brought a lot of excitement to this area for four years, that’s for sure. To play football at Michigan State and to be drafted by the Patriots is pretty outstanding. It is good company to be in.

“The biggest thing that has allowed Jack to score this many points is playing his first two seasons with Tate Davis (who was a senior last season). Tate was the go-to guy Jack’s first two seasons, so everyone put their best defender on Tate, and that freed Jack up and made it a lot easier for him to get the high number. It has been the perfect storm.”

The HHS junior Howland also collected seven rebounds in the game. 

“Jack is super committed to the game, and it matters to have good teammates and having good kids around him,” Coach Howland said. “He doesn’t get that many points without having good teammates. It has been fun as a dad to watch Jack achieve the success he has.” 

Howland surpassed the former recordholder, T.J. Turner, who previously set the mark in 1997 with 1,245 points in his four-year basketball career at HHS. Turner — who passed away in 2014 —  was a decorated athlete at HHS who went on to play college football at Michigan State and was drafted by the New England Patriots. Turner is also a member of the Hillsboro High School Athletic Hall of Fame. 

In the FAC game, Jackson and Hillsboro battled close in the first frame with the Indians trailing by just two points at 13-11 when the quarter came to a close, and once HHS held a two-point lead following a layup by Mason Dumpert with 4:47 left in the quarter for a 6-4 advantage. 

From there, the Indians didn’t hold the lead for the remainder of the game, as Jackson scored 12 of the next 14 points to end the first frame with the two-point lead. Jackson ended the first quarter with a 10-0 run with points from Stephen Jenkins, Ryan Seimetz, Bodhi Wolford and Waylon Delong, as Seimetz and Delong sank 3-pointers. 

“The lack of energy killed us,” Coach Howland said. “They (JHS) came out with a lot of energy, and they came out with focus, and we came out with a lack of energy and a lack of focus, so that’s probably the difference of the game all the way through. 

“They are very strong, and four of five of their players use that strength to their advantage. Most of their players have started for three-and-a-half years. They had some injuries that put them in the lineup early in their careers, and they’ve defensively taken advantage of that opportunity. They’ve gelled well as a team.”

The Indians were outscored 16-3 in the second frame as the Ironmen put their stamp on the game as their own with baskets to start the second from Jax Carroll, Charlie Woodard and a 3-pointer by Dayton Kallner for a 20-11 lead with 4:49 left in the first half. 

Hillsboro’s lone basket of the frame was a 3-pointer by Brady Juillerat — who finished with five points and seven rebounds — with 4:27 on the clock. Jackson ended the second quarter with a 9-0 run for a 15-point lead at 29-14. 

“The second quarter where they got us 16-3 was a backbreaker,” Coach Howland said. “Looking at it, it was them (Jackson) being disciplined, running their sets and us not taking care of the ball and not running our sets.” 

The third frame didn't fare well for the Indians either on the scoreboard, with JHS winning the frame at 20-9. 

One positive for the Indians in the quarter was it made history in their record book as Howland reached the all-time career milestone with a jumper at the 4:09 mark, and later came a made free throw (he eventually made both shots on the trip to the line), as the front half of trip set the new Indians’` scoring record with 1:45 left in the quarter. 

The Indians also had two free throws made by Juillerat near the end of the third, but JHS responded with a 3-pointer by CJ Crabtree for a 49-23 lead over the host Indians headed into the final quarter. 

HHS scored 10 points in the fourth quarter with Howland making two two-point baskets and four free throws on four attempts. HHS also had a layup from Dumpert in the frame, as he finished the game with four points, two rebounds, two assists and two blocks. 

Jackson ended the scoring in the game with a 3-pointer from Delong with 2:42 on the clock as JHS gained a 23-point victory as the Ironmen scored seven points in the final quarter. 

Hillsboro also had two points in the game from Easton Inman, as he also totaled one rebound and one assist. Dawson Barnett had two rebounds and two assists for HHS. JaHari Pitts collected two rebounds, and teammate Jeven Hochstuhl had one steal. 

For the game, the Indians’ team totals were seven two-point baskets, three 3-pointers, and they were 10-of-10 from the free-throw line with Howland finishing 8-of-8 and Dumpert going 2-of-2. HHS also had 21 rebounds (four offensive), five assists, one steal and two blocks with 21 turnovers.

The Indians now stand at 1-8 in the FAC and 5-14 overall. Jackson improves to 6-3 in the FAC and 15-3 overall. 

Hillsboro is scheduled to play a non-conference game on the road Tuesday evening (Feb. 10) as they will face the Huntington Huntsmen at Huntington Local High School. 

Jackson is scheduled to play next on Tuesday, Feb. 10 against Meigs at JHS in non-conference action. 

BOX SCORE
JHS    13 16 20 07 — 56
HHS    11 03 09 10 — 33