MANSFIELD, Ohio (BVM) — Midway through the third quarter, in a tied game against Shelby High School in his eighth grade league championship, then 13-year-old middle schooler Griffin Shaver forced a steal, grabbed the ball, ran down the other end and ripped a wide open transition three-point shot to give Ontario Middle School a lead they would never relinquish. 

The game would become Shaver’s signature moment in his young basketball career. The shooting guard ended up with 32 points in the contest and never looked back.

Shaver started playing basketball in kindergarten. He would compete in friendly leagues up until sixth grade when he started playing for Ontario Middle School. In seventh grade, he also joined the travel basketball program, competing with many different teams over the course of six years.

The best part about basketball in Shaver’s mind is the team building culture the sport creates.

“The team chemistry in basketball is amazing,” Shaver said. “I’ve been playing basketball with the same group of guys since first grade. We’ve grown together and became close with each other through basketball.”

Now a senior at Ontario High School, the 18-year-old point guard who would rather talk about his teammates’ accomplishments than his own says his support group is the catalyst for his success.

“I’m where I’m at today because of hard work,” Shaver said. “My coaches and my teammates push me everyday to be the best they can be. We’ve had a lot of great coaches and players walk through those Ontario High School doors, and I’m just trying to live up to their greatness.”

Though he played basketball as a kid growing up in the early 2000s, Shaver didn’t begin watching basketball until the early 2010s. He became a big fan of former Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft and tried to emulate his pass first approach after him. However, as Shaver explains, a point guard’s role on the court is more than just getting his teammates involved.

“I’m a facilitator, but I also look to score when I can,” Shaver said. “I can shoot, but I also like getting my teammates open. Most of the time, I just take what the defense gives me, and I’m not making up my mind pre-play on what I’m going to do.”

Shaver’s coach, Joe Balogh, said Shaver’s attitude is how he got to where he is today.

“Griffin is one of the most coachable players we have had in our basketball program for the 35-plus years that I have been the varsity basketball coach at Ontario High School,” Balogh said. “His biggest attribute is the respect that he has for his peers and the adults that he deals with on a daily basis. I think that you would find it hard for anyone who knows Griffin or has only met Griffin on an occasion to say anything bad about him.

“He is a great competitor on the court. He has a great desire to win. Whether that means him scoring 20 points or helping a teammate score 20 points, he wants to do what is best for our team.”

Living in the same city all his young-adult life, Shaver believes playing with the same group of guys is what makes him the most comfortable on the court. He describes his leadership style as direct.

“It helps with me playing with a lot of my close friends because I’m not afraid to yell at them,” Shaver said. “I’m not afraid to tell them how it is, so I think they respect me that way because I’m straight forward with them. I push them to become the best person they can possibly be.”

On Dec. 18, 2020, against Clear Fork High School, Shaver became the fifth player ever in Ontario High School history to score 1,000 points.

With 2:01 remaining in the final period and trailing by three points, Shaver only needed one more point to reach 1,000. Shaver ran to the left corner of the floor and caught a baseline out of bounds pass from his teammate, rose up and sank the shot to tie the game, giving him 1,002 career high school points.

The game was stopped to recognize the senior for his amazing accomplishment. Shaver was given the game ball, which he gave to his parents before returning to the hardwood to finish the game.

“It made me excited and humble,” Shaver said. “Honestly, when the moment happened, I didn’t focus too much on the moment because I was trying to concentrate on the game, and all that’s important is that we got the win. Afterwards, getting to celebrate with my family and friends was fun.”

Balogh, who has coached all five 1,000-point scorers in Ontario history, said he would not have wanted Shaver to score 1,000 points any other way.

“It was fitting that his 1000th point came on a three-point shot in the fourth quarter that gave us the lead in a game that we had trailed in until that point,” Balogh said. “Griffin has always been a great kid to be around. I think that he has matured to be not only a good player but has also understood that importance of being a good person and a role model to younger players in our program.

“He will leave our program at the end of this season as one of the top players to have played in the Ontario basketball program, and will likely be a player that we will not only talk about his accomplishments as a player, but we will also talk about his accomplishments as a person as he pursues his dreams and goals.”

Shaver credits coach Balogh and his former AAU coach David McWhinnie — now the current coach for Toledo Christian — for helping him become the player he is today.

“If it wasn’t for coach Balogh and coach McWhinnie, I don’t know where I would be,” Shaver said. “Coach Balogh is a Ohio Hall of Fame coach. He and coach McWhinnie both are straight forward coaches. They told me my weaknesses, but they worked with me and pushed me to overcome my weaknesses.”

After high school, Shaver plans to play Division II football as a wide receiver at Ashland University. He did not start playing high school football until his senior season, but in his one season on the gridiron, he led the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference in receiving yards, earning him a scholarship at Ashland.

With basketball being his first love, Griffin notes since this is the last year of him competing on the hardwood, he’s laying it all on the line.

“Basketball has been a fun journey,” Shaver said. “The memories I made with the teams I played on, the coaches and players I met, those will live on forever, but right now, I’m focused on making a good run at the playoffs.”

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