Fraley, Lucas and Aldridge attended the Wade E. Miller reunion. Linville died in 2008, and Carter was unable to attend. Carter also was named Ohio’s Coach of the Year at Middletown in 1987-88, making him the only person to win both player and coach awards in the state.
Don “Woody” Withrow, who graduated from MHS in 1953, organized the reunion of Middie greats. He said since Lucas was in town, he thought it would be a good opportunity to get the other players together.
Lucas, who turns 80 next month, called Wade E. Miller Gym that opened last season at the high school on Breiel Boulevard “an incredible facility,” possibly the best in the state.
“I don’t know a better arena,” Lucas said. “It’s a special place.”
During his three-year career (freshmen were ineligible), Lucas was a three-time Player of the Year, scored 2,460 points and led the Middies to a 76-1 record, the lone loss coming in the state championship game his senior season.
He called that time in Middletown history “the good days, unique days that never will be repeated.”
Unlike today, when youth players gain wide notoriety, few outside Middletown or Ohio knew about Lucas, who later became the state’s most heralded college recruit. His junior high games were played at 3:30 p.m. on Thursdays, and since most parents worked, there were only a handful of fans in the stands. After each game, there was a “blurb” in the Middletown Journal, he said.
“Nobody knew that I could play,” Lucas said. “People didn’t know what was happening the next street over let alone around the world.”
Lucas is writing a book about the Middie Magic and how his mental approach impacted his life on and off the basketball court.
When asked about being a three-time Player of the Year, Lucas said awards always came second to winning.
“I don’t think about it,” he said. “It happened. Individual things is not what I played for. I always wanted to be part of a team.”
He also won a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, NCAA Championship at Ohio State and NBA Championship with the New York Knicks, making him the first player to win titles in high school, Olympics, college and pros.
Aldridge, 65, has had both hips replaced and had heart issues, but now he’s doing “very well,” he said.
Growing up in Middletown, Aldridge said he idolized Fraley because of his outside shot.
“He was one of my heroes,” he said. “He was an amazing player.”
MIDDLETOWN HIGH SCHOOL STATE BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Name, Year, Scoring Average
Shelby Linville, 1947-48, 13.8
John Fraley, 1967-68, 32.0
Jerry Lucas, 1955-56, 28.1
Jerry Lucas, 1956-57, 36.0
Jerry Lucas, 1957-58, 34.3
Archie Aldridge, 1972-73, 35.2
Butch Carter, 1975-76, 26.0
SOURCE: Ohio High School Athletic Association
About the Author