Chase Kilgore’s senior year at Marysville High School has been nothing like he imagined, thanks to a stadium construction project and the coronavirus pandemic. Above, Kilgore reacts after a big play against Westland, the Monarchs second truly home game of season, on Oct. 11.
Above, Kilgore breaks free for a gain against Delaware in what was to have been a home game for Marysville but was played at Hilliard Bradley on Sept. 6. Below, Kilgore tags out a DeSales baserunner during a home baseball game in 2019. (Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller and Chad Williamson)
A two-sport Marysville athlete saw his senior year turned upside down…and then he tried to pick a college
Imagine you’re a star athlete in a couple of sports like Marysville High School senior Chase Kilgore.
It’s August of 2019 and you can’t wait to one, play on your school’s new turf football field and two, compete in your final season of baseball the following spring.
Every thing is sunshine and lollipops, right?
WRONG!!!!
Kilgore’s senior year at MHS has been topsy-turvy to say the least.
Granted, the Monarchs had one of their best football seasons in several years and earned a berth in the Division I state playoffs, but the season started with a cloud of uncertainty. A rainy spring and summer of 2019, along with some construction issues, delayed the team from getting to play on its new turf field.
The Monarchs had to go on the road to host Columbus Northland and Delaware Hayes at neutral sites the first two weeks of the campaign.
They were able to play their first real home game against Big Walnut in late September.
“We got to play only three real home football games, but we showed we were resilient,” he said. “We kept our eye on the prize of earning a state playoff berth.”
Kilgore said the senior football players appreciated the support of the school and community.
“Everybody had our backs,” he said. “The ‘Pit’ (the student cheering section) had our backs and each teammate did that for each other.
“We had to play Delaware Hayes at Hilliard Bradley High School and there were so many people there.”
Kilgore said it was a special feeling when the Monarchs were finally able to play on their new field.
“It was just amazing and I will never forget that feeling,” he said. “Coach (Brent) Johnson told us to look around and just soak it all in.”
The Monarchs defeated Big Walnut, 38-10, during that game played on Sept. 27. Kilgore, who rushed for 958 yards as a senior (he also played linebacker on defense), scored a touchdown in the game, the second ever in the new stadium.
The Monarchs followed that with home triumphs over Westland (36-14) and Central Crossing (35-0).
Over the winter, Kilgore was also anticipating another baseball season as the Monarchs’ starting catcher.
Once again, fate reared its ugly head in the form of the coronavirus pandemic.
The worldwide disease closed schools across Ohio in the middle of March and eventually led to the cancelation of the spring sports season.
Spring sports teams in Ohio had already begun preseason practice when Ohio Governor Mike DeWine closed schools.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association suspended practice sessions and postponed the start of the 2020 season.
Spring sports remained in limbo for several weeks.
DeWine had earlier targeted a May 1 opening for schools and the OHSAA had set the middle of the month as the start of an abbreviated sports season.
Last week, DeWine ordered schools to remain shuttered through the end of the academic year.
The OHSAA followed suit and cancelled all spring sports.
“When the season was still just postponed, I kept my hopes up that we’d play some games,” said Kilgore. “When it was announced last week the season was cancelled, I was just heart-broken.
“We have a real brotherhood and I felt this was going to be the strongest baseball team in my four years here,” he said. “I thought we could have challenged for an OCC (Ohio Capital Conference) championship and gone far in the Division I tournament.”
Despite the cancellation of the season, Kilgore has remained in baseball shape.
He often goes to Eljer Park to hit the ball and also catches a couple of MHS pitchers.
“I just need to keep the feel of baseball, but also at the same time keep everyone safe,” said Kilgore.
It is ironic that schools across Ohio closed and Kilgore wasn’t able to finish his senior year in the classroom.
He also experienced something of that nature in looking at colleges. The Marysville senior plans to continue his diamond career on the collegiate level, but that journey also followed a bumpy road.
“Cincinnati Christian University offered me for baseball, but they closed their doors,” said Kilgore. “I had also looked at Urbana University for both football and baseball, but now they’ve closed.
“I really didn’t have a lot of luck with schools this spring.”
But the Monarch senior’s resiliency paid off in the end. He will catch at the University of Findlay while studying education.
“I want to eventually come back to Marysville to teach and be an assistant baseball coach,” said Kilgore, who hit .259 for the Monarchs in 2019.
Kilgore had considered playing two sports in college.
“I also wanted to play college football, but I’ve just had too many concussions,” he said. “My family and I decided playing football wouldn’t be a good idea.”
Kilgore is happy to have found a collegiate home in Findlay. The NCAA Division II school is giving him some financial aid ($2,500 a year for baseball).
Kilgore said that will help during a time he calls “a strange spring and one to remember.”
“In some aspects, my senior year has been a disappointment,” said Kilgore. “If you look back at it, no other classes senior year has been this way.