Earlier this basketball season, Xavier Simpson, Lima Senior High’s incredibly gifted point guard, established a new mark as the highest scorer in the history of Lima city basketball. Xavier exploded for 59 points in a 103-57 victory over Fremont Ross. Simpson nailed 23 field goals including eight 3-point shots and five free throws. In an interview with the Fremont Messenger following the game Xavier said, “I’ve had nights where I was feeling it, but not like tonight.” Simpson, who will play at the University of Michigan next year, took a seat on the bench at the end of the third quarter with 47 points in the scorebook and thinking his night was over. But the assistant coaches on the Spartan staff encouraged head coach Quincey Simpson, Xavier’s father, to let him go for the record. I would have done the same. “He had a special night,” Coach Q remarked, “when you get those special nights from a player, sometimes you just have to let them go.” And go he did. Twelve points later and still five minutes remaining on the clock, Xavier headed for the Spartan bench as the new holder of the Lima city scoring record. It was a record that was held by his cousin Greg Simpson and stood for over 20 years.
Xavier’s feat sparked my curiosity about previous record holders so I began to do a little research in order to rediscover the athletes who held the mark before him.
Greg Simpson (Lima Senior High – 1992, 57 points)
Greg should need no introduction to basketball fans. The two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball produced a highlight film nearly every time he took the floor for Lima Senior High in the early 1990s. Greg set the scoring mark against Toledo Start in his senior year. At the time he was unaware of the record or that he was even approaching the mark. “I was shooting a free throw at the end of an up and down game and when I made it the announcer told the crowd I had just set a new scoring record,” he remembers. “I was kind of shocked because I didn’t even know what the record was.” The 6-foot-1 Simpson broke Joe Fisher’s record of 55 points that was established more than 20 years earlier. Greg played college ball at Ohio State and West Virginia. When I asked Greg how he felt about his record being broken he told me, “I was excited for Xavier. I called to congratulate him that night and told him it was OK because it was still in the family.” Greg Simpson can still ball. He is the leading scorer in the American Old Timers League, an over 35 league that has ballclubs in three states. He averages 30 points a game and no doubt is still throwing down his patented, under the elbow, alley-oop dunk on unsuspecting souls.
Joe Fisher (Lima Central Catholic – 1970, 55 points)
Fisher remains the all-time leading scorer in T-Bird history. His record achievement came at Van Wert in December of his senior year in a 93-74 victory. I was sitting on the bench as a first year assistant coach when Joe set the new mark. He came out of the game early in the fourth quarter having scored 43 points. Our score keeper, Joe Stoll, leaned over and advised the coaches that Fisher was just two points shy of the Lima city scoring mark set by the Spartans’ Bill McBride four years earlier. Fisher was sent back into the game and quickly scored on six consecutive possessions to firmly establish a new record. The 6-foot-8 Fisher was always more comfortable facing the basket and many of his shots came from deep but only counted as two points in that era. Recruited by several national powers, Fisher chose the University of Dayton, his favorite team growing up. Joe retired early after a successful career as national sales manager for Ohio Bell AT&T and now resides in Florida.
Bill McBride (Lima Senior High – 1966, 45 points)
McBride’s record-setting performance came against Hamilton Taft in January of his senior year. He scored 16 field goals and converted 13 free throws to establish the new mark. The game with Taft was a thriller won by Hamilton on a last second shot 80-79. Bill’s 45 points also broke the previous Spartan individual scoring record of 38 points set by Bill Clay in 1957. Mark Shine, local basketball aficionado, remembers McBride “was a tremendous back to the basket player who mastered every post move. He could fake defenders off their feet and score in a dozen different ways and he was also a great foul shooter.” The 6-foot-6 McBride turned down basketball scholarship offers to accept admission to Harvard University where he picked up a new sport, crew. After graduation, McBride established an architectural firm in Chicago and for twenty-five years designed churches, schools, commercial buildings, homes and historic renovations. Upon retirement McBride fulfilled his new dream of becoming a “sculptor on the prairie.” According to his website, McBride is now a naturalist living in the heart of the Flint Hills in Kansas pursing his new passion. Bill’s sculptures have been shown in numerous galleries. To gain a deeper appreciation of McBride’s vision and work, check out his website. (billmcbridegallery.com)
Bill Murphy (Lima Central Catholic – 1961, 44 points)
Murphy established his record point total in a game at Kenton, a 91-79 win for the T-Birds. I was an eighth-grade student at the time and witnessed his record setting performance. The game was played in the old Kenton gymnasium that had a balcony above the floor much like the one at Lima South. The 5-foot-9 red head was spectacular that night pulling up on a dime and delivering jump shot after jump shot. I remember being mesmerized by his lightening quickness and soft shooting touch. Bill was a gifted three-sport athlete who had scholarship opportunities to play football, basketball or baseball at the college level. He chose a baseball scholarship to Ohio University, a top 10 program in the nation during that era. He was one of the leading hitters in the country his senior year and a lock for the professional baseball draft when, sadly, a devastating rotator cuff injury ended his promising career. Bill is retired, living in Columbus, and a scratch golfer.
Tom Riepenhoff (Lima St. John’s – 1948, 41 points)
Riepenhoff scored 41 points against Mendon in a 1948 game. His point total included 20 field goals and a free throw. Riepenhoff’s record stood for 13 years. Tom was one of nine Riepenhoff brothers, eight of whom played basketball for Lima St. John’s. He was the seventh in line and often referred to as “Lucky number 7.” Old timers from that era I have spoken with are effusive in their praise of his gifted athleticism. Riepenhoff’s son, Tom, is now a respected college football and basketball official.
John Callahan (Lima St. Rose – 1947, 37 points)
This is where the trail ended in my research. I have no statistics on Callahan’s achievement, only that he set a new city scoring standard in 1947. I plan to keep digging into this and go as far back as possible. I will let you know what I discover.
Note: The schools included in the Lima city scoring record are Lima Senior High, Lima Central Catholic, Lima South, Lima Central, Lima St. Rose, Lima St. Gerard, Lima St. John’s and Lima High School.
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