LOUDONVILLE — There was nothing unlucky about the number 13, at least not in Loudonville on Friday night.
That is the number worn by Redbird senior Judah Layton who made history by scoring his 1,000th career point when he sank his second free throw with 2:51 remaining in the first half of Friday night’s 72-70 win over Danville.
“I wish he was a freshman,” Loudonville coach Tim Brafford said of his senior standout.
Oh yes there was a game, one that saw 16 lead changes, five ties and the Redbirds stopping the Blue Devils 72-70 in a game that was not decided until the last second.
Loudonville took the final lead when Layton hit two free throws with 50 seconds remaining.
“That was the most exciting ballgame I have ever played in,” Layton said.
Brafford, in his first year at the helm of the basketball program, said it did not take long to see what a special player number 13 was.
“They (Loudonville schools) hired me in late June, and I knew immediately that he was something special,” Brafford said.
Layton’s career achievement inspired his coach to illustrate a brief basketball philosophy.
“You build offenses to help players score, we don’t have to do that with Judah, he can hit from anywhere,” Brafford said. “He is everything. He is the heart and soul of this team.”
Layton becomes just the fifth player in Loudonville High School history to eclipse the 1,000 point mark.
Marlon Zody who played for the Redbirds from 1950 to 53, Tom Dennison (1953 to 56), Shawn Swindell (2014-17), Jacob Gessner (2018-2021) and now Judah Layton.
“When you score 1,000 points, you are a genuine athlete,” Brafford said.
Layton has been the captain of both the basketball and baseball teams for the past two years. But Friday night was something special with a nice home-crowd advantage keenly aware of their favorite Redbird’s impending achievement.
“(Danville) played very physical, they were going to try and stop me,” Layton said. “I wasn’t really nervous, more excited.”
Layton was not the only one who was excited. Hundreds of signs were passed out with “Judah Layton, 1,000 points” printed on them.
What does the future hold for Layton? He plans to attend Ohio Christian University in Circleville on a gold scholarship to study sports management.
“My ultimate goal when I get older is to own my own golf course,” he said. “If that doesn’t work out maybe be a chiropractor.”
With the victory, Loudonville improved to 4-15 and will host Triway on Saturday night.
Danville falls to 4-13 overall, and will be home for Mansfield St. Peter’s on Saturday night.