This Falcon flies high
KARNS CITY — Allan Eaton tucked the basketball under his left arm and smiled.
As he left the court at Karns City High, he shook hands with his teammates and coaches, then waved to the A-C Valley fans in the stands who celebrated his latest and greatest night.
Eaton, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, was an unstoppable force for the Falcons Friday night.
Whether it was inside or outside, from the field or from the free throw line, he was on, scoring a school-record 46 points in a much-needed win.
“I came out in the first quarter, and I felt really good,” said Eaton, who also had 20 rebounds and five blocked shots. “I don't know if you have those nights a lot, but I couldn't miss in the first quarter.
Eaton scored 14 points in the first eight minutes. He had 26 points and 10 boards at the half and scored 12 more points in the fourth quarter as A-C Valley held off a late charge by Karns City for an 82-65 win.
The previous single-game scoring record for the Falcons was 43 points by Tim Orton, set in the mid-1980s.
Eaton might not have many more nights to show off his skills on the basketball court.
He soon faces a difficult decision: basketball or his desired college major.
“My favorite saying is, ‘Life is full of choices,'” said A-C Valley coach Jim Marron. “He's going to have to decide what he wants to do. My guess is Allan wants to play basketball.”
Eaton, though, isn't quite sure.
He wants to major in petroleum engineering and few schools offer a degree in that field.
West Virginia University is one of them. Penn State is another. Both are Division I basketball programs and Eaton would have to be a walk-on to play at those schools — a tough road for any player.
Division II schools are lining up for his services, but none has his major.
“I know if I don't play, I'm going to miss it,” Eaton said. “If I do (go to WVU or Penn State), I would like to work hard in the summer and try to walk-on. But there are no guarantees. It's tough. I'm really torn.”
For now, Eaton is focused on being the most dominant player he can be.
His 46-point effort pushed his scoring average to 25.8 points per game this season. A-C Valley, which had been struggling up until Friday's win, might need as many points from Eaton as he can produce.
He's surrounded by four sophomores in the starting lineup. Not only has Eaton had to carry the team as a scorer, but also as an on-the-court leader.
“I really wish I had another year with this team,” Eaton said. “I remember when I was (young) and I was terrified. They are handling it much better than I did. Sometimes I'm a little too hard on them, but sometimes I think they need that.”
