BLANCHESTER, Ohio — Ayden Basham’s first home football game of his senior season was a Friday night he won’t ever forget.
The Blanchester senior running back rushed for 250 yards and six touchdowns in the Wildcats’ 56-49 win over visiting Cincinnati Country Day on Aug. 29. Basham also threw a 53-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
“It’s pretty cool,” Basham said. “It was a great feeling out there — never felt anything better.”
Basham’s performance earned him the WCPO 9 High School Football Player of the Week award.
The three-sport athlete tied for second in Blanchester football program history with six rushing touchdowns, according to Blanchester athletic director Brad Ballinger.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that,” Blanchester football coach Robert Schooley said. “I wasn’t personally counting. But just after the game, when he had six and he threw for one, I was like, ‘Dang, it’s a lot of offense for one guy.’ But you know what? He kept wanting me to feed him. He was like, ‘Just keep giving me the ball, Coach.’”
Schooley didn’t hesitate. The Wildcats kept giving Basham the football during the game.
“I couldn’t have done anything without my offensive line,” Basham said. “Those guys upfront – they work their tails off every single practice day in and day out. They protect me and they just do their jobs.”
Basham kept a silent count in his head after the third touchdown. Ballinger asked him rhetorically on the sideline why not add some more trips to the end zone. Basham did just that.
“I had all kinds of people coming up to me after the game,” Basham said. “Everybody wanted pictures and they were all telling me I had an amazing game. And telling me that I was a stud – all kinds of stuff like that. People were posting me on Facebook. It was really cool. It was really fun seeing everybody supporting me and just there at the game.”
Basham, 17, said he hopes last week’s game is part of a foundation for his football future. Playing football in college is his dream.
“Football and all the sports — it’s my thing,” Basham said. “It’s my passion. That’s what I’m passionate about.”
Schooley said Basham is leading the team early this season as a captain.
“He’s making sure kids are doing things the right way,” Schooley said. “He’s been taking the hard right over the easy wrong. Last week, he got on board with, 'Hey, let’s believe and win it,' and he carried the team in.”
Blanchester (1-1) plays host to Middletown Madison (0-2) this Friday night.
