Ray Sims enters 27th season as Bobcats' 'Numbers Man'

CAMBRIDGE − Veteran Cambridge High boys basketball statistician/historian Ray Sims has seen the highs and lows of the Bobcat program as he enters his 27th year on the job.

Sims, who has taught mathematics in the Cambridge City School system for the last 29 years, got involved with the boys basketball program during the 'Golden Years' of the Bobcats under legendary former head coach Gene Ford.

Coach Ford compiled an impressive 400-183 career record over 25 years (1980-2005) of guiding the Cambridge boys program.

Ford guided the Bobcats to eight regional tournaments and a total of five OHSAA state tournament appearances in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000 and a state runner-up finish during the 1995 season.

"In my first six years with Coach Ford and the program, we went to state three times. Those were just some very exciting years of Cambridge boys basketball. It was something the entire Cambridge community rallied around," Sims said. "Coach Ford was just so good with building relationships with the players."

"He was just so knowledgeable about the game of basketball. I'm sure he forgot more basketball than most coaches ever knew," Sims continued. "Coach Ford was just the real deal. He was a special, special coach and just a great man as well. He would always take the blame for the struggles and give the players all the credit for our success. It made those kids really loyal and wanting to play for him."

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An unexpected new job for Sims

"I first came to Cambridge for my first teaching assignment in 1995," said Sims, a 1988 graduate of Philo High School and Ohio University. "But I didn't get involved with the athletic department until the 1997 season with the boys basketball program. And really it was not something that was planned, sort of just happened.

"When I got here in 1995, it was a big year as the boys got to the state finals, and I heard about the team and started going to home games," Sims said. "So, I was just a teacher, just a fan during that season, and it was really exciting."

Cambridge returned to the state tournament the next season in 1996, and Sims continued to follow the team and had now purchased season tickets. And Sims continued to just attend home games. Then early into the 1997 season, Sims' role turned from fan to unexpectedly becoming the Bobcats' statistician.

"To start the 1997 season, we played the first two games at home, so of course I went," Sims said. "Then I decided I wanted to go the next game, which was away at St. Clairsville. But I didn't know where it was, so I was in the coaches office and asked Paul Arrick, who was the JV boys coach where it was.

"Coach Arrick just said, 'Why don't you just ride the bus with us?" Sims said. "He said my bookkeeper may not be able to make the game, and if it doesn't you can keep my book. I told him, I had never done it before. But he said you will be fine, so I went and studied that book all the way to St. Clairsville trying to learn it on the fly."

But current CHS bookkeeper Bob Shepard, another longtime key member of the Bobcats' boys basketball program, did make the game so Sims wasn't needed to fill in.

"So we get back to the school and Coach Ford is trying to get the stats together to call in the results," Sims said. "We're all talking, and I just said to Coach Ford. I can figure those up for you real quick. After all math is my thing, and he says sure go ahead."

From that point, Sims had a new position as the boys basketball statistician/historian and has held that position ever since.

Coaches come and go, Sims remains

Following Coach Ford's departure following the 2005 season, Sims has continued keeping track of the team's statistics as well as each of the Bobcats' student-athletes' achievements.

"Coach Ford was a tough act to follow for sure," Sims said. "We've had some good teams since then, but maybe just not that consistent success we had back then. But I've really enjoyed working with all the different coaches. I've worked with a lot of different guys and took something away from each one of them."

Sims has worked with a total of six CHS head basketball coaches including Ford, Don Vogt, (5 years), Mike Andrews (3 years), Sheryl Weber (4 years), Andy Slaughter (4 years), and current head coach Kyle Pertuset (3 years)

Pertuset, who enters his fourth season leading the Bobcats, is greatly appreciative of Sims contributions to his program.

"Ray Sims is a valuable asset of the Cambridge basketball program and has been long before my arrival. Ray is someone you can count on, someone you can lean on, whenever Ray does something for the program, you can guarantee it is going to be done right and with passion," Pertuset said. "That passion which is genuine based on his love and dedication for Bobcat basketball.

"Being from smaller schools and living the Single A lifestyle throughout my coaching career prior to coming to Cambridge, I know what it's like to not have the benefit of someone like a Ray Sims taking care of all your statistics and roster logistics," Pertuset added. "Sometime things like this can be taken for granted, but with my personal and professional experiences, I for one never will. I know Cambridge basketball certainly does not, and we appreciate Ray very much."

Helping out wherever needed

Despite boys basketball being his main sport, Sims has also helped out with the football program (21 years), baseball program (9 years) and continues to help out his good friend Bob Shepard, the veteran head coach of the Lady Bobcats' softball program with this spring being his 17th season.

CHS football coaches Sims worked with include Rick Spencer (1 year), Rick Goodrich (12 years), Kevin Gunn (6 years) and Josh Lowery (2 years). In baseball, Sims was bookkeeper for Bill Kafury (1 year) and served as an assistant coach under Paul Arrick for seven years.

"For years I would just go from sport to sport," Sims said. "I was happy to help out with each program, but finally it just got to be too much, and I had to cut it down a bit. I was just burning myself out, so now I just do boys basketball and softball with my good friend Bob Shepard."

Sims has also worked at scorers table for girls basketball for former head coach Dan Linscott, and was substitute bookkeeper for Tim Leppla in his first stint as girls basketball head coach.

Sims contributes in classroom

Shepard, Sims' longtime friend and colleague, feels that his contributions in the classroom are just as important as his work with the athletic programs at Cambridge.

"Ray has become like a brother to me, we have spent a lot of time together over the years," Shepard said. "On the road with the boys basketball road trips, with my softball program and that's a lot of fond memories we have."

"But I feel Ray is one of the best teachers we have ever had at Cambridge," Shepard added. "The kids, when you ask them about Mr. Sims, they all talk highly of him. I know my own kids loved him in school when they had him. And that's the same sentiment you get from most all of the students."

Sims feels right at home

"I was welcomed here right from the start, Gene and his staff just welcomed me in and treated me like one of their own. And I was just some new guy coming here," Sims said. "That really stuck with me, and I have developed so many great friends here at Cambridge. So now I consider myself a Cambridge guy."

"And I have put a lot of work into researching all the Cambridge records down through the years," Sims said. "And I feel it's important all our current players know the history of the program, and also our players get recognized for their accomplishments. Don't want anyone to ever be forgotten for what they did for Cambridge basketball."

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This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Ray Sims making a difference at Cambridge High in many areas