Rogers joins prestigious list of 1,000-point scorers at East Fairmont
Dec. 11—PLEASANT VALLEY — In high school basketball, scoring 1,000 career points over four years is a milestone many strive for, but few achieve.
For East Fairmont's Kenly Rogers, it took two games into her senior year to reach that mark. She scored her 1,000th point in a game against Lincoln on Dec. 5.
"I knew I was close," Rogers said. "I didn't know the exact number, so I didn't know how many points I would get it, and I wasn't sure if I would get it that game or not. They kind of stopped it, and I was beside [head coach James Beckman], and he just whispered to me 'that was 1,000,' and it hit me."
The number of points she needed was 12, a fitting number for the girl who wears No. 12 on the court for the Bees. According to Beckman, she scored her 12th point on a layup right in front of Lincoln's bench close to the end of the second quarter
Upon hearing the news, Rogers hugged her younger sister on the team, freshman Kasey Rogers, and asked to have her parents come to the floor to celebrate with them.
"My dad's worked with me so much, and that's what really got me when I got to hug both of them" Rogers said. "That's when I teared up.... It was just a really big moment for me, but I wanted to spend the first moments with my family because they've been with me every second I've worked for it."
Roger's father, Rich Rogers, coaches the girls basketball team at East Fairmont Middle School, where Kenly played before playing for Beckman at East Fairmont High.
Beckman, who hadn't had a player he's coached score 1,000 points until now, knew from the first time he saw her on the court that Rogers would score 1,000 points in her career.
"Her work ethic is unmatched," Beckman said. "She spends time before and after practice, she'll go down to the middle school, wherever she can get into a gym or an outdoor court. She's put a lot of time in, and by her work ethic alone you knew she was going to shatter records here at East Fairmont."
Rogers became the sixth girls basketball player in school history to score 1,000 points, firmly placing her in sixth all time scoring for the school. The record belongs to 1989 graduate Darcie Vincent, who scored over 2,000 points under the late coach Bill Malone and without a three point line for three years, according to Beckman.
Had it not been for the pandemic cutting Rogers' freshman season down to seven games, Beckman believes she would have had the opportunity to break Vincent's record.
"Do I believe Kenly would have had an opportunity to challenge that record? Absolutely," Beckman said. "If she'd had a solid freshman year and a complete freshman year at that. But she's still got a chance to climb that 1,000-point record board."
Having such a short freshman season put into perspective for Rogers the importance of every minute on the court. It gave her the drive to play her best each and every game no matter what.
"One thing, and it's definitely hitting me now even more as a senior, is every second you get to go out on the court, it's a praise," Rogers said. "I really thank God that I've gotten this far and achieved this many things."
After scoring 1,000 points in essentially two and a half seasons' worth of games, Rogers has 21 more games guaranteed in her high school career, according to Beckman. She could achieve 1,500 or go off to reach 2,000 by the end of it, but she doesn't care as long as the team wins.
"I just want to win, and if personal stuff happens and my personal achievements happen, that's just an added bonus," Rogers said. "If I score zero points and we get the W, that's still a win for me personally. I'm going to do whatever my team needs me to do to win."
East Fairmont hosts Grafton for the third game of the season. The Bees and Bearcats tipoff at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12.
Reach Colin C. Rhodes at 304-367-2548
