After six decades, Al Maenhout finally gets to work a boys basketball state championship

SOUTH BEND — Al Maenhout didn’t have a choice where he’d go to high school.

Given his parents, Alfred and Florence, donated money to build the original South Bend Saint Joseph High School building, he would be going there, despite his wishes to go to the then-new Penn High School.

Now, the 79-year-old can’t imagine his life without the school — or the boys basketball team.

Maenhout has been keeping the scorebook for Saint Joseph boys basketball games for 59 years. His first game was in January 1965, and he took over full-time one year later. Since then, Maenhout has not missed a game, working 1,297 consecutive contests as of March 16.

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While his career has seen many things, Maenhout gets to check off a rare first for himself Saturday: work a state championship game.

The Huskies will play for the IHSAA Class 3A title Saturday night against Scottsburg at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. While Saint Joseph reached the state semifinals in 1989 and 1993 under the one-class system, they never advanced to the championship game.

That makes Saturday a historic day for all involved with the program, especially Maenhout.

“I’m thrilled for them — and for me, too,” Maenhout said. “I’ll be shaking (at tip-off), to be honest, because that’s the way I am.”

The journey to becoming the scorekeeper

Maenhout started attending Saint Joseph boys basketball games as a sophomore student in 1960. He kept going to games after graduating in 1962, oftentimes sitting in the second row near midcourt.

Given his high attendance, someone asked him in 1965 if he’d be interested in doing the scorebook for the road games. The team’s regular scorekeeper started having schedule conflicts with away contests, and they were looking for someone reliable to help out.

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Maenhout accepted, showing up for Saint Joe’s game against Lakeville at Bremen.

Two problems: one, he didn’t know how to do the scorebook; and two, the person who was supposed to teach him didn’t show up to the game.

“I was only supposed to watch that game and learn how to do it, but the guy who was supposed to show me didn’t show up,” Maenhout said. “I didn’t even know what the guy’s name was or nothing, and so (the coach) just said, ‘Here’s the scorebook, you’re on your own.’”

Maenhout only did road games the rest of the season, including the sectional. Midway through the 1966-67 campaign, the home scorekeeper couldn’t do the games anymore, and Maenhout was asked to do the job full-time.

He accepted, and since January 1967, Maenhout has not missed a Saint Joseph boys basketball varsity game.

“He’s better than my coaching staff with not missing a game,” joked Saint Joseph coach Eric Gaff. “He’s just a legend. I think those people who run the scorebook, the scorer’s table — they kind of go behind the scenes and people don’t know them, but 59 years is incredible. … We’re so happy he’s part of our program and community.”

A lifetime of work building to Saturday

Maenhout has countless memories from his nearly six decades working games. His career was honored in 2015, with Saint Joseph hanging a banner with his name on it inside the school’s gymnasium to celebrate reaching the 50-year mark.

It’s a job Maenhout has enjoyed, in part because of the anonymity of it.

“You’re not the spotlight; you’re just the scorebook guy,” Maenhout said. “I keep the stats for the football team as well, where I just sit back in the press box and write down numbers. I love math; it was my favorite subject in school.”

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Maenhout had a feeling this could be a special season for the Huskies long before anyone else did.

“You wouldn’t believe how many people came up to me before the season and said we were two years away from a chance to go to state,” Maenhout said. “I didn’t argue with them, but in the back of my mind, I was saying, ‘What do you mean two years? We’re going to be good this year.’ And then when I saw what we did with Concord the first game (a 74-45 win), I was really amped up.”

The program has become a family affair for Maenhout, as his grandson, Peyton Fedore, is a manager for the varsity team. His daughter who lives in Indianapolis is planning on being at the state championship game Saturday as well.

Maenhout doesn’t know when he’ll retire, but he knows two things.

“I love Saint Joe, and I love basketball,” he said.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Longtime Saint Joseph scorekeeper Al Maenhout finally gets to state