CIRCLEVILLE – New Hope Christian Academy senior Nathaniel Ames reached a career milestone by scoring his 1,000th point during a matchup against Columbus Cristo Rey on Tuesday.
The achievement came in the first period as Ames connected on his third three-point goal of the game.
Ames finished the night with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals as the Statesmen (9-7) posted a 67-27 win.
A three-year starter, Ames is currently averaging 21.9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals per contest.
Coach Shane Roese attributed this success to Ames’ consistent work ethic.
“Nathaniel has put in a lot of time in the driveway, gym and weight room to develop into a really dynamic offensive player,” Roese said. “He has really good range with his jump shot and probably one of the quickest releases I have seen for a high school player.”
With 1,013 points in his career, Ames has long been a premier scorer and Roese noted his growth into a versatile leader.
“It has also been very rewarding to watch him develop into a team leader and make those around him better. In his previous two seasons, he was mainly a scoring threat. This year, Nathaniel has stepped up his game on the defensive end and is really having a major effect in all phases of the game.”
Ames becomes the fourth player in as many years to reach the 1,000-point mark for the Statesmen, and the sixth player in the program’s 13-year history. “It’s a great individual award for sure, and it’s great to see a young man rewarded for the effort put in,” Roese said.
All-time New Hope leading scorers
Clayton Rhyne (AC & NH, 2019-2023), 1,359
Noah Highfield (2014-18), 1,234
Lane Bruning (2020-2024) 1,194
Isaac Roese (2014-18), 1,188
Hunter Cavanaugh (2021-2025), 1,101
Nathaniel Ames (2022-present), 1,013 (thru 16 games)