Ellsworth High School senior Curt Schilling (left) poses with Panther head coach Ken Kvaale after Schilling surpassed the 2,000-point mark for his career Saturday in Ellsworth. Schilling, who netted 25 points in a 78-56 win over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, surpassed the 2,000-point plateau when he drained a three-point shot in the first quarter of the game.By John RittenhouseFor an athlete who says he’s playing at 75 to 80 percent of his capability, Ellsworth’s Curt Schilling has few comparable peers when it comes to his basketball prowess.Schilling had major knee surgery last fall after sustaining a serious knee injury in September, but he made a major statement Saturday night in the Ellsworth High School gym.During the first quarter of Ellsworth’s 78-56 victory over state-ranked Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, Schilling gave the large crowd that packed in the EHS gym a thrill when he hit a three-point shot to meet the 2,000-point mark of his career.The milestone shot, which was proceeded by a driving jumper in the lane and a pair of free throws earlier in the quarter, came with 38.6 seconds left in the period. Schilling needed five points to reach 2,000 heading into the game, and the three gave him seven of his team-high 25 points for the night."I really didn’t approach this game any differently," Schilling said from his Ellsworth home Monday night. "It was just another game, I guess.""There were a lot of people there," he continued. "I wish it was like that every game we play."Based on his take of what happened Saturday night, Schilling probably hasn’t come to terms with what he accomplished during the game. It takes some teams two full seasons to score 2,000 points. For Schilling, who has been playing varsity basketball since he was in the eighth grade, reaching the plateau required a lot of personal sweat and some unselfish teammates."I credit it (scoring 2,000 points) to putting in a lot of practice. I’ve put a lot of time into basketball. You also need to have good teammates around you who get you the ball. You do need to have the athletic ability to shoot the ball, but having the work-ethic to practice a lot is the most important thing," he said.The work Schilling has put in to make himself an all-around player will become more evident in the next few games, when he will likely reach a few more milestones.With 494 assists and 988 rebounds, Schilling could have reached his personal goals of 500 career assists and 1,000 career rebounds during Tuesday’s game in Minneota. See the related game story in this edition of the Star Herald.If the EHS standout continues to gain mobility with his knee, and the Panthers continue to improve as a team in the weeks to come, Schilling’s personal achievements will be pushed in the background when tournament time rolls around."I would say I’m playing at 75 to 80 percent right now," Schilling said "I’m starting to get some of the quickness back, and my jumping ability seems to get better with each game. I try to do a little more with (his knee) each game, and it seems to be working out."That’s good news for Schilling’s EHS teammates and fans, who have watched the team go 10-2 since his return to the court on Jan. 8."We’re starting to get into a flow as a team. We started the year as an entirely new team from the year before, and throwing me in there in January changed everything again," Schilling said. "It takes about 10 to 12 games for a team to jell, and we seem to be putting everything together. We’re definitely looking to make another (post-season) run, and anything short of getting back into the state tournament will be disappointing for the team, the town and the coaching staff. I know there are a lot of good teams out there, but we’re a pretty dang good team, too."
