by Reese McBride

“Encouraging.”

“Down for whatever.”

“A dawg in the paint.”

These are all ways that fellow teammates describe Bellbrook Men’s Basketball lone senior, Kellen Solomon. 

Solomon has been playing with the Bellbrook Eagles for six years and has been playing varsity basketball for three of those years. This season, Solomon averaged 14.5 points a game with a total of 46 assists. He is in the top 10 point scorers in the SWBL league with 334 points and 108 rebounds.

“I have a few looks from some small schools for basketball, but I’m not sure if I want to pursue that at the next level,” Solomon said. “I of course plan to keep playing pickup and make sure basketball stays in the picture.” 

Kellen noted that Oakwood was his favorite team to play during his time at Bellbrook. “Playing a game at The Pit when it’s packed is one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in my basketball career,” Solomon said. This year, Bellbrook beat Oakwood 69-49, with 21 points and 2 assists by Solomon. 

“I’m going to miss just being on the court with him,” freshman Trey Sam said. “A word to describe him would be encouraging.” Sam is the only freshman on varsity. 

Many of Solomon’s fellow players have said similar things about him: “We would encourage each other all summer long during workouts and conditioning,” junior Austin Webb said. “I’m going to miss hanging out with him after practice in the locker room and going out to eat after.”

“I met him at the beginning of my freshman year,” sophomore Aidan Caswell said. “And I thought he was really relaxed, always down for whatever and really fun to hang out with. There was a time this year when I was really struggling with my shot and he just kept telling me to ‘shoot it, don’t care too much about the outcome’.”

While his teammates describe his personality as fun and easy going, Solomon brings a ferocious energy when it comes to the court. Several people have described him as an energetic offensive player who charges the hoop with determination. 

Solomon and the Eagle’s season ended when they fell to Kenton Ridge on Monday, February 26.