The D.O.B.O.

As an eighth grader at St. Henry, Paul Hemmelgarn realized his basketball career would not take off how he had planned.

He found a different way to help the team instead.

"(Coach Al Summers) asked if anybody was interested in doing stats for the varsity team," recalled Hemmelgarn. "I had actually just been cut from the eighth grade basketball team and I was kind of bummed out. Believe it or not, when I was an eighth grader, I was only 4-foot-10 and weighed 80 pounds. I was just a little guy. But I loved basketball when I was young. I thought this would be a good way to stay around it, so I went up to Mr. Summers, who was my science teacher at the time, and asked him it'd be OK if I could help out with the team."

That once-little eighth grader has grown to become St. Henry basketball's biggest role player. Hemmelgarn doesn't just do stats anymore. He does a little bit of everything. And current coach Eric Rosenbeck made sure Hemmelgarn's official title matched his importance to the program.

"We gave him a title," Rosenbeck explained. "I was like 'You're way too much to be put down as a statistician or something like that.' So we call him the D.O.B.O. - Director of Basketball Operations.

"He's so diligent and so thorough that he'll go from helping with the Gatorade to making sure everything's packed up to making sure everything's set up with the film," Rosenbeck added. "He does all the stat stuff - I haven't had to do a stat in 10 years at St. Henry. I trust Paul that much to make sure he's getting it right the first time, which I think most of the media would agree with as well. He just saves so much time, work and stress."

Over the last 20 years, St. Henry's coaching landscape has changed from Summers to Joe Niekamp to Rosenbeck. In that span, Hemmelgarn went to college and began running a business, Hemmelgarn Marathon and Detailing, which has been in the family since 1977. Hemmelgarn begins his work before the sun rises every day.

He has also taken several visits to Haiti with the St. Henry Mission group, led by Linda Thieman. The group supports an orphanage called Our Lady of Perpetual Help and has assisted with several building projects, most recently a playground. While visiting, the group also helps the people of Chatard, St. Henry's Sister Parish, where they sponsor more than 350 children by funding their education.

"It is so rewarding to see the smiles of the children when we are there," Hemmelgarn said. "Although they are financially poor, their rich faith and spiritual life has taught me so much. I have been there eight different times, and always come back with a new appreciation of what matters most."

Through all of those life moments, a love of basketball has kept Hemmelgarn returning every winter, he said.

"I'm usually there an hour before game time," Hemmelgarn said of his duties. "I'm making sure the managers have everything set up, fill the Gatorade tub, fill water bottles, sweep the locker room, make sure everything's good and tidy in there, make sure everything's out to the bench for the players on a nightly basis, make sure the scorebook's are ready, make sure everybody's got stats who needs stats. I'm constantly updating stats to make sure the media has them. Any of the behind-the-scenes stuff you can think of, I try to do as much as I can.

"I've always lived my life that way - it's always just been 'what more can I do?' I don't like to sit still."

He's seen a lot of good basketball along the way, too.

In Hemmelgarn's first season with the program, St. Henry reached the Division IV state championship game, where they fell to Fort Jennings, 64-58. Hemmelgarn was present with his classmates during the 2004 state run, when they knocked off Versailles 61-49 for the Division III crown.

"(Basketball) just didn't work out for me. There I was, 4-10 and the rest of the guys were over 6-foot," Hemmelgarn said with a laugh. "But they've always made me feel like a part of the team. In my senior year, I got to go Columbus with guys like Jeremy Schwieterman, Steve Sutter and Bryan Post. It was just a great time. I absolutely loved it.

"I'll never forget the Versailles game. It was an absolutely crazy game, back and forth the whole time, but we were able to pull it out. My senior year was just a great ride."

Hemmelgarn will be with the team Friday when they meet Berlin Hiland in the Division IV state semifinal.

Rosenbeck, his staff and players are thankful. Redskin basketball just wouldn't be the same without the D.O.B.O.

"He's been by my side all 10 years and he's been unbelievable," Rosenbeck said. "He's a great friend and just as good of a human being as I know on the planet earth. I always tell Paul that if he retires, I'm retiring. He's spoiled me so much that I don't know if I can live and operate and try to be the head coach of St. Henry basketball without him."