By: Sam McClanahan
Nearly 20 years after his decorated high school basketball career in which he was a key member of the historic 2005 Pendleton County region championship winning team, Mason O'Hara is finally getting his long overdue recognition.
O'Hara, who played from 2002-05, was named to this year's 10th Region Hall of Fame class of 2023 and is slated to be honored along with the other inductees later this month. The recognition comes as a surprise to O'Hara who over the years has seen multiple former teammates inducted into the hall of fame.
"Sam Elsbernd, who serves as president of the coaches association, reached out to me saying that I would be getting inducted. I definitely wasn't expecting it. I want to thank him for the nomination. It's neat how now I can look at my son Kamden and say now you've got two hall of famers in the house. (O'Hara's wife and former Pendleton County Ladycat Jenna Kelsch-O'Hara is also a member)
During his varsity career for the Wildcats, O'Hara was a slender 6'3" shooting specialist sniper who could torch opponents with his distinguished touch from long range. His finest play often came on the biggest stage when the lights were shining their brightest. To this day, Pendleton County fans who packed the legendary Mason County Fieldhouse during the 2005 10th Region Tournament still vividly remember the shooting exhibition he put on as the Wildcats rolled their way to their first title since 1971. O'Hara knocked down 15 three-pointer's ( five apiece in three games). He also worked himself into becoming a known defensive stopper that would often take on an opponents toughest assignment in helping his squad claim their spot representing the 10th Region at Rupp Arena.
"There has always been something special about playing at Mason County in that historic gym. You can feel it once you step onto that floor and for me I was fortunate to see my shots falling during that tournament run. It's a great feeling to know that all these years later people in our community still look back fondly on that team and what he accomplished. I definitely means more in smaller areas where we're all so close. I know I'll never forget the amount of Pendleton County fans who came down to cheer us on in the state tournament," O'Hara said.
The 2005 Wildcats could be argued as the greatest team in school history. It's easy to justify when you factor in the overall talent that made up the varsity roster, the size of the front court and the skill set of its back court, but in O'Hara's mind, the key to it all was the coaching staff that guided the way.
"As talented as we were, I feel like our coaching staff deserves so much of the credit. Head coach Buddy Biggs, Chad Simms, Jim Macht and everyone else dedicated so much time to preparation. It was unlike anything I had ever been apart of, including my one season playing college basketball at Thomas More. We spent so much time studying and preparing for our opponents that by the time a game rolled around all we had to do was go out and execute. We were put into such a great position to succeed," he explained.
A lot of the players who made up that historic team had a chemistry among them that had created many years prior to their varsity playing days. O'Hara recalls playing basketball as a young boy in the gym at Flour Creek Christian Church in Butler under the tutelage of Mark Mains, a man considered by many as the "architect" of the 2005 team. Mains created the "Little Magic" team that featured O'Hara and other local boys who honed their skills and learned the value of hard work as well as team work that would benefit them for years to follow.
As he nows reflects back on his playing career all that was achieved, O'Hara can't help but be excited for what is to come. His son Kamden is set to join the varsity program next school year and his class has had high expectations already attached to them. O'Hara says he'll relish seeing his son play on the same court that he once did and have the opportunity to chase down the same goals.
"It all seems to come full circle now. My family and I getting to watch him and his teammates. I just want them and any other young boy or girl to know that if you're willing to put in the time and hard work, you will reap the benefits of it. I want to thank my parents for always supporting me and everything they did as I was growing up as well as the rest of my family. I also want to thank Coach Elsbernd, Mark Mains, Coach Biggs, Coach Simms and everyone else who played a part in helping me receive this honor."
At the time O'Hara graduated in 2005 he stood alone as the all-time leader in three-pointer's made in Wildcats history with 158. He is currently fourth all-time with that total. He scored 834 career points and was a two-time district champion on top of the regional championship that was captured during his senior season.