Hampton three-sport star Chance Point enters senior season with high hopes
Published 5:02 pm Wednesday, June 28, 2023
- File Photo/Larry N. Souders Avery County’s Bryson Whitley #14 watches an off speed pitch sail into the glove of the Bulldogs Chance Point #12 for a called third strike, ending the top of the second inning.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
STAR CORRESPONDENT
Called a “smart, tough competitor” by his various coaches Chance Point enters his senior season at Hampton High School hoping to recreate the success his teams have enjoyed in his years there.
“I saw his competitive nature at an early age,” said Point’s grandmother Cathy Liles. “Probably around five years old. He played tee ball and youth league basketball but I held him out of football because I was a little leery. But eventually he got to play and has been very good at whatever sport he plays.”
Point was all-conference in football for a team that is a year removed from the Blue Cross Bowl and last year fell in the rain and mud to Monterey. There was no downfall in basketball however as the Bulldogs took home the Gold Ball as state champions.
“I still have a hard time believing what happened sometimes,” Point said. “We are reclassifying in basketball this year so I don’t know if a repeat will be possible, but I know that will be our goal. We will be playing tougher competition but that never worries us. In baseball we have a really young team and I hope to be a field leader for them.”
His on field accomplishments in baseball are many taking home the Tennessee Baseball Report Second team All-State and also All-Region, the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association All-State team, the Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State team.
The Johnson City Press named him to their Super 22 team and Point was named to the All-Watauga Valley Conference team and was Offensive Player of the Year in the conference. Point was
named the Bulldogs MVP as well.
Point has stolen more than 100 bases thus far in his career and had a .494 batting average along with a .631 on base percentage this past season. His career batting average now stands at .423.
“Chance Point is a dynamic, game-changing, competitive playmaker, and has been since his 2021 freshman season,” said Bulldogs head coach Nicholas Perkins. “He is having one of the most decorated careers of any high school baseball player who has played in Northeast Tennessee. I am blessed to be his coach.”
Point has been raised by his grandparents Cathy and Robert Liles, who attend as many of his games as they can and he has an 89-year-old great-grandmother Ann Richenberg who also frequently attends his games.
“My grandparents rescued me and they have been a huge part of my life,” Point said. “I also have a sister Haley Point and a half sister Noe who is in her 20’s.”
Point went on to talk about each sport and how the season ended, “In football I think we peaked against Boone, but basketball we took home the Gold Ball. In baseball we didn’t do as well as we hoped but we have a young team that will be a lot better this year.”
Point has taken some AP classes to go along with his senior curriculum and he hopes to pursue his career in baseball as far as he can take it saying, “I love baseball and my job is to get on base be it a walk or a hit. And if I can play at the next level I would love to do that.”
Mrs. Liles wants to give a big “thank you” to all of Chance’s coaches through the years who helped him grow and become the player and the young man he is today.
