Ron Hughes

While one of the outstanding all-around athletes ever at Kokomo High, Ron Hughes will long be remembered for hitting the most memorable free throws in school history.

On March 18, 1961, Hughes hit two free throws with :03 left in overtime of the state championship game to break a tie and lift the Kats to a 68-66 victory over Indianapolis Manual. Hughes scored a team-high 20 points as Kokomo won its first state basketball championship before 14,943 fans at Butler Fieldhouse.

Hughes played three seasons for Coach Joe Platt, leading the Kats to a 74-10 record. Over his last two seasons, he averaged nearly 20 points a game and closed his career with 1,134 points and a berth on the Indiana All-Star team.

Hughes also excelled in baseball and was a two-year starting quarterback for the football team. As a senior, he completed 57 percent of his passes and threw for 1,404 yards on a team that finished 8-1.