PIASA - Jim Wilkie is a familiar face to fans at Southwestern High School basketball games because he is always in the scorekeeper area.
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For 33 years, Wilkie has been the man in the box, keeping track of Piasa Birds scoring. The man has done every girls and boys home basketball game for more than twice as long as many of today’s players have been alive.
There is a reason, Wilkie still does the scorekeeping – he loves it.
“It is the best seat in the house,” the Southwestern scorekeeper said. “The referees do come over and talk to me if I need something. Southwestern has had some moments where they have had good teams. For years the girls have been good. The boys’ team has been a little more up and down, but they had a good girls team this year. The boys are also starting three sophomores.”
Wilkie said he doesn’t look at what he does as a big deal because he is only five minutes away from the confines of the Southwestern High School gymnasium.
“You do have to stay on top of things,” he said of his time at the scorer's table. “I am comfortable there, I have no fears. “I don’t want to say I never need help because sometimes I do. When you have a couple people running to check in the game and you are writing down the score, sometimes you need a little help.”
The scorekeeper retired from teaching in 1994 and was a substitute teacher for the next 10 years. He was a full-time teacher for 27 years. He coached wrestling and girls basketball at Southwestern and was involved in athletics for several years.
Wilkie grew up three miles outside Aurora, IL., and was an excellent high school athlete, playing football and wrestling. He said he started every game in high school and developed an adoration of sports at that age.
Jim was married in 1976 and has two boys with his wife, Sheila.
The job as a high school scorekeeper is much more than only recording the score, Wilkie said.
“Some of the kids really warm my heart with comments at the games and when they see me out in the public,” he said. “It’s not the majority of them that do that, but some do. The coach at Pana was a former student at Southwestern and a ballplayer and just happened to be there the night they gave me the plaque. He said a few words that night that really touched me.”
Wilkie said his biggest memory of scorekeeping came a few years back when he was surprised by Southwestern officials.
“They gave me a 30-year plaque and I went out to center court. That was my greatest experience as a scorekeeper. I think it helps keep me young and I can’t see giving it up anytime soon.”
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