Hall of Fame
Tom Ghelf began his record-breaking MATC athletic career in 1984 after a memorable prep career at DeSoto High School, where he was a two-time All Conference perfomer in basketball and a three-time All Conference selection in baseball.
Basketball was the sport where Ghelf stood out at MATC, as he still holds the school's all-time scoring record with 1,259 points...good for an 18.2 points per game average. The 1984-85 season saw Tom average 17.2 points per game as he earned All-Conference honors as well as All-Tournament honors at the UW-Richland Tournament, the Nortwestern Tournament, and the WJCAA (State) Tournament. Ghelf was also awarded the team's Hustle Award and Defensive Player Award that season, as the Trojans posted an 18-16 record. Ghelf once again led the team in scoring during the 1985-86 season as he averaged 19.2 points per game and captured All-Conference and All-State honors, as well as the team Co-MVP award. Ghelf was also named the MVP of the Region XIII tournament as MATC qualified for its first ever trip to the National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.
In baseball, Ghelf saw time at pitcher and shortstop in 1985 and compiled a 5-6 record on the mound while hitting .299. The 1986 season saw Ghelf hit .407 while going 2-1 as a pitcher for a Trojan team that posted a 33-13 record.
Ghelf's basketball coach while at MATC, athletic director Jack Brenegan, had these thoughts to share, "Tom was the most competitive person I've had in my 25 years of coaching. He probably dove out of bounds for more balls in one game than most guys did in a season. Tom's hustle and desire to excel was contagious. Tom's best offensive asset was the way he attacked the basket, but he was a good outside shooter as well. In fact, if we would have had the 3 point shot when he was here, he would have scored a couple of hundred more points."
Tom currently resides in DeSoto where he has managed the family's sport shop. Tom has also been involved in coaching, and is still active in basketball and softball leagues. Tom and Heather, his wife, are the parents of two children, Brittany and Connie.
