Tampa Catholic pair make points just like their dads

It started when Mike Kroll laced up his Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars and trotted his skinny 6-foot-6 body onto the brand-new, rubber basketball floor at Tampa Catholic.

It was 1968.

"All I knew was that there was a game to play, and I was going to play hard," Kroll said. "I wasn't thinking about how many points I was going to score. I was only thinking about beating whoever it was we were playing.

"After that, the chips would fall where they may."

Kroll went out and dropped in a jumper.

Two points.

Kroll is no longer skinny, and he no longer has bushy hair. He is bald. The floor at Tampa Catholic is now wood. The gym has air conditioning instead of ceiling fans. Kroll wears Nike running shoes with orthopedic inserts.

It is 2012.

He is sitting inside Tampa Catholic's gym with his daughter, TC senior Micah, his friend, Tommy Jones, and Jones' daughter, TC senior Kai, a father-daughter combination that has pulled off a first in the history of Hillsborough County prep sports: They have each scored more than 1,000 points in their careers for the same school -- Tampa Catholic.

The funny thing is that none of them have thought much about the points. Kroll said he didn't know he had scored more than 1,000 until 20 years after he graduated. Jones said he didn't know until 12 or so years later when he saw his name in the 1,000-point list tacked up in TC's gym.

"I honestly had no idea how many I scored," Jones said. "I truly, never, ever thought about it. Ever."

For the record, Tommy Jones leads the father-daughter group with 1,613 points, followed by Micah Kroll (1,499), Mike Kroll (1,485) and Kai Jones (1,137). Micah and Kai have an opportunity to add to their totals tonight when TC plays host to Lake Placid in the Class 4A-Region 3 quarterfinals.

It also should be noted Tommy Jones scored his points in three years because freshmen weren't allowed to play in his his era (1979-82). Tommy Jones, like Mike Kroll, also didn't have the 3-point line.

"I could shoot it," said Jones, who played briefly in junior college and has coached at Tampa Catholic, Tampa Prep and presently at the University of Tampa. "My range was out there."

* * *

The girls listened to their fathers reminisce and nodded and chuckled. They love their dads, who have inspired them, but never pushed them into basketball. Like their fathers, the girls play only because they love the game.

Along the way in Catholic leagues and AAU and in high school, the dads have been there, sometimes coaching but mostly watching and cheering while Micah's stepmother, Nancy Kroll, did the coaching, including all four years at TC.

"It's an emotional roller coaster when I watch Micah play," said Mike Kroll, a burly, tough guy nicknamed 'Kroll Dog' for his rough demeanor when he played football, basketball, baseball and ran track for TC before a stint in professional baseball. "I mean we've been together in this thing a long time. It's tough to see it coming to the finish line.

"It's been magical."

The dads agree that the most magical moments in their athletic lives – by far – were watching their daughters win state titles in each of the past two years.

"It wasn't playing, it wasn't scoring," Jones said. "It was being a part of those girls' state titles. It was seeing them do it. It was seeing what it meant to them. I know Kai would trade those (1,000) points for those state titles."

"I would," Kai said.

"So would I," Micah said.

* * *

The fact remains the points are in the bank and all four names are going on the board inside TC's gym.

"The chips," as Mike Kroll said, have fallen "where they may."

"Yes, of course, I can't wait to see my name up there on that board (of TC's 1,000-point scorers)," Micah Kroll said. "But it's really not because of the points. Having my name up there next to my dad's represents years of accomplishment.

"We will be together up there forever, and no one can ever take that away."

It won't be long now.

At least one more game – and up to four more if TC can keep winning – remain on Tampa Catholic's schedule. After that it's college, but basketball may not be in the mix for Kai or Micah, who say they might want to focus more on school.

And both dads are fine with that.

"For now, you know, let's enjoy this time," Tommy Jones said. "Let's savor this moment, because it's a special one. Let's appreciate this family time at Tampa Catholic."

In last Friday's 62-45 victory against Academy of the Holy Names, Kai hit a jumper for her 23rd point, which was the last basket Kai or Micah made for the night.

Two points.

Add it to Mike's, Tommy's, Kai's and Micah's career points and you get 5,734.

"Who would have ever imagined that?" Mike Kroll said, chuckling. "Not me. Not in a million years."

*****

ALL IN THE FAMILIES

Tampa Catholic has two alumni fathers, Mike Kroll (1968-72) and Tommy Jones (1979-82), and two TC senior daughters, Micah Kroll and Kai Jones – who have scored more than 1,000 career points for the Crusaders. The feat is a first among Hillsborough County schools.

A quick look at the record setters.

Mike Kroll

Age: 57

Years at TC: 1968-72

Total points: 1,485

Playing day shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor canvas All Stars. “One year we got green shoes and we were so excited, even though the green didn’t match the school’s Kelly green,” Kroll said.

Pregame music: "Sweet Georgia Brown," a la the Harlem Globetrotters. “I think they played that song every, single time we played,” Kroll said. “That’s all I remember is that song, over and over.”

Favorite TV show in high school: "Lost in Space"

Tommy Jones

 Age: 47

Years at TC: 1979-82

Total points: 1,613

Playing day shoes: Leather Nikes. “But they were not good shoes,” Jones said. “They were terrible really, a slab of rubber with leather stripped over the top.”

Pregame music: Earth, Wind and Fire. “We were just listening to something on a boom box,” Jones said. “We didn't have all these things hanging out of our ears like these kids do today.”

Favorite TV show in high school: "Welcome Back Kotter"

Micah Kroll

 Age: 17

Total points: 1,499 (and counting)

Playing day shoes: Nike Hyperdunk (In school color Kelly green). “They feel great,” Kroll said.

Pregame music: Rascal Flats

Favorite TV show in high school: "Pretty Little Liars"

Kai Jones

 Age: 17

Total points: 1,137 (and counting)

Playing day shoes: Nike Hyperdunk (In school color Kelly green). “Very comfortable,” Jones said.

Pregame music: India Arie

Favorite TV show in high school: "Law & Order," "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"