The Carrier Mills-Stonefort High School faculty, staff, and administration would like to congratulate Senior Caden VanMeter on becoming the newest member of the Wildcat 1,000 Point Club. Caden scored 390 points as a Freshman, 151 points as a Sophomore, and 192 points as a Junior, giving him 733 total points, just 267 away from 1,000 to start his Senior year.
Before the Homecoming game on January 21 versus Thompsonville, Caden had 977 points, just 23 more points to go. With 4:50 left in the 2nd Quarter, teammate Colton Mitchell sent a bounce pass to Caden on the right wing. Caden hit a 3-point shot, his fifth of the half, sending the Wildcat fans into a frenzy and giving him 25 points for the game, and 1,002 for his career.
“I just want to say that I'm super proud to be Caden’s coach and get to be a part of a tremendous milestone,” said Varsity Coach Austin Ferrell. “He is an amazing player, but also an amazing young man. I'm honored to be his coach.”
Caden was a two year starting guard for the CMSF Jr. High basketball team. Both years, the Wildcat Basketball team won their Conference Championships and Regional Championships. During his 8th grade season, the team finished the season at 29-1 and earned 2nd Place in the State Tournament. During his Jr. High career, Caden scored 906 points, with 504 points coming his 8th grade year.
Coach Allen Jackson, Caden's Junior High Coach, said, "To reach the thousand point mark after missing over half his sophomore season with a broken leg and his junior year was shortened by the pandemic, says a lot about the player he is. But, when you see the reaction of his teammates and how happy they were for him when he reached 1,000 points says a lot about the person he is."
Caden, a GEC All Conference performer in baseball and basketball while in High School, now has his sights on a new goal; passing his father on the 1,000 Point Club. Joe VanMeter, who played from 1983-1987, scored 1,057 points during his playing career. This marks the first time that a father and son have joined the Wildcat 1,000 Point Club.
"Caden spent countless hours in the gym," his mother, Brandi VanMeter, stated. "He would always want me to come to work in the evenings or on the weekends, so that he could shoot around."
Caden was presented with the game ball by head coach Austin Ferrell before the start of the home game versus Crab Orchard on February 8. Caden began the game with 1,056 points, just 1 shy of tying his father. Just one minute into the game, Caden hit a three point shot to tie and surpass his father. He now becomes the 28th Wildcat to score at least 1,000 points in their career.