MAIZE, Kan. — Before the legend of Caleb Grill was born in CoMo, his basketball career began here at Maize High School. But basketball wasn’t the only sport that Grill excelled in.
"It’s a true blessing to be able to come back home," University of Missouri senior guard Caleb Grill said.
Home for Caleb Grill is Maize High School, roughly 16 miles from where Missouri will face Drake at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita.
"Caleb in high school was extremely competitive," added Caleb's dad, Chris, who was also his high school basketball coach.
Grill was also a record-breaking, three-sport athlete.
"It’s nice having players like him," Maize head football coach Gary Guzman said.
In the fall, Grill dominated on the gridiron. As the starting quarterback, he set the Maize single-season record with 3,122 passing yards and 36 touchdowns.
"We’ve had pretty good quarterbacks come through here, him being one of them," Guzman added.
During the winter, Caleb turned his attention to the basketball court. That year, he set the single-season scoring record and led Maize to a 24-1 record and a third-place finish at the state tournament.
"When he did start growing and the athleticism hit, all that work he put in just to get caught up paid off," Chris Grill said.
And to cap off his senior year, Grill won a gold medal in high jump at the state track meet, clearing 6'8".
"He did have the high jump record, but it’s currently been broken by a 7-foot high jumper," Grill joked.
"He had the skills for all the sports, but the thing that really made him special was his work ethic," added Guzman, who also served as Caleb's high jump coach.
Caleb Grill’s legacy continues to grow both in Maize and at Missouri.
"I think you dream about it but when it happens, I didn’t know what to expect," Grill, a proud father, said. "It’s kind of crazy."
And now it's time to see if that legacy carries over into March Madness.
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