Except for college, Gary Huhn never left Covington.
And Holmes High School is glad the Latonia native stayed. Huhn, a teacher and scorekeeper at Holmes High School for 57 years, received the 2023 Kentucky Athletic Administrators Association Dr. Rudy Ellis Distinguished Service Award on April 27.
“I enjoy working with the students,” Huhn said. “I was treated well here.”
Thing is, Huhn had never heard of the award until two weeks ago, when his sister, Martha Cumby, called.
“I received a phone call from my sister (Martha Cumby) congratulating me,” Huhn said. “I said, ‘For what?’ She said you won an award, a state award. I said nobody’s told me yet.”
Huhn, 78, taught math at Holmes for 47 years, and he’s been the football and basketball scorekeeper for the last 50. He teaches part-time now and makes sure athletes and regular students remain eligible and stay in school.
Those who’ve worked with Huhn love him.
Lisa Sparrow was an assistant girls basketball coach at Holmes from 2001-2004 with her husband, the late Casey Sparrow.
“He loved his job, he loved his athletes,” she said.
Louisville Eastern boys basketball coach David Henley led Holmes to the 2009 state title, the first time a Ninth Region team won it since Simon Kenton in 1981. He said Huhn was “all business, very conscientious about doing a really good job.”
“He’s kind of a quiet guy, but once you got to know him, very personable,” Henley said. “A good person, a good human being. To me, personally, that’s as good as it gets is when someone considers you a good person.”
Huhn enjoys both football and basketball, but prefers keeping score inside David M. Evans Gymnasium, where the scorer’s table is named after him.
“I like basketball more because you’re inside,” Huhn said. “The weather at some of those football games is terrible, I’ll tell you right now – especially if you can’t get in the press box.”
Whether it’s keeping track of football or basketball numbers, Huhn eschews computer programs.
“Of all the (scorebook) keepers, he’s the only bookkeeper that I know could not only keep books but every stat while he kept the book,” Sparrow said. “Assists, steals, rebounds, he could do it.”
Huhn said keeping track of everything takes practice.
“If you’re using a computer, you have to look down occasionally,” Huhn said. “You look down, you’re going to miss something, especially with basketball.
Huhn wants to come back next season. If he does, it will still be for love, not money.
“It’s good for satisfaction,” he said.