Only 15 State College players have scored 1,000 points. Charlie Yartz is now one of them

State High’s Charlie Yartz eclipsed 1,000 career points on Wednesday night, becoming the 15th Little Lion in history to reach that mark.

The last was Braeden Shrewsberry two years ago, when his father, Micah Shrewsberry, was still the coach of the Penn State men’s basketball team.

Before Wednesday’s game against Central Dauphin, Yartz was 11 points away from the milestone. After crunching the numbers, the team knew how close he was. But at that moment, he had no idea what shot officially achieved it.

“I was kind of lost in the game,” Yartz, who started playing basketball competitively in fifth grade, said.

It was State High’s senior night and Yartz was focused on enjoying the moment and feeding off the crowd’s energy.

“Obviously it was in the back of my mind,” he said. “But I was just trying to enjoy what could be the last home game with all of my teammates.”

Two free throws were points 10 and 11 to reach 1,000 career points, but he finished with 13 in State High’s matchup against Central Dauphin.

Of his 1,002 points, Yartz scored 464 as a Little Lion. He went to Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg for two years, but the transition to State High as a junior was seamless since he grew up with all of the other players.

“I didn’t know if he’d hit this milestone, but I knew we were getting a good player, and even more importantly, a great kid,” State High’s head basketball coach Brian Scholly said.

Yartz felt like he “outgrew” the competition at Saint Joseph’s and yearned for a more competitive environment. And the Mid-Penn league State High plays in delivered.

“I would say it’s one of the top leagues in Pennsylvania, I just think it’s hard to be consistent when you’re playing against good players every night,” Yartz said.

One thousand points is no small feat considering not many players get varsity opportunities until their junior and senior years, but Yartz has taken advantage of every one since his high school career started.

“With Charlie, who was at two different schools, it shows that you’ve been able to earn opportunity for yourself over a long period of time, so not too many hit it in high school because of those circumstances,” Scholly said.

At 6 feet, 5 inches tall, Scholly said Yartz’s athleticism is what sets him apart, but he’s an even stronger leader with a “welcoming attitude” by elevating all of his teammates to a higher level.

Right now, Yartz is in the middle of the recruiting process, still figuring out what school would be the best fit.

“He’s still pretty open, but definitely looking to play at the next level,” Scholly said.

Ever since he started playing the sport, playing collegiately was always the dream, but Yartz is still waiting to receive offers.

“I’ve just always enjoyed playing and I want to keep playing for as long as I can,” Yartz said.