FREDERICK – Noah Kippley is an anomaly when it comes to basketball.

The senior standout on the Leola-Frederick team is a pure scorer, but doesn’t want the ball in his hands. He’s claims he is not a flashy player, but makes spectacular plays seem routine. He said he doesn’t try to do too much for the Titans, yet consistently does it all for one of the top Class B teams in the state.

“I’m not a flashy guy. I don’t like the ball in my hands that much,” Kippley said. “I don’t like bringing it up. … That’s just not my game. My game is kind of coming off screens, off passes, driving, cutting, shooting That’s what I enjoy. I don’t go out there and try and do too much, just whatever the team needs, I guess.”

Kippley started off his varsity career as a dead-red 3-point shooter as a freshman and his game has evolved and elevated each year since.

“That was his role as a freshman. He was a threat from the outside,” said Titans coach Brock Pashen. “His game, his skill set has just evolved as he’s gotten older, obviously, also. He was one of our better rebounders, and has been one of our better rebounders throughout as well.”

Through the years, Kippley has learned to drive to the basket, added a mid-range game, and has become a nightmare to guard in Leola-Frederick’s hyper-paced offensive scheme.

About the only thing able to slow him down was an injury suffered in a playoff football game this past fall when Kippley broke his collarbone.

A wide range of emotions went through his mind as he stood watching his team lose its final game.

“I was pretty emotional on the sideline,” Kippley said. “Last ever football game probably, and having to watch from the sidelines. Not really how anybody wants to end their senior year.”

Then came thoughts of the upcoming basketball season. While the injury slowed him down and forced him to miss two games, he was back on the court quicker than expected and back to his old self.

He came off the bench to score 24 points in a win over Aberdeen Christian, including a sequence of a blocked shot on one end and a tough left-handed finish at the other.

“You just have to do the little things and those add up, it’s a just a block and layup,” Kippley said. “It’s just a momentum changer.”

The Titans changed their offensive style last season, helping to pave the way to a berth in the State B Tournament. The pace is an absolute jail break as every member of the team gives all-out maximum effort on every possession.

“It’s just a race. You’re always tired when you come off the court, you’re waiting for that next sub, I’ll tell you that,” Kippley said, “but it’s a fun way to play, especially when it works.”

That frenetic style matched up perfectly with Leola-Frederick’s crew of multi-sport athletes, many of whom also participate in track and field, and cross country.

“It was kind of natural for a lot of the guys,” Kippley said, “because we’ve got a lot of runners.”

Kippley is one of those individuals, a key member of two place-winning relay teams at the state meet last spring.

“It’s the same guys that placed in those relays that are playing basketball,” Kippley said.

While Kippley is a multi-sport athlete, there is no secret where his heart lies.

“Here at at Frederick I think everybody kind of knows that basketball is our sport,” Kippley said. “Obviously, we’re very competitive in everything, but when basketball comes around, that’s our game. We’re very serious about that.”

Kippley has nailed 120 3-pointers in his career and is just 15 points shy of 1,000 career points heading into tonight’s contest against Aberdeen Roncalli.

“He’s always been able to do that,” Pashen said of Kippley’s ability to shoot from long range. “He’s able to get in the lane, he’s got the up and under move down. He’s got a little mid range. He’s always just been a scorer.”

While Kippley said the milestone scoring achievement has meaningful significance, there is something that he would like even more to cap off his prep playing career.

“It’s obviously something that everybody kind of wants to do. Not many kids are able to do it,” Kippley said of the scoring mark. “It’s kind of been a goal of mine, but obviously that’s not the main focus this year. It’s get back to state and do some damage. That’s the main focus.”

Last year, the Titans were competitive in all three games of the state tourney, but ended up losing each one and finishing eighth. Led by Kippley, they would like to have shot of erasing that memory this March.

“We were probably 10 points away last year from being exactly where we wanted to be,” Kippley said. “We’re all back for vengeance this year, I guess you could say. We want it bad. We have a ton of guys who are hungry, and we’re ready to play.”

In the meantime, Kippley will continue to contribute in ways that are always impactful, yet sometimes unnoticed. There are some nights when he finishes with more than 20 points and double digit rebounds, and it appears he didn’t do much on the court.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that before,” Kippley said.

Such is the life for a basketball anomaly, but one that Kippley and his teammates embrace as they work to bring out the best in each other with one big goal in mind.

“We’ve got a lot of very reliable guys on our team. … Nobody is ever asked to do much on our team,” Kippley said. “We’re just team ball, that’s all it is.”