Dayton Daily News’ Tom Archdeacon: The Stars, Stripes, Flight Classic was ‘more than a basketball game’

It wasn’t Brandon Noel’s forceful dunks or even Alex Huibregtse’s three-pointer and after three-pointer after three-pointer — six in all — that brought the entire Nutter Center crowd of nearly 10,000 to its feet, it was the actions of three former Miami Valley high school athletes and nine of their compatriots during halftime of Wright State’s basketball game against the Air Force Academy on Nov. 30.

That’s when Akiaya Rhinehart, the Fairborn High School wrestling standout who had a 42-2 record as a senior and was the runner up for the state’s heavyweight title; Trevor Parthemore, a four-year, two-way starter for the Urbana High football team who was the Hillclimbers’ captain; and Madison Taylor, a basketball and volleyball stalwart at Wayne High School, all raised their right hands at midcourt and were sworn into the U.S. Air Force by Wright-Patterson AFB brass, Col. Dustin Richards, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Tessa Fontaine.

Wright State had billed the night as the Stars, Stripes, Flight Classic and as Raiders’ athletics director Joylynn Brown had aptly explained: “This is more than a basketball game. It’s an event to celebrate the relationship between the United States Air Force and the Dayton region.”

And that’s why, after the recruits took the oath of enlistment — formally declaring their commitment to support and defend the Constitution of the United States — they drew the loudest cheers and most heartfelt applause of the night.

“At first it was kind of nerve-racking standing out there, but then, seeing all the people stand up and support you, it kind of slowed everything down for me,” said the 20-year-old Parthemore. “It calmed me down and made me see what I’m doing is going to be great and all these people are for it.”

His dad — retired Tech Sgt. Jeremy Parthemore — spent 20 years in the USAF Security Forces and had seven deployments that included three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

“I remember when (Trevor) was growing up — he was maybe six — he wanted to be like Dad and dressed up for Halloween in a costume that was actually the same gear that I wore to work,” Jeremy said.

As Trevor stood at center court, his trick or treat fantasy of long ago was now fully eclipsed by a reality that was even more magical: “It hit me that I’m not only carrying on the legacy of my last name, but I’m also fulfilling my own legacy.”

Read the complete article at daytondailynews.com.