who receive a wide variety of services

Tyler Lilly’s impact on the 2011 News Journal All-Star Basketball Classic didn’t end with the MVP trophy he took home from the game. It was just beginning.

The then-Mansfield Christian senior befriended Noah Wise, an autistic child from Mansfield receiving different forms of therapy and counseling at The Rehab Center. The two made a connection while having their picture taken together to promote the Classic.

Their friendship continues today and has helped Noah function better socially and in the classroom.

“I’m blessed that God put me in his life and maybe I can brighten his day,” said Lilly, now a student and soccer player at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. “He says he wants to play basketball. Anything is possible. I just really cherish God giving me the talent, and I need to give back, too.”

Over the years, some $350,000 has been raised from Classic proceeds for children who receive a wide variety of services at The Rehab Center. The Classic will celebrate its 35th anniversary Thursday with a doubleheader — a 6 p.m. alumni game featuring 10 past MVPs followed by the traditional high school Classic at approximately 8 p.m.

“They just clicked during the photo (session),” said Noah’s mom, Cori Wise. “Once in a while, we’ll run across somebody and there will just be a connection with Noah and we’re like ‘Wow.’ Tyler being able to follow up with Noah has been good for him.”

Noah is now a 7-year-old first grader at Mansfield Christian. His classroom is across the hall from the preschoolers taught by Ellen Lilly, Tyler’s mom. She and Noah’s teacher came up with an incentive-based contract to help Noah’s progress in the classroom.

He can earn contact time with Tyler (who once popped in for recess while home on Christmas break), or a phone call from Tyler, or a signed certificate by Tyler if Noah does well in school. Tyler even bought a basketball for Noah that sits in the classroom to keep him motivated.

“It’s always ‘Tyler this’ and ‘Tyler that’ with Noah,” Wise said. “One day he came home from school all excited because he had gotten a phone call from Tyler. He went to the principal’s office to talk to him. It’s good for him to get that positive reinforcement from such a positive mentor.

“Tyler’s willingness to do this and the school’s willingness to do something like this to help a student is just wonderful.”

Noah just finished his first season of Upward basketball, which his mom saw as a significant breakthrough.

“It put Noah out of his comfort zone,” Wise said. “He’s at the higher functioning end of autism, but if he’s around more than one or two people he shuts down or goes wild. You can’t do that when you’re playing games.

“His major (issue) is social interaction. He doesn’t do well with that, but he’s getting better by playing basketball. His goal is to be as good as Tyler. That’s all he talks about. He says he practices ‘so I can be as good as Tyler.’”

Noah has also played three years of Upward soccer, the sport in which Tyler earned first-team All-Ohio honors. As a Mansfield Christian senior he was also third-team all-state in basketball and the News Journal’s Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

His relationship with Noah has put into perspective for Tyler what matters most about the News Journal Classic, even if that message often gets buried on game night under an avalanche of points and playground moves.

“It’s something we need to think about more,” Lilly said. “It’s been a blessing getting to know Noah.”

Craig Green, 39, stood in Noah’s shoes as one of the Rehab Center all-star kids for the 1984 Classic. At the time he was receiving physical therapy at the Rehab Center. He had suffered a stroke after brain surgery that left him partially paralyzed from the waist down on the right side.

Green, an epileptic, regained use his of legs and graduated from Buckeye Central High School in 1992. He can recite the names of the players from the ’84 Classic and remains an avid sports fan. He said last year he attended 65 out of 70 regular season games involving the BC volleyball, football and basketball teams.

“The Rehab Center did a really good job,” said Green, who lives in New Washington. “I’ll tell you what, I don’t know how to describe (the all-star experience) in words. It meant a lot to me.