Imposing figure Clark Crum is the eye at the center of the storm for the Dublin Scioto High School boys basketball team. And he has been now for four years.

The 6-8 senior center has started for the Irish since the beginning of his prep career as a freshman and has been a consistent presence in the middle of the paint.

Others have come and gone since the winter of 2002, but Crum has continually been a double figure scorer during his tenure.

Now as the stretch run begins in his final campaign, Crum has taken his game to new personal heights during a roller coaster campaign for the Irish (7-5, 2-2 Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division), who are hoping to steady the ship as the Division I Central District tournament looms just ahead.

"It has been an up-and-down year so far," Crum said. "Certainly it would be nice to have more wins, but I think we are getting better and improving as a team."

That progression is due in large part to the contributions of Crum, both on the floor and in other team settings. While he averages a team-high 17.6 points per game, Crum said his increased leadership is a bigger point of pride.

"I'm trying to be more of a leader along with my fellow co-captain Kelly Winter," Crum acknowledged. "We try to keep everybody up for games and keep the feeling light in practices, so that everyone is having a good time. It is very important that everybody feels a little more comfortable."

Perhaps the events of the weekend were symbolic of the Irish season. Travelling to league foe Chillicothe on Friday evening, Scioto was beaten 51-50 on a late bucket. Not be deterred, however, the Irish stormed back the following evening to overtake Hilliard Darby 48-40 at the friendly confines of Hard Road.

Leading the way in both outings was Crum, who matched a season-high 22 points against the Cavs with 21 versus the Panthers.

According to Scioto coach Tony Bisutti, a multitude of offensive sets run through Crum, utilizing him as either a scorer or able passer.

"Clark is definitely a huge part of what we are trying to do offensively," Bisutti said. "We run a lot of things through him in the post and rely on him a lot."

Always a force inside and blessed with a deft touch around the rim, Crum has added a perimeter jumper to his repertoire. As an upperclassmen, his tools have become polished with time.

"I have more confidence now, especially in terms of outside shooting," Crum asserted. "A lot of the skills have come with just playing a lot. Also, after four years you become more accustomed to different surroundings and playing the same teams a number of times."

Throughout his career, Crum has got used to winning, suiting up for Cardinal Division championship clubs in both football and basketball. Three years ago, the Irish were district runners-up under Bisutti, while Karl Johnson's 2003 football squad made the state tournament.

The future Virginia Tech Hokie offensive tackle was Division II Player of the Year in the district this past autumn and he has been All-District and All-OCC in both sports.

Despite all the individual accolades, Crum is more interesting in the present and passing on his seasoning to his fellow roster members. He noted that the ongoing development of second-leading scorer Austin O'Connell (10.2 ppg) is a promising sign for the immediate future.

Still, there are areas of concern that must be addressed for a team obviously short on experience but long on talent.

"We need to communicate better, since we are such a young team," Crum noted. "But we also need to become more consistent in terms of shooting. I think this team can go a long way."

That coming from someone who is nearing the end of a long and memorable prep journey.