United Local grad has a good shot
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After donating a kidney to his father, Salem native Mitch Phillis was stuck at home while recovering.
So he got out his old Pop-A-Shot -- an arcade game with miniature basketballs and hoops -- that he loved playing a kid.
Three months later, he is one of 12 competitors in the Pop-A-Shot National Championship this weekend in Orlando, Florida.
“I saw it on ESPN and thought I was better than those guys,” he said. “That was two years ago and I kind of forgot about it.”
That was until April when he was looking for something to do.
He won the Chicago Super Qualifier last month in his first live event.
“They had no idea who I was,” Phillis said. “They called me the dark horse. They didn’t know who I was at all.”
They do now as he will be in the national championship, which will be televised live on ESPN at 7 p.m. Friday.
Phillis rose through the ranks quickly as a virtual qualifier.
Players log into their profile on any public Pop-A-Shot Elite machine and the top scores get a chance advance. Phillis qualified through his play at Sandy Springs Brewing Company in Minerva. The next closest one is in Columbus.
Phillis, a 2004 graduate of United High School, grew up playing the game.
“I had one when I was young,” he said. “I delivered the Farm and Dairy and got one with the money from that. I played it like crazy as a kid and took it to college. Me and my roomate and friends would play it there.”
After going through surgery, Phillis wasn’t sure about competing this year.
“My wife said, ‘Go to Chicago,'” he said. “I said I don’t know if it’s worth the trip. I played a couple of more times and said I think I can do it.
“I didn’t even know I’d be doing this in April and May. I thought it would be good experience for next year.”
GAME RULES
In Pop-A-Shot, Phillis said baskets made in the first 30 seconds count as two points and the next 10 seconds as three points. Then there is a 15-second bonus period with the first five seconds as two-pointers and the last 10 seconds as three-pointers.
“The best score ever at home is 201,” he said.
Two players square off in a best-of-three series.
Phillis had a top score of 162 in Chicago.
He tries to get at least 84 shots a game and figures he makes 81 or 82 of them.
“There’s a lot of games at home I don’t miss any,” he said.
KIDNEY DONOR
Mitch said his father, Mike, had his kidney function numbers drop in recent years even though he said he felt fine.
“His kidney function percentage was under 20% in December and began looking for donors,” Mitch said. “We started spreading the word in the family at Christmas.”
After several did not match, Mitch did.
“We went to Pittsburgh for a crazy amount of tests,” he said. “My wife and I asked the doctors a bunch of questions. They said it is major surgery, but there is not much risk for you.”
They were informed of the match on March 7 and surgery was on April 2 at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Surgery was at 7 a.m. and Mitch woke up at 1 p.m. He walked to check on his dad.
“They want you to try to walk the first day,” Mitch said.
He was released the next day and left the hospital around 5 p.m.
“Riding home, I thought this might be a mistake,” he said. “I relied on my wife the next couple of days. It got better day by day.”
GAME NOTES
• Phillis goes by MAP21 -- his initials and his high school basketball number.
• Preparations for the national were being made right after winning in Chicago.
"They started asking me about making a T-shirt for the national championship,” Phillis said. “I said, ‘You called me the dark horse.’ They sent me some designs to chose from.”
Shirts are available on the Pop-A-Shot website for $24.99 with $5 going back to the player.
• There were some in Chicago who shot with both hands.
“I was surprised by that,” Phillis said. “You think they’re going to get up more shots in a game. It doesn’t really gain you more shots. I’ve played for fun to see what I can score. Of the 12 qualifiers, none are two-handers, so that tells you something.”
• Phillis shoots right-handed.
“I look at the rim, but I have a lot of peripheral vision on where the ball comes down,” he said. “You have to focus on two things.”
• Phillis also was made a TV appearance last summer on the popular Pin Shot, where he tried to hit a hole-in-one at Raintree near his home. He left empty-handed.
• Phillis, who lives in North Canton, has worked as a landman for about 15 years. He acquires pipeline easements for oil and gas companies.