Tae Kim

Boys Basketball team manager, Noah “Sully” Sullivan became a school sensation after he scored from the three-point line on Senior Night. Even though he is not a player, the team had Sullivan jump in for the final minutes of the game. After the swoosh of the basket, the gymnasium cheered while one student filmed the eruption of joy. Later the student posted the video on TikTok, Sports Center Next reached out in hopes to post the video on their platform. The video later went viral with the caption “This is what sports is all about. Team Manager makes his debut on senior night by singing the National Anthem and hitting a three at the end of the game.” With over 30,000 likes and almost one million views, the video is one of the most engaged with videos on Sports Center Next. 

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to see the boys and coaches every day. It has been an amazing environment to work in,” Sullivan said. 

After becoming an overnight school and local celebrity, Sullivan was interviewed by the local news station. He discussed what the moment meant to him and how the team has impacted him. 

“The shot felt like it was in the air for five seconds,” junior Cameron Oleski said. “It was insane, it was so quiet, like slow motion almost.”

The night also meant a lot to coach John Feasel who gave the jersey number 44 to Sullivan. Former number 44, a friend of Feasel’s, Tom Irelan passed away last month. 

“Sully was kind enough to wear 44 for me,” Feasel said. “I was hoping just to get to watch him warm up, but hitting the three was special. I think my friend Tommy, who was a three-point shooter, had a little direction in that shot.”

Irelan passed away on Feb. 9, 2025. He was born and raised in Columbus, and he graduated from The Ohio State University, where he was a member of the fraternity Kappa Sigma. He helped make his community thrive by being part of organizations such as Rotary and being a lifelong blood donor for the American Red Cross. He was a volunteer youth basketball official and spent his time on the court with his friends.  

Sullivan became a viral hit as we wore Irelan’s number, 44. Sully believed in the moment someone was with him. Perhaps a coincidence or lucky shot, but maybe it was a bit of love in which directed the three-point basket.