Father and son embraced and then Tyler took a seat next to his teammates on the bench. Thanks to a talented Middle Early College team, his season and his high school career were over. But Tyler didn’t hang his head nor did he bury it in a towel while the Cardinals’ second team played out the remainder of the fourth quarter.

He watched it all, because, when you’re Tyler Hind, it’s hard to take your eyes off the court when it has been your home away from home since you were old enough to walk.

“Right from the get-go he loved it,” Kevin said.

And Tyler showed just how much in gymnasiums in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Erie counties for the last five years, capped by the 2019-20 campaign, which helped place him among Western New York’s all-time best.

Senior Tyler Hind, right, averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game this season for Randolph. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

Consider these accomplishments:

¯ Averaged 25 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.

¯ Led the Cardinals to the Section VI Class C-2 championship.

¯ Drilled a WNY-best 105 3-pointers, boosting his career mark to a WNY-record 400.

¯ Scored a season-high 38 points against Tapestry, one of eight times he surpassed the 30-point mark.

Kevin Hind photo courtesy of Mike Frame

¯ Finished his career with 2,244 points, good for eighth place on the all-time WNY list.

¯ Selected the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 East Player of the Year for the fourth time.

¯ Named to the All-Centercourt First Team.

¯ Chosen Section VI Class C-2 Tournament, the Tully Tip-Off Tournament and the Centercourt Classic Game Most Valuable Player.

“I’m blessed to have the ability to even step on the court and play,” Tyler said just before the playoffs, “especially at the level I’ve been able to play. I’m most proud of what I’ve done and what we’ve built here.”

The foundation of the program since his freshman season — he played at Jamestown High School as an eighth-grader — Tyler’s road to greatness was built on an insatiable work ethic and an uncanny ability to push aside discomfort. Born with clubfeet, he deals with leg tightness all the time, requiring stretching before, during and after every game.

“When I was young, in elementary school, I would wake up in the middle of the night yelling for my parents, because my legs hurt so bad,” Tyler said. “It’s hard, but I have to do it.

“It doesn’t really matter where you come from or what’s wrong with you or what issues you have. If you love something enough and you put your mind to it, you can do it. … There are setbacks that everyone has to deal with, but it’s all about how you overcome those things so that you can become who you want to be.”

After graduation, Tyler, who is one of Randolph’s top students, will continue his academic and basketball career at Division II Daemen College. Ultimately, he wants to become a physician.

“That’s what I’m most proud of, just the fact that he’s turned out to be an incredible son and really hard working,” Kevin said. “Northing that he’s done was God-given. He has done it himself through hard work and dedication, and that’s the bottom line.”

That hard work and dedication has also earned Tyler another honor — The Post-Journal’s Player of the Year for the second straight season.

Tyler isn’t the only postseason headliner in the Hind household, however.

Kevin didn’t have a bad year either.

In guiding the Cardinals to a 22-2 record — their only loss in Western New York came in its final game against Middle Early College — and CCAA Division 1 East and Class C-2 titles, Kevin now has 326 career victories since taking over the program for the 1998-99 season. In addition, he also has seven sectional titles and one berth in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Final Four to his credit.

It was in the run-up to that trip to Glens Falls in 2003 that Tyler showed his basketball acumen even though he was still a toddler.

“We were getting ready to go to states and his big thing at that time was pretending he was an announcer,” Kevin said. “He knew their numbers and he would do the starting lineup. So the night before we were going to states, we were all sitting around and we had the starters go into the hall and he went in the living room and he led them out.”

Kevin didn’t mention whether his son announced the head coach’s name during those introductions, but the former certainly doesn’t need one now. After 22 seasons, he’s one of the finest hoops mentors in WNY, and is this year’s choice as The Post-Journal’s Coach of the Year.

Others have taken notice, including those from decades ago.

Earlier this week, Kevin posted to his Facebook wall a photo of a hunter green No. 30 jersey with “BROCKPORT” emblazoned across the front. The uniform top was sent to him from his college coach, Bill Bowe, who also included a note:

“Hope you and your family are well,” he wrote. “As I was doing some “spring” cleaning during our time in quarantine, I came across your jersey. Thought you might like the keepsake.”

Noting that “sometimes the little things can mean the most,” Kevin offered the following Facebook response to his former coach’s act of kindness.

“He could have easily just tossed this in the trash, but instead took the time to send it out, and it meant the world to me,” Kevin wrote. “Brought back a flurry of good memories, and I will find a way to do something similar for one or more of my former players, knowing how awesome this was. Thanks, Coach!!!”

As The Post-Journal Player and Coach of the Year story comes to an end, it seems only fitting that Kevin’s unexpected gift sported the No. 30. In fact, the symbol “-30-” has been traditionally used by journalists in North America to indicate the end of a story.

For the Hinds and the rest of the Cardinals’ basketball program, what a story it has been.