Class of 2004

L.J. Helton is the only athlete in Defiance High School history to earn Western Buckeye League first-team honors in football, basketball and baseball in the same season, accomplishing the feat his senior year.

Helton was a two-year starter in left field for a DHS teams that went 16-2 in WBL play. His senior year the Bulldogs were a perfect 9-0 in the league, the fifth time that had been accomplished to that point in time.

In football, Helton had 65 receptions for 968 yards as a senior, including a school-record 12 catches in one game against Kenton, earning Special Mention All-State honors. At the time, it established a Defiance High School record for most catches in a season. He currently stands third in DHS history for career catches with 94 and career yards with 1,333.

In basketball, he was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs. As a senior, Helton averaged 15.5 points per game and was named Associated Press Honorable Mention All-Ohio in addition to earning first-team WBL accolades.

In baseball, L.J. started as a junior and senior, capping off his high school athletic career by earning WBL first-team honors his final season.

After graduation, Helton attended Mount Union where he played basketball for three years. Helton earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management and an Associate Degree in Business Administration from Mount Union.

He has been employed at Baseball Rampage as the VP of Operations for the past eight years.

Helton and Brette Griffith have two boys, Louis Jr. (6) and Dion (4).