KINGSTON — While serving in the United States Army in the late ‘80s, Kingston junior high coach Tony Chisholm was a chemical specialist, a sergeant working in a reconnaissance unit.

One thing’s for sure — he definitely learned his chemistry.

Of all the things being said about the Kingston Junior High School girls’ basketball team this season, one aspect stands out above all others: a team formula that utilizes every player on the team towards the squad’s common goal — getting the win.

“We play as a team,” Chisholm said. “We use every resource that we have to be who we are.”

And Chisholm’s coaching strategy has revolved around a squad that is diverse in its skills but united in its goal.

“It was like getting a box of puzzle pieces,” Chisholm said. “I knew if I could put that puzzle together, we could have a great team.”

For the Cavs coach of 12 years, success has been a long time coming.

Tony Chisholm achieved athletic success early on in his life, a varsity athlete in three sports — track, basketball and football — at Steelton High School, in Steelton, Pa. In basketball, Chisholm said his main strengths were in his defensive abilities.

“I wasn’t a great offensive threat,” Chisholm said of his playing career. “But I was the guy that did all the dirty work.”

Graduating from high school in 1979, an athletic scholarship in football took Chisholm to the University of Cincinnati, where he was recruited as a running back. Among the top 100 players in the nation in 1979, Chisholm was also an All-American going into his four-year career as a Bearcat.

But he also played intramural basketball at the university during football’s off-season, and said his coaching career found its roots there.

“That’s where I started to coach,” Chisholm commented. “I found myself being the team leader. It was a natural thing.”

He would go on to to play semi-pro football with the Charleston, W.Va. Rockets for two seasons, but was eventually cut by NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

After a stint working at a local electrical company, Chisholm decided to join the U.S. Army in 1986, and became a chemical specialist.

Stationed at Fort Lewis, Chisholm discovered a new love of the Northwest, and also met his wife, Laura, a graduate of North Kitsap High School. He was discharged in 1990 and his family — with new son, Taylor — moved to Poulsbo, where Chisholm explored his options.

“I wanted to take it easy and debrief myself,” he said. “I kicked back for six months to figure out what I want to do.”

But his passion for coaching would emerge early on, finding a running back coaching position on Bainbridge Island with the high school. He also began work at Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation as a teen mentor and instructor at BHS.

Chisholm also came to work for Poulsbo’s Park and Recreation Department, organizing and coaching various sports camps for children of all ages. He also got a position as the junior varsity coach of the North Kitsap High School girls’ basketball team, under then-head coach Tom Harney during one season and current Central Kitsap girls’ coach Denise Baxter.

“There, I got my itch (for coaching),” Chisholm said.

In 1992, two head coaching positions opened up at newly-built Kingston Junior High School: boys and girls basketball coach. Then-principal Jack Hitchcock interviewed Chisholm with two other candidates and also allowed him to run a practice as part of the interview.

“I went in there and he sat there with a pencil and paper and (Hitchcock) said, ‘ok, you’re on the clock,’” Chisholm commented. “I had everything (in the practice) moving and everything just worked.”

But Chisholm also wondered if his style — casual yet disciplined — would inhibit his chances at Kingston.

“Being who I am, I wore my black and red Chicago Bulls sweatshirt, sweatsuit, and I had all my drills written down on 3 X 5 cards,” he said. “I wanted to be really squared away — I think my military training really helped.”

The interview with Hitchcock went over so well that Chisholm was hired as head boys’ coach — and head girls’ coach.

“I was so excited, but I didn’t know I could do both,” Chisholm said.

He would also take over the football team, and now coaches all three sports at the school.

When Chisholm took over for the girls’ team, the squad was in an 0-41 slump before their first win — 20 of those losses under Chisholm — and the team finally got its first 3-win season after his third year as coach.

For the last three years, the girls’ team has scored above .500 on the season — an accomplishment Chisholm said is due to the coaches of the youth leagues.

“It’s very little stuff that the pee wee coaches, the Parks and Rec coaches, and the parents coaches concentrated on,” Chisholm said.

His best records before this year’s perfect season — 8-4 with the boys’ basketball, 6-1 with football and 9-3 with the girls’ team.

Finally, Chisholm has achieved what he’s worked so hard over the course of 12 years — a team built around chemistry. And a chemistry led them to 12 wins, 0 losses.

“It’s just been a pleasant surprise — I never saw it coming,” he said. “I never would have thought this team could accomplish what they have.”

And Chisholm said he believes the same girls that elevated the Cavs to perfection will continue to elevate their future teams — as North Kitsap Vikings, or as athletes for Kingston’s new high school, when it’s constructed.

“I want to see state potential at North Kitsap High School,” Chisholm added. “I want to see these kids get to the Tacoma Dome — and I think its going to happen.”

He said he’ll wait to see what happens — but he has high hopes for his players.

“The future looks bright,” he said.

For now, Chisholm will remain in the wings as coach who brought a team to perfection — but his future, too, looks bright.