A well-earned celebration awaited Eric Kibler at his Horizon High field.

As his team played in Avondale at La Joya High School, it was all business and class, traits that have helped define a program commanded by arguably the greatest high school baseball coach in Arizona. On Tuesday, Kibler, the state’s career leader in wins, reached another milestone — 800 wins at Horizon High.

It came on a perfect, sunny day for baseball, during a 14-1 win over La Joya in five innings. With Horizon in control, Kibler began inserting his bench players in the fourth inning.

After the game, the atmosphere was low key, just like Kibler likes it. As he’s always done during his celebrated career, he shifted the spotlight elsewhere.

“Just another game for me to be honest with you,” said Kibler as he stood by a school bus. “I thought we played pretty well. It (800 wins) is a tribute to the coaches who I’ve coached with and all the fabulous players that I’ve been able to coach. It’s their record.”

Kibler won 72 games in Ohio in five seasons before his current 38-year run at Horizon.

Assistant coach Bob Strachan, Kibler’s right-hand man for 32 seasons, has witnessed a good chunk of those victories, including six championship seasons.

“Not only is he (Kibler) a great baseball coach, but he’s also just a great human being and one of my best friends,” Strachan. “He’s done it with integrity and class and character.”

Horizon totaled 15 hits Tuesday and at 7-2 continues to win despite some hardships.

Collin Demas, a junior first baseman/pitcher, has leukemia. Horizon has dedicated this season to Demas.

The team wears wrist bands to honor Demas, and his No. 9 is on Horizon's pregame hitting shirts.

Also:

The father of a senior is battling an autoimmune disease.

Kibler’s closest childhood friend, Charlie Briegel, passed away in November.

And the DH on Horizon’s hats stands for another very close friend of Kibler’s, Dave Hilton, who served on Horizon’s coaching staff for 25 years and passed away in November.

Horizon’s coaching staff is as close-knit as it gets. Junior varsity coach Jerry Stone, freshman coach Pete Crimando and first base coach Jim Cox have served a combined 60 years at Horizon.

One of Kibler’s former players, former Oakland A’s pitcher Jeff Urlaub, is Horizon's varsity pitching coach.

“It’s been an incredible culture at Horizon baseball,” Strachan said.

(Left to right, Horizon assistant Bob Strachan, head coach Eric Kibler, assistant coach David Moore, and assistant Jeff Urlaub gather for a photo after Kibler won his 800th game at Horizon. Photo by Jose Garcia/azpreps365.com)