It’s that time of the year! The sweet, sweet sound of Nike’s squeaking on the hardwood, the sound of a bouncing ball echoing through the gym, the screeching of Coach Woody’s yelling, the hand-clapping of an excited Coach Ruffner…..it’s time for Midway basketball!
Over the last several seasons, the Lady Waves basketball program has taken small steps to improve year after year. This year, the program may have catapulted forward.
The Lady Waves have a full roster, 15 players including 8 talented freshmen. Anchoring the Lady Waves are two senior captains – Kathryn Beard and Angel Edgemon. Kat is the most familiar face on the team as she’s been playing since she was a freshman. She brings speed, speed, speed. Her quick hands & even quicker feet make her a weapon on both offense and defense. Angel Edgemon brings height & a jump shot. With her ‘shooters-touch’, Angel has the potential to put up a lot of points from the paint for the Lady Waves yet it may be her defensive play that proves to be what is most valued to the team.
There are four experienced juniors returning to the lineup. Game tempo will be controlled by the athletic Haley Parks. Parks is a talented point guard who can score as well as manage the offense. Chelsea Phillips offers up another tall body and she is also a scorer. Michelle Walden is a seasoned veteran. Walden has had a solid preseason and this may be her best year thus far. The final junior is an athletic Haley Ladd.
The sole sophomore on the team is Audrey Bullard. Audrey was injured in the powder-puff game last month and it will be late in the season before she is able to make her presence known.
And finally, the great-eight. A freshman class like none other will compliment an experienced group of upperclassmen. Haley Roberson is very athletic and she’ll bring excitement to the team and to Green Nation. Haley Patterson’s defensive play has already impressed the coaches and though young, she’ll be asked to defend some of the best players in the district. Victoria Gurney is another young prospect. She is quickly learning the offense and may become the best friend to Midway’s tall post players. Danielle “”Dee-Dee”” Borum can handle the rock and knows how to find the open body….unlike her uncle Trav. Due to her smart & dependable play, Allyson “Klinky” Klinker is unlike any freshman; she plays with poise and doesn’t get rattled. Hali Morris & Kayla Roberts are a pair of strong players with few weaknesses. Lindsey Denmark finishes off the freshman class. Lindsey is currently on medical leave so like Audrey; it may be later in the season before we get a chance to see her in action.
We asked Coach Amy Woody her thoughts on the team. “We have a team of 8 freshmen who will help our team in all areas. We have two good captains that do a good job of leading our team and our junior class helps in this area as well. We hope to play more aggressive this year. As for the coaching staff, we have added Randall Woody to the lineup to help us with shooting as well as many more parents with our number of players increasing to 15. Numbers are our strength…aggressiveness is our weakness.”
For the first time in several years, the Midway men’s basketball team is a team with some experience. The Waves have 4 seniors and 6 juniors whom Coach Ruffner will be depending upon to help lead a team to much needed wins. Steven Blasko & Quinton Pressley are two seniors who have been transitioning out of football. Blasko brings both size and experience to the Waves front court. This will be the first time in 2 years that Pressley will start the basketball season healthy. Pressley has missed many games in years past due to football injuries; however, he still brings leadership, experience, and solid ball handling skills. Travis Matthews is the big man inside and much of the teams success will ride on this mans shoulders. Matthews has had a solid preseason and looks to have a good senior year.
The junior class consists of several familiar names as they’ve had to play a lot since their freshmen year. Finally, the team is maturing and a strong junior class should lead them to many more wins this season. Wakon Roberson is possibly the biggest offensive threats on the team. Wakon has a great mixture of height and speed which should make him tough to contain. Zack Hall is another tall body for the Waves and will be valued at both ends of the court. Paul Wiley will handle much of the guard duties and now has experience to go along with his ability to handle the rock. Don’t let Paul Hester’s broad shoulders fool you; Hester is more comfortable shooting from beyond the arc than he is anywhere else on the court.
Though they do not have the experience yet, the sophomore and freshmen classes do have some talent and will be expected to provide some depth to the team. Thomas Viar and Matt Jarvis are a couple underclassmen who may see playing time early in the season.
Good luck to both the Waves & Lady Waves this season.