Winter Sports Q&A – Part 1

Winter sports have arrived in the Ellwood City area.

Basketball, Swimming, and Hockey are among the popular sports for students this year. We caught up with the athletes of those teams to see what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming rivalries, to offer some perspective on the season ahead and their plans for the future.

This is part one of a three part series featuring area athletes in winter sports.

Our Winter Sports Q&A – Part 2 segment is coming tomorrow.

Emma Stockman

School you attend? Riverside High School

Sport? Basketball

Grade? 11th

How many years have you have participated? 6

What do you feel is your biggest strength? I would say my strengths are energy on court/to my teammates and rebounding.

What is your favorite part of it? My favorite part is being with the girls on my team and watching everyone get better every day!

Who do you feel is your biggest rivalry this upcoming season? Obviously, Ellwood! But also, Mohawk is going to be a good competition this year as well.

What has been your favorite memory been over the years? My favorite memory is going to the state playoffs with a great group of girls last year and all of the opportunities we had.

What is one thing that you have learned through your participation in sports that will carry with you through your life? One thing I’ve learned throughout the years and playing sports, is that the way you present yourself and your attitude have a HUGE impact on the way you play and how the people around you play. Another thing is putting in the work, DOES pay off!

What are your future plans after graduation? I plan to attend college and major in early education.

Do you plan to continue to play sports after high school? I do hope on playing either basketball or softball in college. It would be a great experience!

Addison Drake

School you attend? Riverside High School

Sport? Girls Varsity Basketball

Grade? 11th Grade

How many years have you have participated? I’ve played basketball since I was 6 years old, and I am a 2 year Varsity Letterman.

What do you feel is your biggest strength? My biggest strength is my hustle and hard work. I attack the hoop well, and pride myself on being a consistent foul shot shooter.

What is your favorite part of it? My favorite part is celebrating as a team. From the high-fives on the court, jumping to our feet on the bench, to screaming in the locker room after a victory, celebrating all the little things is what builds our team and brings us together.

Who do you feel is your biggest rivalry this upcoming season? Our biggest rival this season is Ellwood, obviously! However, we do have some tough section games coming up in which we’re planning on fighting for the victory.

What has been your favorite memory been over the years? My favorite memory has to just be growing together. I don’t want to show any favoritism, but my fellow Juniors Emma and Saeryn will always have a special place in my heart. We’ve stuck together for years, and the growth we’ve had as individuals is insignificant to the growth we’ve had as teammates and friends. They’ve made my basketball journey worth every second.

What is one thing that you have learned through your participation in sports that will carry with you through your life? The biggest lesson I’ve learned from participating in sports is that hard work and dedication is always going to pay off. Always give 100% and never leave a game with any regrets. As my mother—and former Coach—always tells me, “You may not be the fastest or the strongest on the court, but there is no excuse for someone to out hustle you.”

What are your future plans after graduation? After graduation, I plan on attending a four-year University for a currently undecided major.

Saeryn Hoover

School you attend? Riverside High School

Sport? basketball

Grade? 11th

How many years have you have participated? 8 years

What do you feel is your biggest strength? I feel like I’m up for any challenge that comes my way and I always strive to be a good teammate and set a good example for the younger girls.

What is your favorite part of it? My favorite part is winning a game and being with my team

Who do you feel is your biggest rivalry this upcoming season? Ellwood is for sure our rival, but I think Beaver Falls and Quaker Valley are good competition for us this year.

What is one thing that you have learned through your participation in sports that will carry with you through your life? “Everything you want is on the other side of hard.”- coach Frue

What are your future plans after graduation? Attend college and play soccer or softball