HUNTER BROWN (’16)

All fall sports have reached an end at Granville High School, and some seniors are beginning to prepare to compete at the next level, while others have chosen to hang it up. After four years of hard work, the experience that will be leaving will be tough to replace by the underclassmen.

Many seniors have made an impact on their team, and some are preparing to take the next step in their athletic career. Nikki Cox is a senior soccer player who has chosen to play soccer in college at UNC Wilmington. Cox was the Division two state player of the year, MVP for three years, and an All American Twice. Filling her shoes will be difficult to say the least; her impact on the team goes past the field. She has been an important player, and leader on the team playing all four years on varsity. Her sophomore year and senior year, the girls team made it all the way to the state championship, and her role in the games were crucial. She was able to bring the team to an early leads against tough teams, and her ability to score goals will be hard to replace by the underclassmen.

While some have chosen to continue with their passion, others have decided to hang it up. Senior Zac LaRussa has played football for thirteen years, and was a defensive lineman for the varsity team since sophomore year. His work ethic and leadership will be tough to replace; LaRussa has the opportunity to continue with football in college, but has chosen not to. The reasons for this decision include LaRussa’s size and he is not quite sure he is ready to compete at that level. Though he has chosen not to play in college, football is still a sport that he loves. His favorite moment throughout his high school career is:
“Being able to play with his brothers, the guys that are like family to me now” LaRussa said.

Experience is not easy to replace; experience can beat talent. Many athletes that have been successful were not always the fastest, or the biggest; they were able to learn the tricks to the sport, and work harder than many others. Nikki Cox works hard for soccer during the season, and in the off season. Zac LaRussa has done the same, and has been able to use his size to his advantage. Players gain experience from playing on Junior Varsity teams, eventually working their way up to Varsity, or they may be on the Varsity team their whole high school career. Every junior class has big shoes to fill, and many juniors have been able to step up in the past. It will be interesting to see the juniors step up, and fill the roles this senior class is leaving.