Joe’s Take: And the Mary O goes to ….
Dionna Gray Dionna Gray 5'3" | PG Huntington | 2022 State WV deserves the 2022 Mary Ostrowski Award. It is true. When the vote comes in, the Highlander winning just makes a ton of sense. In fact, we’re talking slam…
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Continue ReadingDionna Gray Dionna Gray 5'3" | PG Huntington | 2022 State WV deserves the 2022 Mary Ostrowski Award.
It is true.
When the vote comes in, the Highlander winning just makes a ton of sense. In fact, we’re talking slam dunk, here.
Whine if you must. Hate it. Curse it. Spit at the thought. Throw out numbers if they comfort you. Points grab attention. Near quadruple-doubles against Grafton ‘stand out.’ For whatever reason, that’s just life.
None of it changes the fact that what she’s done for her team this year, well it matches up perfectly with what the Mary O award is all about.
What has she done? Well, it’s immeasurable. Seriously. How many people can honestly say they’ve brought their entire team along for the state championship repeat ride? Only her.
Harmonic barely describes life. Try utopic, instead. That’s a much better descriptor.
No one’s wanting to take a swing at her. She treats her teammates with respect. She runs her plays, she scores with ease, she differs to the hot teammate, and she pleases and cheers for everyone. Sure, she takes over a game if she has to, but she possesses faith in her teammates to get the job done, too.
How can all of that be quantified? Easy. The resume painting the prettiest of pictures for Lonnie Lucas’ ball club.
Just the other night against Cabell Midland in the sectional final, she stroked a masterpiece while guarded by the Knights tough defender Sophi Aldridge Sophi Aldridge 5'5" | CG Cabell Midland | 2024 State WV – 33 points including some big free throws down the stretch. Upon completion, her heroics helped up the Highlanders record to 20-1.
She’s not done, yet, either. By winning just one more game, the stage sets for her return to Charleston. Of course, last year at the Coliseum and Convention Center she directed her team to a state championship. She tallied 26 second-half points as the Highlanders thrust aside a pesky No. 8 Martinsburg team in the first round.
Gray then keyed the big 10-3 run allowing the Highlanders breathing room against Cabell Midland in the state championship game. If she performs like that again, well it’s hard to say she wouldn’t win the award. Everyone in green and gold is certainly on board.
“Her teammates trust her. They know she can score, and she makes sure they get involved. She loves to play defense and challenges everyone. She often takes a team’s best offensive player and loves taking them down,” Huntington head coach Lonnie Lucas said.
How does it all stack up to the expectations of a Mary O winner? Pretty good, honestly. The award needs her a lot more than she needs the award. “She’s a terrific leader and last year when she didn’t win it, she just kind of let it go,” Lucas said. Smooth. Real smooth. That’s the kind of cool that shows on the court and could really give her an edge in a tiebreaker.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that vote, though.
“She’s one of the top players I have ever coached, and I honestly believe she’s the winner of the award,” Lucas said.