Class AAA preview: GE senior Workman expects to put in work

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cue Panic! At the Disco's High Hopes.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='656290' first='Ava' last='Workman'] is refusing to lower her standards on the hardwood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One bit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>State title ring be damned.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before Greenbrier East players and coaches receive their hardware and raise a banner, Workman's hopes are remaining lofty for the reigning WVSSAC Class AAA state champions and herself.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One might say, she has high hopes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regional hopes.<br>Charleston hopes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Undefeated hopes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even, as she becomes the Spartans' main offensive option.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even, as she takes on the stress of a heavy leadership role.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even, as the Spartans have a gigantic bullseye on their backs after they completed a perfect campaign with a hard-fought Class AAA state championship win over East Fairmont, one year ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the title game, Workman, well, put in the work. She scored nine points, but her biggest impact came on the defensive end. She held eventual all-tournament selection the Bees' Kailee Haymond to two points on 0-of-5 shooting. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Regardless of her ultimate junior performance, her vision for her group remains a gold standard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We have all the pieces,” she said. “We just need to come together and learn to play as a team. The younger girls know the standards we held last year and they want to live up to that.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And, despite those pressures, she's ready to do whatever GE coach Jim Justice asks of her to help her team reach those heights.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She'll pull a Russell Westbrook, if need be. Triple-doubles are on the menu. Assists, steals and rebounds? No problem. Points, assists and steals? Ok. Blocks, points, and assists? Sure. Any combination? Easy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mary Ostrowski Award-winning numbers? It isn't out of the realm of possibility. She plans to replace the points GE's all-time second-leading scorer, Kennedy Stewart, racked up on the way to the title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thankfully, her step-back shooting game is on point. Her three-point shooting is sharper than ever. Her court vision and willingness to slash and kick to get her teammates open sits at an all-time high. She looks forward to the offensive challenge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She will guard a team's best offensive player night in and night out. Her defensive prowess is among the state's best, after all. Those skills only improved this summer. As she played on the West Thunder's GUAA 17U team, her footwork became sublime. Her instincts sharpened to a razor's edge. Her lateral quickness has been turned up several notches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There was no choice for her, really.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If she didn't bring her A game, her opponents, many of them girls ranked in the ESPN Top 100, would have bowled her over, again and again and again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yet, it wasn't only the AAU girls who taught her something to help her on the court.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Workman also brings something from three of the departed seniors who helped contribute to the winningest season in school history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From Stewart, Ava learned to bring a constant positive mindset to the basketball court, regardless of the situation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From Hannah Fuller, Ava learned the patience in choosing her options and letting the right plays develop at the right time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From Kayla Waller, Ava learned never to doubt herself and always have confidence in her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Class AAA may be the most wide-open classification in the state. Several state qualifiers said goodbye to significant contributors. It could take some time for a true favorite to emerge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rest assured, Workman will be working hard and sweating buckets to do whatever it takes to make sure the Spartans are in that conversation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>She's not ready for her high school career to end without another 27 games played.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I am ready to lead and take that leadership role,” she said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cue The Script's “Hall of Fame.”</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Contact Joe Albright at <a href="mailto:josephpalbright3@gmail.com">josephpalbright3@gmail.com</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->