Pinkston, Corley named Athletes of the Week

Seasons are changing, both with regards to the weather and sports. The basketball regular season has come to an end with the playoffs in sight, while soccer is fully immersed in district play.

Baseball and softball have begun or are about to begin their official seasons while sports like tennis, golf and powerlifting are well underway.

This past week, the Lady Blues varsity soccer team earned a huge bounceback win over Hirschi after their loss to Old High a few days before. Meanwhile, the Steers basketball varsity and junior varsity earned wins over Stephenville to finish out the season.

Adi Pinkston, of the Lady Blues varsity soccer team, and Cooper Corley, of the Steers JV basketball team, earned selections as Athletes of the Week for their performances in their respective teams’ games.

Adi Pinkston, midfielder, Lady Blues soccer

Scoring a single goal in a soccer game is already a huge accomplishment, as they can sometimes be hard to come by. Scoring three goals in a game is one of the bigger challenges a player can overcome, but that’s what Pinkston did this past week for her Lady Blues team.

Graham traveled to Wichita Falls to take on Hirschi in a district soccer matchup. The Lady Blues returned to their goal-scoring ways as they defeated the Lady Huskies 10-0. The freshman Pinkston was the second highest goal scorer on the team as she finished with three of her team’s 10 goals.

She scored two of her goals in the first 20 minutes of the game, as she played her position perfectly and was in the right place to get those opportunities. Her third goal came in the second half and was one that she took care of all on her own, an impressive feat for such a young player.

Pinkston has a high soccer IQ for a freshman, a big part of how she made the varsity team in her first year and contributes on a regular basis. She knows where to be and when to help her team in any way necessary.

“Adi has been absolutely solid for the Blues all year. She simply just gets it done by scoring goals and also creating goals, (and is)shockingly, just a freshman,” head coach Casey Weil said. “Adi is an absolute pleasure to coach and has fun playing the game that she loves. I am extremely proud of everything that she has accomplished in such a short period of time. I am really excited that she is going to be a Blue for three more years.”

Cooper Corley, guard, Steers basketball

Although he’s just a freshman, Corley plays like someone with a wealth of more experience in every sport in which he participates. Corley is a multi-sport athlete who has been one of the focal points of the Steers JV Red team this season.

He brings energy and a spark every time he’s on the floor, as his motor always has him running at 100%. It’s evident in the way he plays the game of basketball, as he does a lot of scoring by attacking opponents downhill. He possesses a strong ability to finish near the rim, as well.

During Graham’s final regular season game on the road at Stephenville, the JV Steers put on a show in a 58-32 win over the Yellow Jackets. Corley had a team-high 19 points in the matchup and helped propel his team to the victory.

Despite his young age and already high level of play, he has shown improvement throughout the season in every way. He not only can score when and where he wants to, but he excels at helping his teammates find opportunities to score, as well.

“Cooper Corley represents everything that it is to be a Graham Steer; his selfless attitude and work ethic make him one of the best leaders I have ever coached,” head coach Kyle Wheeler said. “Cooper is the type of athlete that can take over a game and be the star when he needs to, but what I love most about him is he always finds a way to make everyone around him better. Cooper truly cares more about the team’s success than he does his own.”

The trajectory trends upward for the freshman guard, and he’ll be a part of the Steers’ basketball success for the remainder of his high school career.