Williams, Thompson named Athletes of the Week

As the end of the holiday period off from school comes to a close, students are preparing themselves for the inevitability of the return to the classroom.

Meanwhile, winter sports teams have been in action for about a week now. The basketball teams have resumed their schedules as they come to the close of non-district play while the soccer teams have officially kicked off their seasons.

This past week, the Graham basketball teams played multiple games and saw mixed results throughout them all. The Graham Leader wants to recognize two athletes who stood out in these games and throughout the whole season.

The Steers’ Ty Thompson and the Lady Blues’ Hannah Williams have earned selections as Athletes of the Week.

Hannah Williams, guard, Lady Blues basketball

She’s in her third year on the Lady Blues varsity squad and Williams is playing at a high level. She brings energy and drive to every game no matter the opponent or the setting.

As one of the few seniors for this team, Williams takes the lead in a lot of the games. She’s typically one of the first to get a shot off and open the scoring for her team. While she may not always lead in that category, she sets the tone for her teammates in every game.

In addition to her work on offense, Williams makes a lot of little contributions to the team that don’t always show up in a scoresheet or even a post-game write-up. But they’re the things that help a team to a win and are crucial to the outcome of the games.

“She’s kind of one of the kids that does the unselfish things like she takes a lot of charges for us, a lot of the unnoticed things, things that get overlooked,” head coach Kyle Wood said. “Deflecting a pass or taking a charge or rebounding the ball, she's one of the leaders that we have as far as how hard we play and the effort that we play with.”

In Graham’s three most recent games, Williams played a variety of roles. And although the team went 1-2 in those games, she made an impact all over the floor.

“(She's) just a kid that’s easy to cheer for because she always shows up, always works hard,” Wood said. “You’d probably say that she always gives everything she has whether it be on the court or off the court.”

Ty Thompson, guard, Steers basketball

Thompson is a multi-sport athlete who has shown he can perform at a high level no matter what is asked of him. He’s the quarterback for the Steers football team and is currently the basketball team’s starting point guard.

Both of those positions require a strong sense of leadership and an ability to get others involved in the success of the team. Thompson has shown that time and again throughout the basketball season as he regularly finds his teammates for opportunities to score points.

He’ll be the one to bring the ball up the court and get the offense in motion. Whether he takes it to the rim himself, pulls up for a mid-range shot or dishes to a teammate, he plays a part in the success of the team.

In the last week, Graham played six games, four of which came in a tournament against stiff competition. Thompson had some of his most productive scoring games with a high of 14 points against Fredericksburg. Throughout the week, he averaged 10.3 points per game.

In addition to his work on the offensive side of the ball, Thompson plays fiery defense. As the point guard, he’s typically tasked with guarding the other team’s more quick, explosive players. The junior regularly forces turnovers through steals or other means with his fast hands and ability to react to the ball.

As the team prepares to enter district play and work towards the postseason, Thompson’ steady hand will continue to be required to propel the team towards its goals.