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(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Tara Dawson lines up in the back row Tuesday, Sept. 9 against the Bowie Lady Rabbits. Dawson has come back from injury this season to be a leader both on and off the court. -
(ALEX HAVARDANSKY | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Mikey Soito runs away from defenders Friday, Sept. 5, against Crowell. Soito contributed on both sides of the ball to help the Bobcats pick up a massive 73-0 win.
Another busy week has come and gone for Graham and Newcastle athletics.
This week, The Graham Leader is recognizing Mikey Soito of the Bobcats and Tara Dawson of the Lady Blues as this week’s Athletes of the Week.
Tara Dawson, Lady Blues Volleyball
Dawson is a senior defensive specialist for the team and her impact so far has been immeasurable from both an on and off the court perspective.
Dawson lit up the stat sheet in the Lady Blues win over the Bowie Lady Rabbits, recording five kills, 15 digs, two aces and two blocks on the night.
However, a valuable trait of hers that doesn’t pop up on the stat sheet is her ability as a leader, according to Lady Blues head coach Marci Faulk.
“She’s a verbal leader on our team,” Faulk said. “She’s constantly talking to our hitters, reassuring them of where they need to go with the ball.”
Dawson has also proved to be a huge morale booster for the team now that she has been able to hit the court again this year.
The senior suffered a torn ACL playing soccer and was sidelined for the season last year. However, her attitude never wavered and Faulk believes Dawson picked up valuable knowledge about the game that she can apply this year.
“We missed her,” Faulk said. “She played a role as the cheerleader, I think she learned a lot about the game last year just sitting and watching as much as she had to. She’s learned a lot and I think that’s why she reads better this year. She took advantage of being out and used it to her ability to come back.”
Dawson will continue to be a veteran leader for the team as the season progresses.
Mikey Soito, Bobcats Football
It was another big week for the Newcastle Bobcats varsity football team. The team picked up their second straight victory this week, this time over the Crowell Wildcats, to start the season 2-0 after a 73-0 blowout win.
This came just one week after the Bobcats defeated the Iredell Dragons 46-0. There were standout performances across the board.
Senior Mikey Soito however, made moves all over the field on both ends to play a crucial role in the victory.
Soito contributed offensively both in the rushing game and receiving game.
He totaled three touchdowns in that department on the night and put up 64 total yards.
He put up 32 yards each both rushing and receiving, while running for two touchdowns and catching his third in the passing game.
Defensively, Soito was also dominant. The senior was credited with two interceptions on the night and two additional scores defensively.
Things keep trending upward for the Bobcats to start the season and the sky appears to be the limit on what they can achieve.
