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U.C. athletes receive top honors
Junior Michael Ross was selected as Player of the Year while senior Corey Garrett was named to the All-Region (1st) Team. Austin Collins, Caleb Kelly, and Taylor Neely also received recognition as Honorable Mentions. On the Lady Panthers side, Lauren Dyer was chosen to the girls All-Region (1st) Team, while Candace Williams was named as an Honorable Mention. Panthers Head Coach Tim Hunter was asked to give his thoughts about each of his players who were chosen. Michael Ross: Player of the year "The focus of my offense runs through the post but Ross still plays a terribly important role," Coach Hunter said. "Some nights he has to go out there and get 20-25 points for us and he steps up with confidence and does that for us. "The biggest thing about it is that he has taken on the role of handling the ball against pressure and he's busted his butt to be a much better on-andoff the ball defender. Everything we have asked him to do he has done."
"Corey has been our leading scorer this year and its been a different role for him," Coach Hunter said. "He has had to be a dedicated post player for us. He's got a lot of skill and shoots the ball incredibly well for a post player. You don't find many post players that have as good of a jump shot as Corey. He's become a more physical player and kept a great attitude about working hard. He's been a good leader. There's been a lot of nights where he has been the man for us." Austin Collins: Honorable Mention "He may have scored a few more points last year, but we don't shoot as much this year. The big thing about Austin is that he has been our defensive stopper," Coach Hunter said. "He's been given the toughest job every ballgame of guarding the best player the other team has. He has done a great job. Austin has shut down some great offensive players. He works hard. If he's guarding you, it's [not any fun.]" Taylor Neely: Honorable Mention
Caleb Kelly: Honorable Mention "That kid has had a lot of adversity in his basketball career but he is the best product of our system," Coach Hunter said. "Meaning, he's a guy that understands, I'm going to do exactly what I'm supposed to on defense. You know he's going to bring intensity and make hustle plays. He a very smart player and is one of our most efficient players. He's the finest example of what hard work and dedication can turn a player into." Lauren Dyer: All-Region One of the most interesting aspects of the girls All-Region Team is the fact that two of the five players are insulin-dependent diabetics. Both Dyer and Kayla Parks of Banks County have both excelled at the sport and made the team in spite of their struggles with diabetes.
Asked how it feels to be able to provide an example for other young people, particularly those who may struggle with an illness like diabetes, Dyer said that she is proud of the fact that she and her friend Parks were both able to make the team and that it says a lot about how the disease can be overcome. "The fact that I have diabetes will never stop me from doing anything," Dyer said. "A lot of people use it as an excuse and it holds them down. For me, it is that more of a reason to show people, especially younger kids, that diabetes does not have to control your life as long as you have control over it. I love the fact that two out of the five girls that made all-region have diabetes because that is proof that the disease can be beaten even though it cannot be cured." Candace Williams: Honorable Mention
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