University of Connecticut women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma scoffed at the notion of someone being referred to as “only a role player.”
“Guess what, everybody’s role is really, really important. You just have to play it to the best of your ability,” Auriemma said in an interview. “If you are going to be a role player, then you have to be a star in your role, whatever that is.”
Championship are rarely won without sacrifices from players that may not be household names, but are invaluable to their coaches.
James Monroe is the defending Class A boys state champion mainly because quality players accepted the role that made the Mavericks a better team overall.
Last season Josh Burks and Collin Fox accepted roles in other areas behind Shad Sauvage, Cameron Thomas and Eli Allen who combined to score over 50 points and grab nearly 20 rebounds per game.
This season, Burks and Fox have joined Allen to do the bulk of the scoring for the Mavericks leaving roles for new faces to fill.
Stepping into those complementary roles this year down in Lindside has been a familiar face and a couple of surprises who have shown themselves to be more than capable to be big time players.
Junior Cooper Ridgeway, along with seniors Juan Hopkins and Owen Jackson have provided the much needed boost for the Mavs to be solid contenders in another title run.
Along with being a versatile first team all-state football player, Ridgeway played a crucial role last year off the bench filling in for Thomas when he was injured or had to sit with foul trouble.
Stepping into a starting role this year, the junior standout has again proven himself to be a key component in the Mavs success. Although he stands just 6-foot tall, Ridgeway has been a scrappy force around the basket.
While Ridgeway’s role was clearly defined entering the season, the roles for Hopkins and Jackson weren’t, but both have done all that has been asked of them, and more.
James Monroe head coach Matt Sauvage admitted that prior to the season, Hopkins was a bit of a mystery.
“We (as coaches) didn’t know what he was going to do. We didn’t even know if he was going to get in the game and we told him that,” Sauvage said. “He said he wanted to (play) and now he has started every game for us. Juan has played great. He has some legs to him and he can get up.”
One of many things that Sauvage likes from Hopkins is how he has shown steady improvement from game to game this year.
“Juan is starting to pick up the game. He played rec (ball) a lot, but now he is figuring out how to play on the organized side of it,” Sauvage said. “Each game you see a little more. So, by the end of February I think you will see even a different player than what you do now.”
Averaging seven points per game and nearly five rebounds, Hopkins has been strong around the basket with defenses trying to stop Allen in the paint.
In the Saturday’s win over Webster County, Hopkins scored 12 points and had five rebounds, converting all six of his attempts from the field.
Jackson did plenty of scoring in the fall as the kicker for the highly successful football team, as well as a striker on the soccer field. Last year, it was Jackson that was the mystery man for Sauvage.
“Last year we wanted to get Owen in the game, but we couldn’t find a niche for him. We couldn’t figure him out,” Sauvage said. “Coming into this season, we told him that we needed him. We didn’t know the specifics of it at that time, but we knew we would need him.”
The lanky senior scored 12 points against Montcalm and had eight crucial points against Calvary Baptist. He has also provided a spark of the bench when his teammates have been down with foul trouble.
“Coming in from football, he was a little slow, as could be expected, but the past few games he has earned more and more time,” Sauvage said. “He pushes 6-foot-2 or 6-3, but his wingspan is longer than his height. He uses it to his advantage. Owen is like Cameron Thomas last year, a little sneaky. At the end of the game, you look at state sheet and it’s, oh wow! He has been a nice surprise for us.”
Top-ranked James Monroe is back in action Tuesday when it hosts regional rival Greenbrier West before battling Class A No. 2 Tucker County Friday night at the Tyler Consolidated Tournament.
