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BASTROP —
Not that she would have it any other way, but between playing four sports, cheerleading and maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, free time is a luxury Prairie View senior Molly Gregory simply doesn’t have.
“Molly multi-tasks,” Prairie View principal and basketball coach Ed Bain understated with a chuckle.
At the beginning of last year, Gregory did get some undesired down time. After tearing her ACL at summer basketball camp, she missed the entire softball season and part of the basketball campaign.
Although she rejoined the Lady Spartans in time for district play, recovery has been a long process.
“(The injury) kind of set her back,” Bain said. “She’s just now getting back to where she was.”
Gregory will play her final game in Spartan Gym tonight when the Lady Spartans take on River Oaks at 6 p.m. Senior Night will be a bittersweet occasion for Gregory and her coach.
“Molly’s a super kid,” Bain said. “She’s level-headed, personable and works hard at whatever she does. We’re going to miss her next year, just like we’re going to miss all of our seniors. It’s been a good year.”
FIRST QUARTER
BDE: When did you start playing basketball?
Molly Gregory: I started playing intramural when I was in the second or third grade. I remember having Mrs. (Leslie) Hickingbottom as my coach one year, but I don’t remember if it was my first year.
BDE: What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of basketball?
Gregory: My favorite part is being with the team, traveling to away games and being in the locker before home games.
The thing I don’t like is conditioning. Before the games start, you’re not used to the pace and everything seems so fast.
BDE: What is your favorite sport?
Gregory: If I had to pick one, I think my favorite sport would be tennis even though I haven’t spent a lot of time on it. I guess that’s why I like it — it’s kind of laid back, but you can have fun and still win.
SECOND QUARTER
BDE: How have you managed to keep a 4.0 gpa while being involved in so many activities?
Gregory: It’s not easy. As soon as I get out of practice, I go home and do homework. I don’t have time to get on the computer or talk to friends on the phone. Some days, all I do is go to school, practice, do homework and shower, but that’s just what I have to do, especially since I’ve started taking dual enrollment classes.
Not that she would have it any other way, but between playing four sports, cheerleading and maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, free time is a luxury Prairie View senior Molly Gregory simply doesn’t have.
“Molly multi-tasks,” Prairie View principal and basketball coach Ed Bain understated with a chuckle.
At the beginning of last year, Gregory did get some undesired down time. After tearing her ACL at summer basketball camp, she missed the entire softball season and part of the basketball campaign.
Although she rejoined the Lady Spartans in time for district play, recovery has been a long process.
“(The injury) kind of set her back,” Bain said. “She’s just now getting back to where she was.”
Gregory will play her final game in Spartan Gym tonight when the Lady Spartans take on River Oaks at 6 p.m. Senior Night will be a bittersweet occasion for Gregory and her coach.
“Molly’s a super kid,” Bain said. “She’s level-headed, personable and works hard at whatever she does. We’re going to miss her next year, just like we’re going to miss all of our seniors. It’s been a good year.”
FIRST QUARTER
BDE: When did you start playing basketball?
Molly Gregory: I started playing intramural when I was in the second or third grade. I remember having Mrs. (Leslie) Hickingbottom as my coach one year, but I don’t remember if it was my first year.
BDE: What are your favorite and least favorite aspects of basketball?
Gregory: My favorite part is being with the team, traveling to away games and being in the locker before home games.
The thing I don’t like is conditioning. Before the games start, you’re not used to the pace and everything seems so fast.
BDE: What is your favorite sport?
Gregory: If I had to pick one, I think my favorite sport would be tennis even though I haven’t spent a lot of time on it. I guess that’s why I like it — it’s kind of laid back, but you can have fun and still win.
SECOND QUARTER
BDE: How have you managed to keep a 4.0 gpa while being involved in so many activities?
Gregory: It’s not easy. As soon as I get out of practice, I go home and do homework. I don’t have time to get on the computer or talk to friends on the phone. Some days, all I do is go to school, practice, do homework and shower, but that’s just what I have to do, especially since I’ve started taking dual enrollment classes.
If we have an away game, I might not get home until 11 o’clock, but you have until 11:59 to get your assignment done or you get a zero. In a way, that’s good because I’ll be used to it when I get to college.
BDE: What improvements do the Lady Spartans need to make as North State approaches?
Gregory: We need to be more mentally prepared. That’s why we lost all those games to Riverdale. We were throwing balls off the wall and not doing the things we know to do because we weren’t mentally prepared.
BDE: What area of your game have you improved on the most over the past three years?
Gregory: I don’t foul out as much. I used to foul out of almost every game.
When I started playing varsity in the 10th grade, I was scared because I was playing with Caroline Oliphant and Logan Tubbs. If I didn’t do something right, I was scared they would jump down my throat.
I still play just as hard, but I’m more relaxed now.
Mr. Bain has helped out because if you make a mistake, you don’t have to worry about getting yelled at or pulled out of the game.
THIRD QUARTER
BDE: How big of a setback was the torn ACL?
Gregory: I know it’s healed, but it’s never going to be the same. I’m not scared, but my knee’s just not as sturdy as it used to be. It’s as good as it’s going to get, though.
BDE: Has it hit you that you are about to play in the final home game of your career?
Gregory: It’s weird. Even though I know I’m moving on to some fun things, it’s going to be different. I won’t be playing sports with friends I’ve known my whole life. I’ll still see my teammates on the hall and we’ll still be friends, but we won’t be spending time together in practice and before and after the game like we do now.
BDE: What young player do you see as having the potential to help the Lady Spartans in the future?
Gregory: Jordan Caldwell. Even though she’s always second team at practice, she never complains. She always hustles as hard as she can — practice and games — and she works on her shot constantly. Once she gets a little more experience, I think she’s going to be a big asset to the team.
FOURTH QUARTER
BDE: What are you going to miss the most about playing high school basketball?
Gregory: I’ll miss my teammates for sure. I’ll miss playing, period.
Even if you play intramural in college, it’s not the same mindset. I’ll never forget the feeling I had the very first time I ran out on the floor before a varsity game. Caroline and Logan were playing back then, so everybody came to the games. I had played JV and my mom (Patti Gregory) and about 20 people would be there. When you run out on the floor with the loud music going, the adrenaline gets going so fast and you get hyped up.
BDE: What do you like best about attending PVA?
Gregory: The one-on-one relationships you have with the teachers. At a small school, you become friends with them. And how could you not love Mrs. (Doris) Day? She’s like the grandmother of Prairie View.
BDE: How many pets do you have?
Gregory: I have two outside cats and one inside cat. They’re all named Kitty. I don’t know why, but I never name my cats.
There was a cat in the motor of Kristin Kindrix mom’s car. It was black with grease when we first caught it. After we gave it a bath, we found out if was a calico.
I’m going to sound like the crazy cat lady.
I have three outside dogs, a border collie, her name is Patchez; a German shepherd, her name is Mia; and my dad’s (Guy Gregory) puppy, a black male cur named Sadie.
Then we have the horses and cows out on the farm.
All of my animals are strays. That’s the best kind to have because they need a home.
BDE: What are your future plans?
Gregory: To go to LSU and become a veterinarian.
I worked for Dr. (Glen) Melton for five months, but work, school and sports were just too much. I learned a lot, though. Dr. Melton taught me everything he could.
