A Standout On and Off the Court

Student athletes have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, and this is certainly true for Broadneck High School senior Kevin Doody. Long days are spent working hard to excel both on the varsity basketball team and in the classroom.

Doody is a 6’4” power forward and an honor roll student with an enviable GPA.

As a sophomore, Doody was a tri-sport athlete, playing lacrosse, soccer and basketball but chose to concentrate exclusively on basketball his last couple years in high school. “Basketball is by far my favorite and really my passion,” he explained. “I like the fast pace and the quick thinking needed because there aren’t any set plays.”

So what makes a team like this year's Broadneck Bruins boys varsity team excel on the court? Doody described the need for the rapid interpretation of the opposing player’s next moves and being ahead of that next exchange.

The basketball schedule is a grueling one, as are most high school varsity sports. The team practices two to three hours a day, six days a week, and plays two games a week during their regular season. On top of that, each athlete is required to maintain a minimum passing GPA for all classes.

Of the 10 years Doody has been playing basketball, four years have been spent with a tight knit group of athletes playing for the Bruins. Most of the team has been playing together since their freshman JV years, and over the years most have moved on to play varsity ball. Under the skillful guidance of Coach John Williams (a former Bruin himself), a fledgling team was turned into a powerhouse.

Friday night, the Bruins wrapped up their last regular season game with a tense 70-60 win over Southern High School, giving the team an astonishing 20-2 season record. After the game, Doody reflected on how he felt about playing his last regular season game.

Hesitating a bit, he admitted, “It’s a sad, a very emotional time. I’ve gotten to play with some phenomenal athletes. I’ve also had a coach that really cared about his players and looked after his team. But it’s great to finish out at the top of our game.”

What’s the future hold? Well for the team, they’ll go to the county playoffs as the number one seed against Oakland Mills at Mt. Hebron Wednesday and number two seed in the Class 4A East Regionals will follow.

And for Doody personally, he was just accepted to the University of Colorado, Boulder and will be pursuing a degree in engineering.

BROADNECK AREA SPORTS UPDATES

• Congrats to the CSCR Winter Cheerleaders who are going to Ocean City Feb. 26 for the “Reach the Beach”competition.
• The Broadneck Baseball and Softball Club is running open registration until March 1 for the 2011 season at www.broadneckbaseballsoftball.org.
• Evaluations for both boys and girls BAYS lacrosse players will be held this week on the BHS turf field. Click here for more information.