SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of Dec. 11, 2013)
Alysha Lofton is back. The Central Bucks South senior wasted little time establishing that fact in her team’s season opener again Notre Dame in the opening round of the Springfield-Delco tournament, and no one was happier than coach Beth Mattern. “We got the opening tip, and she got an offensive board and the putback for the first basket,” the Titans’ coach said. “Literally 10 seconds later on our first defensive trip, they see her, they pass the ball to her player, and she just makes a great break on the ball, and it’s a layup at the other end. It was at that moment I just kind of smiled to myself, and I was like, ‘Yup, she’s ready.’” Lofton was born ready, but the gifted senior – poised to have a stellar junior season – was derailed when she tore her ACL in South’s fifth game of the season against North Penn. It has been a long journey back since that December night, but Lofton served notice in the first week of the season that she is going to make up for lost time, scoring 40 points and copping MVP honors while leading the Titans to the tournament title.
Lofton, according to her coach, brings a special skill set to the court. “Alysha is a great player because of her natural ability to see the floor,” Mattern said. “She is athletic, strong and uses her instincts to excel on the court. Alysha is a versatile player who can at any given time be the point guard or the center, depending on the need of the team. She also is able to defend anyone from the point guard to center on the court.” A four-year varsity player, Lofton came off the bench as a freshman and immediately made her presence felt on the defensive end. Her offensive game developed over the years, and her injury last season was a devastating blow for the Titans. “She’s our centerpiece, and she’s such a leader on the court,” Mattern said. Lofton managed to keep her injury in perspective, maintaining a positive outlook through the grueling rehab and always thinking of her team first. “The most difficult part (of the injury) wasn’t the therapy because it’s physical exercise,” she said. “The body can get back and used to that. It was knowing I couldn’t help my team.”
Lofton is looking to have a strong finish her high school career and then will take her talents to West Chester where she hopes to major in international business or business and marketing. “She’s a 100 percent solid kid,” Mattern said. “She’s friendly, courteous, polite, an awesome worker in the classroom, always has great things to say about her teammates, always has a smile on her face when she’s walking down the hallway. She’s just a great kid to be around.”
To read Lofton’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/alysha-lofton-0039988
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Dec. 11, 2013)
If a high school coach could get their hands on a holiday gift catalogue and order the ideal team captain, there would likely be a picture of Central Bucks West senior Jared Kelly staring back at them. Kelly is not only a rarity in that he plays, and excels, at two scholastic sports – soccer and basketball, but he is the captain of both squads. He is actually the returning captain for the basketball team, having been tabbed to be the leader as a junior returning starter from a team that had achieved great heights the previous season. “He started as a sophomore and has natural leadership skills,” said West basketball coach Adam Sherman. “He was our most experienced player, and he fit the profile. He put the time in during the offseason. It was an easy decision.”
Kelly was a key member of West’s successful soccer team this fall. “We had our best year yet,” he said. “We had good team spirit. Everybody bought in. We were the furthest team to make it (in the playoffs) from our conference, which is a huge accomplishment.” Kelly’s coach credited his senior captain for the role he played in that success. “Jared is the true definition of a leader and a captain,” coach Stefan Szygiel said. “He has an innate ability to raise the level of those around him both on the field, on the court and in the classroom. He’s an exceptional young man, and I look forward to following his future endeavors.”
There is more to Jared Kelly than success on the hardwood or soccer pitch. He carries an overall GPA of around 4.1 but registered a 4.8 the last marking period. Kelly was the school’s only student-athlete chosen for the Wharton School Leadership Program this past summer. As a matter of fact, he was one of 36 chosen out of 1,000 applicants. He is deeply enmeshed in the school environment, holding a deep commitment to improve it. Add to that the Key Club, National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and The Pride Club. “Jared is a great student-athlete,” Sherman said. “His teammates often refer to him as ‘Mr. Perfect,’ because he is such a good student, basketball player and teammate. He has great attention to detail in everything that he does, both on and off the court. Whatever college that Jared ends up going to will be very lucky to have him. As a basketball player, he is an extremely hard worker that always puts the extra time in. He is a great role model for our younger players.”
Kelly, who plans to major in chemical engineering, will likely continue playing hoops at the Division III level with Washington and Lee and Swarthmore currently the frontrunners for his services.
To view Kelly’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/jared-kelly-0040014
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