By Maggie Frail

Basketball season: the time of year that high schoolers await for after football comes to a close. Whether it’s on the court or in the student section cheering on the players, a lot of students enjoy this season. Senior Essence Sumner always looks forward to showing off her skills on the court.

   Sumner started playing basketball at the Rec Center in Salisbury. Although she was not very good at first she kept practicing and soon fell in love it.

   “My mom just put me in the activity to get me involved but at first I wasn’t that good but after I practiced and kept playing over time I got better at it,” Sumner said.

   During her time at Reynolds she has kept improving and now head coach Thomas Eggers sees very little deficiency in her play.

   “Her jump shot and passing have improved so much that she has no real weakness on offense and it makes her very hard to guard,” Eggers said.

   Sumner plays as a shooting guard and small forward but she prefers small forward.  

   “I don’t really like the title shooting guard because I don’t just shoot” Sumner said. “I’m aggressive too and a small forward is aggressive and they do everything a guard does.”

   Sumner took on a large leadership role on and off the court last season as the team had mostly young players.

   “She is a good leader on the court, but even more so off the court,” Eggers said. “She is always texting the rest of the players making sure they are coming to practice. She finds out why they aren’t and will hold them accountable for making excuses.”

   During her time at Reynolds Sumner has made an impression on her teammates as well.

   “Essence is the hardest working person I know,” sophomore Jane Crowley said. “She leads by example and sets the tone for the rest of the team.”

   While Sumner may be a serious player on the court and puts pressure on her teammates to be at practice, she also brings a lighthearted attitude to the court.

   “She also has a great sense of humor which helps everyone feel at ease as well,” Eggers said.

   One of Sumners favorite memories while playing basketball was when she helped her team win a game when she was in seventh grade.

   “It was a close game and this girl stole the ball from us and started going down the court for a layup and I chased her down and I blocked her shot,” Sumner said. “I felt like I was in control.”

   Sumner most admires professional basketball player Kevin Durant for his confidence while playing and how he does what is best for him and his professional career.

   “He’s not cocky and he does what he has to do when he’s on the court” Sumner said. “He just does what he has to do and doesn’t care what anybody else thinks.”

   Sumner plans on furthering her basketball career and education at Williams Peace University and majoring in pre vet and minor in business management.