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Friday, 03 July 2009 |
 Kerry Smith/For the Daily News Former Starkville Academy guard Valeri Stewart is headed to Mississippi College where she’ll link with former teammate Kendell Crawford. By DAVID MILLER
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Valeri Stewart had to make a tough decision as her senior year at Starkville Academy began to wind down. Now officially a Mississippi College basketball player, she knows she made the right decision.
After leading the Lady Volunteers to a state runner-up trophy in basketball this season, Stewart opted to join the Lady Choctaws’ basketball team. Standing in the way of that decision was her love of soccer, where she was an All-MPSA player during her time at SA.
What made it even more difficult to separate the two sports is her quality of play. She was a starter for both teams and she was also the lead offensive player for the Lady Vols on the court and on the field.
As a central/attacking midfielder, her ball handling and pace complimented a fierce shot. She was a leader for Ronnie White’s Lady Volunteers, and was the rock that the rest of the young players could lean on, and ultimately, fashion their games after.
Stewart loves the game of soccer, and she played for the Lady Vols’ varsity team since she was in the seventh grade.
Basketball, on the other hand, just happened to be the sport Stewart knew she wanted to play in college.
Stewart led the Lady Vols in scoring, rebounding and steals in her senior season and was the unquestioned leader of Glenn Schmidt’s squad. From her guard position, she created mismatches with her ball handling and quickness. Now, she’ll get the chance to make that same kind of impact for head coach Allen Duke at MC.
Ironically, Stewart’s interest in playing basketball at Mississippi College sprouted when she was on a visit to meet with head soccer coach Darryl Longabaugh last November.
“While I was down there I figured I would go and talk to the basketball coach,” Stewart said. “I was really impressed with the program and everything about it. I don’t have to adapt to new ideas and new systems of the game. I feel like I’ll fit right in.”
After a positive meeting with Duke, Stewart said the dilemma over which sport she would play officially began.
“At that point, I started to mull over basketball and soccer. Ultimately, I think I would regret not playing basketball more than soccer,” Stewart said. “I just get into it so much more.
“It really was tough, though, just the thought of not playing basketball or soccer. I’ve played both for the school since seventh grade. Soccer wasn’t a year round thing for me, so basketball has been my focus.”
Schmidt, who coached Stewart throughout her entire prep basketball career, is happy to see her former star headed to her alma mater.
“Really, as long as Valeri is happy, I’m happy,” Schmidt said, “but honestly I’m thrilled that she is heading to MC. As an alum, I think it’s great, too, because I think MC will really suit her game and her personality. She’s a people person and she works hard.”
At MC, Stewart will be reunited with former SA teammate Kendell Crawford, who led the Lady Vols to a 24-12 record in her senior season. Crawford originally signed with Delta State following her senior year, but according to Schmidt, her former point guard wanted a change of scenery at a smaller school. So, the former All-Star/All-State player will have the chance to work with another All-Star from Schmidt’s coaching tree.
“I’m super excited about that,” Stewart said. “I know her and I’ve played with her before, so it’s going to help me tremendously. It’s great because I’m not going down there and playing with a lot of people I’ve never played with before. I’ll have some familiarity.”
As for her role with the team, Stewart said she will play two-guard for the Lady Choctaws. With MC set to have a huge backcourt turnover for Stewart’s sophomore season, she believes she can hit the court sooner rather than later.
“When I talked to him (Duke), it was an unexpected visit in November,” Stewart said. “He reassured me, though, that they really did want me and they needed a shooting guard, and if I worked 24/7 I would play. Honestly, that’s what I was worried about with how much playing time I would get and just how I fit in the team. He let me know that ‘you’re going to have to step up for the next year, we’re going to need you’. I’m really excited in how they talked to me, not just about basketball, because they ask you just about everything in life. I respect that about them.”
Valeri Stewart’s senior season was filled with a career’s worth of emotion, which she thinks has prepared her for her soon-to-begin college career. A rugged seven-game losing streak left the team under .500 early in the season, which prompted a meeting with Schmidt.
“She sat down and asked me ‘coach, why are we losing these games?’ and I said ‘because you’re not winning them for us’,” Schmidt said. “That was all she needed to know.”
From there, the Lady Vols slowly climbed their way back above .500 and upset Parklane Academy in the MPSA state tournament. That win set up a meeting in the state title game against Pillow Academy, which the Lady Vols lost, but in the process earned the state runner-up trophy.
From the season looking dead in the water, to bringing home a piece of silverware, Stewart’s senior season on the court gave her all the tools she needed to get ready for college ball.
“We hit that losing streak and it was a downer,” Stewart admitted. “We would talk about it in the locker room, ‘what’s going on, why are we losing and why we aren’t clicking?’. It was a tough stretch, and it really made us go back to work and push through it.
“After that, we realized that it was for real. We got to the tournament, and the Parklane game is what I’ll remember most. When we went to overtime, I thought ‘Val, this is your last game’. I knew I had to dig deep. It was the most amazing game of my life.”
For Schmidt, she admitted she has a big hole to fill entering next season. After all, this is the first year she won’t have a Stewart leading the team. Valeri’s older sister Ashley was a forward for the Lady Vols when Valeri was a sophomore.
“One of the best post players I’ve coached at SA,” Schmidt said of Ashley. “She had great moves and was a great post-defense player. It’s been a pleasure to coach both of them. They’ve meant a lot to the school and program.”
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 05 July 2009 )
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