PREP SPORTS: Willoughby collects Athlete of the Week honor

Published 5:31 pm Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Emme Willoughby always left everything she had out on the basketball court.

Monday was no different.

Yes, Cold Springs ended its season with a 66-47 loss to Tanner at the Northwest Regional Tournament. Yes, it was a disappointment. Yes, Willoughby wished her time as a proud member of the Blue and Gold program wasn’t over yet.

But the lows are always accompanied by the highs — and the senior standout had plenty of those during the past week.

The UAH signee scored 17 points to help her team earn a 39-36 comeback win over No. 4 Red Bay last Thursday before walking off Wallace State’s floor one last time to thunderous applause after notching 22 points versus the No. 3 Lady Rattlers.

Perhaps more importantly, though, Willoughby’s basketball abilities played second fiddle to her extraordinary character.

She’s been called a terrific teammate, a wonderful friend and a one-of-a-kind role model by those who know her best. She helped the Class 2A No. 5 Lady Eagles finish 28-5 overall and also took home the Bill Shelton Award back in January.

Sure, The Times’ Athlete of the Week honor is just that — a weekly honor. However, Willoughby brought it every week from her ninth-grade season all the way up until her final hug with coach Tammy West on the sideline just two days ago.

Who better to earn the accolade?

Athlete of the Week, which is sponsored by Bill Smith Buick GMC, is currently open to any spring-sport athlete. Nominations are often encouraged and can be submitted to jwinfrey@cullmantimes.com with the athlete’s name, school and statistics/accomplishments that make them a worthy candidate.

See below for other notable performances from this past week:

% Elizabeth Hill, Cold Springs: Had 15 points against Red Bay.

% Owen Lovell, Cullman: Went 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs in a 10-4 win over Southside-Gadsden.

% Trent Price, Cullman: Had two hits, including a home run, and four RBIs against Southside-Gadsden.

% Sierra Easterwood, Cullman: Had a two-run home run in a 5-3 loss to Oxford.

% Hannah Morton, Cullman: Had a solo home run against Oxford.

% Isaac Rodriguez, Cullman: Had three goals and one assist in a 7-2 win over Chelsea.

% Juan Sheffield, Cullman: Had two goals against Chelsea.

% Miguel Tizapa, Cullman: Had one goal and two assists against Chelsea. Had one goal in a 3-1 loss to Hoover.

% Jose Radilla, Cullman: Had two goals in a 2-1 win over Homewood.

% Abby Branham, Cullman: Had nine goals and one assists in four matches at the Southern Shootout.

% Ninfa Moreno, Cullman: Had two goals and three assists in four matches at the Southern Shootout.

% Abbi Taylor, Fairview: Had 17 points and six rebounds in a 59-46 win over Lawrence County.

% Taylor Ann Yeager, Fairview: Had 16 points against Lawrence County.

% Abby Schnittker, Fairview: Had 10 points against Lawrence County.

% Kate Kent, Good Hope: Had 10 points in a 44-22 loss to West Limestone.

% Branen Hurst, Hanceville: Scattered four hits and eight strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 9-5 win over J.B. Pennington.

% Drew Jones, Holly Pond: Had 23 points in a 71-66 win over Lauderdale County.

% Bailey Smith, Holly Pond: Had 21 points against Lauderdale County.