Prospect Spotlight: Elijah Young
The last time I spoke to North Adams High School senior Elijah Young (2019), he was a role player coming off the bench as a sophomore, but was making a splash in the SHAC. Now two years later, Young is…
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Continue ReadingThe last time I spoke to North Adams High School senior Elijah Young (2019), he was a role player coming off the bench as a sophomore, but was making a splash in the SHAC. Now two years later, Young is having a strong senior campaign and the Green Devils are playing very good basketball as well.
“We started hot and have been getting better…we are winning games we need to win and lost a few games that were close”.
As expected, Elijah’s stats have definitely increased since his sophomore year; currently sitting at 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Young has played more as a guard in the games I’ve seen this year, but is capable of defending bigger players if needed. His ability to distribute the ball is what impressed me in a win against a tough Eastern Brown team, as he set up several great jump shots for teammates. Keep in mind though, this guy can score the ball too, going off for 31 points in a win earlier this season. His leadership has shown on the floor as he has seen his role change since we last spoke.
“I think I’ve improved by being more of a team player. I want to be somebody (the team) can go through if they need anything on or off the floor”.
Growing up in Adams County, the population is quite lower than the Metropolitan areas or suburbs of major cities like Dayton or Cincinnati. During our interview last time, Elijah shared how the communities are strong, especially during basketball season as most schools in Adams County do not have football teams at their schools. There is a misconception that guys playing in smaller, rural parts are not near as talented as guys from bigger schools. I asked Elijah what his thoughts were on this.
“You can’t help where you are raised. Some guys here would learn more and be more competitive if they played for Division I or II schools”.
The conference in which Elijah plays probably would agree with this statement, but make no mistake, there is some serious talent in Southern Ohio that should not be overlooked. Last season alone, two Southern Hills Athletic Conference (SHAC) teams made postseason runs. Ripley lead by Jaki Royal (2019) made a run to the District title game before falling to Springfield Catholic Central. Peebles made a run to the Reginal finals before falling to a talented Berlin Hiland team. This year, the SHAC does not appear to have a clear cut dominate team, as the conference is much more spread out than years past in Elijah’s opinion. However, he thinks North Adams can find themselves playing in a District title game or a Sectional title in 2019.
At 10-2, the Devils have been impressive as a team. The boys basketball program has not been known for their dominance in years past, especially since coach Rob Davis and the girls program has been so dominant and consistent at North Adams. I asked Elijah if he felt the boys have finally earned some more respect because of how they’ve played so far.
“I do think we have earned more respect. In the past, we lost game we should have won by double digits”.
There is still plenty of basketball to be played, but I echo Elijah’s opinion as North Adams has already defeated local teams including Eastern Brown, West Union, and Lynchburg-Clay. This continued success could result in a deep postseason.
As for college plans, Elijah has not received any interest or offers for basketball. He works as a volunteer fireman for Winchester and Seamen Fire Department and plans on attending Shawnee State for paramedic school and pursue a career as an EMT/Fireman. Elijah tells me if the right school were to offer him for basketball he would consider, but is set on his college plans. A member of Beta Club and a 3.5 GPA, Elijah is a very intellectual young man that hopes to have a strong showing in his final games as a Green Devil.