Robbinsville trio competes in revered showcase
Highlands – For the first time since 2019, the 1A West/Midwest All-Star Games took place. And Robbinsville’s basketball program made sure to leave its mark on the evening, which played out at Highlands School.
In the sixth installment of the seniors-only spectacular, Halee Anderson, Yeika Jimenez and Kamdyn Jordan each donned their Knights’ uniforms one last time, with Graham County’s representatives contributing largely to the first Western sweep in the history of the showcase, which began in 2015.
“It was a great day. I had so much fun,” said Jimenez, who was named MVP of the girls game. “Everyone was very encouraging. Being named to an All-Star team is pretty awesome.
“I have loved to wear the Lady Knights’ uniform; it’s been so awesome representing Robbinsville. It makes me feel good to know that I have had all this support.”
It is hard to argue with the logic of Highlands’ coaches Brett Lamb and Kaitlin Bishop, who headed up the West girls team and voted Jimenez as MVP. Named one of the starters, Jimenez dropped 12 points on the Midwest opposition, with five steals, three assists and one rebound in the game, which the West won 71-48.
Anderson had four points, but also helped the defensive effort immensely with seven rebounds and two steals.
“I was kind of nervous about going into the gym at first, because I had never really spoken to any of the girls before,” Anderson said about her experience. “But once I got in there, it was completely fine. All of the girls were friendly, and we had a good time playing together.
“It was a big honor to be selected to play in the All-Star Game as the final act of my career. I was happy to get to participate and finish out with a win. Playing basketball as a Lady Knight was such a big part of my high school years. I took a lot of pride in it.
“Some of the little things – like running into someone from the community and them complementing our team’s accomplishments, or seeing the gym packed out for a big game – made me feel like I was a part of something bigger than myself. It’s a feeling that I will definitely miss.”
The West Boys had never won the annual outing until Saturday, when an overtime thriller ended in a 98-95 victory. Cherokee’s Jordan Arkansas drained a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to force the extra period. Part of the West’s success was Jordan, who recorded 14 points, two rebounds and two steals in the triumph.
“This was really fun; our whole team grew up playing together,” Jordan said. “Being named an All-Star means a lot; Robbinsville holds a special place in my heart and I just want to make the community proud.”