Elsik Rams Nimiz

The most anticipated game to be played in the Big 12 this season is coming up this weekend between #5 Texas A&M and #1 Baylor. A&M features two players from Houston, my daughter Sydney Colson from Westside and Adaora Elonu from Elsik, while Baylor features another young lady from Houston who is one of, if not the most dominant player in college basketball, Brittney Griner, who played her high school ball at Nimitz. Some may wonder the connection or where I’m going with this and it’s simple. The “Under The Spotlight” game is Elsik vs Nimitz.

I knew the outcome before I decided to attend the game. Elsik is one of the top teams, not only in the city, but the state. They have a terrific threesome from the 2012 class, Jasmine Ocanas, Crystal Porter and Akunna Elonu, yes, she’s Adaora’s baby sister. Rounding out the starting five are Talisa Spencer and Lindsey Cypher, while Raven Hill gives valuable minutes off the bench as the teams sixth man. Elsik has won their district the past two seasons, they will win it again this season and my crystal ball is telling me they will win it next season as well, in fact, none of the kids on varsity have lost a district game. Actually, they haven’t lost many games this season period, only five, and when you look at who they’ve lost to, Katy Taylor (2), Cy Falls, Hightower and North Shore, you realize how good this team really is since all of their losses have come to teams ranked in the Top 25 statewide.

Nimitz isn’t the same team since Griner graduated a couple of seasons ago and Chrishauna Parker left to do her her thing at “The Taz”. Nimtz lone returnee from their State Final Four team is junior Jasmine Clark, who is one of the top three point shooters in the district. Those of you who keep up with the game on the female side may remember Clark dropping four three pointers as a freshman against Dulles in the first “Bone vs Griner” showdown, which will pick back up over the next two seasons in the Big 12 when Kelsey Bone is eligible to play at Texas A&M. Another reason I chose this game was the astounding play over the course of the season by Jesse Landry. She may not be a household name, mainly because Nimitz isn’t winning, however as I stress to people over and over, there are more than one way to win. Landry, 17, was born with congenital amputation. The condition, which impacts one in every 3,800 children, according to the Amputation Coalition of America, caused Landry to be born with a right arm that stops at the elbow. As the sixth man for the Cougars, she is averaging over 7 points and three assists this season; however the energy she brings to the game, the support she gives her teammates and by just competing shows she is a winner.