Jillian Somers – Athlete of the Week – January 10, 2020
With two State Championships and two TCIS Championships within the last decade, the Dolphins’ Varsity Girls’ Basketball program has continued to build a culture of excellence and effort on the court. Heading into the 2019-2020 season, Cape Henry Collegiate now boasts a youthful roster full of talented student-athletes, including three seniors and twelve athletes spanning 11th to 8th Grade. As one of the six Freshman on the Dolphins’ roster, this week’s Athlete of the Week, Jillian Somers, has been asked to take the ball in the most significant moments. With a world-class work ethic, perpetually positive attitude, and desire to be the best on the court, the Dolphins have and will continue to call Somers’ name with the game on the line.
“Jillian works –it is that simple. She has put in countless hours to improving her game and her work ethic is incredible. She has an obvious love of the game and is willing to put in the time needed to improve,” Head Coach Greg Angilly began of Jillian Somers. “In practice, she pushes her teammates and herself to be their absolute best. In games, she flat out competes. She is relentless on defense and is not afraid to take a big shot when the team needs someone to step up.”
To this point in the season, Somers has consistently drawn the opposing teams’ best defender and is continually asked to defend the opposing teams’ best guard. Despite frequent matchups against seniors and juniors, Jillian is averaging nine points per game–nearly 30 percent of the Dolphins’ points each night. While the Dolphins have begun the season 1-7, Somers and the rest of the Dolphin roster have shown signs of excellence in every single contest to this point. Four of the Dolphin losses were by an average margin of three points, showing how talented the Dolphins can be on any given day.
“Last week, Jillian was at her best against Norfolk Collegiate. She finished the night with the highest point total of everyone on the court,” Coach Angilly continued of Somers. “She was the best defender on the court– and this is not to take away from the rest of the team! She is asked to deal with the opposing team’s best guard, plays a critical role in our press and our press break, and is the number one offensive option outside of the paint. As a freshman – we’re asking a lot of her, and she answers the call each game.”
Somers and the Dolphins returned from the Winter break with a contest against Norfolk Collegiate the second day back on campus. In the Dolphins’ return to the hardwood, Somers exploded for 10 points and locked down the Oaks’ top offensive threat. Somers continued her exceptional performance the following week in a contest with the Crusaders from Catholic High School. Despite a slow start to the night for the Dolphins, Jillian finished with eight points against one of the conferences’ top programs, drawing Catholic’s top guard throughout the night. While Somers has proved she can find the bottom of the bucket with ease, it is just a small glimpse of what makes her a genuinely fascinating athlete.
“For starters, her attitude is incredible. She shows up each day with a smile on her face and a world-class work ethic. More often than not, she remains in the gym after the practice to get up extra shots and work on her game. Jillian is a gym rat — and that is the ultimate compliment. First to arrive – last to leave. She has been dedicated to our team from the day we started, and I truly cannot wait to see where she is heading in four years,” Coach Angilly finished of Somers.
As Associate Head Coach Darrian Freeman affectionately refers to Somers, the “little bucket getter” is continually proving the Dolphins belong at the top of the TCIS. Despite the record on the season, the Dolphins are preparing the enter conference play where the Cape Henry Collegiate community will see what Somers and the Dolphins can do on the court. First, the Dolphins must travel to Hampton Roads Academy for a contest with the Navigators, beginning at 4:30 pm on Friday, January 10.