Student Athlete of the Week – Austin Darrow

BY HEIDI ZENEFSKI
Sports Correspondent

Austin Darrow is one of two seniors on the Blue Ridge Varsity Basketball team. He is the Independent’s Student Athlete of the Week.

“I’ve been playing basketball since I was in 1st grade, and I started playing because all my friends played so I figured I’d try it out,” Darrow said.

“The thing I like about basketball is well, of course, scoring, who doesn’t like scoring?” he said. “I love the feeling when a teammate makes a big play and all the momentum shifts to your side and everything just starts to click on both sides of the ball.”

As a first year varsity player on the Raiders’ team last year, Darrow was a little anxious when the season started. “We had just graduated a ton of seniors and for me, as a junior, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on the varsity level, but as the season progressed we got a lot better and I personally learned a lot of new things about the game. Last year, although we didn’t win a lot of games, was a great year for me.”

As a team leader, his confidence has grown and so have his expectations. “I have high expectations for my team and me this year.”

Last season, Darrow was named as a First Team All-Star in the Susquehanna County Christmas Basketball Tournament and is looking forward to repeating the honor at the tournament, which will be held at Montrose High School, Dec. 26-27.

In addition to basketball, Darrow also played football on the combined Susquehanna-Blue Ridge team for the past two years and enjoyed the success that team had throughout the season and in the playoffs.

Away from sports Darrow spends his time going to school, playing basketball, hanging out with his friends, and doing his homework. He plans to go to college to study accounting.

He lives in Great Bend with his mother, Barbara Darrow.