Watch Macie Wood shoot. Watch her dribble. Watch her pass. Watch her drive. Watch her rebound. Watch her defend.
Parkers Chapel’s 5-foot-5 senior does a little bit of everything for the Lady Trojans. On this year’s team, that’s her role as the team’s Miss Fix It.
Whatever needs fixing, get Macie Wood to do it.
“Macie knows the game so well. She probably watches film more than anybody other than Ali Looney and Drue. They’re all really good about watching film and knowing what to expect coming into a game,” said PC coach Justin Welch. “From a knowledge standpoint, that’s where she really helps us because she can help me execute a game plan.
“She has accepted her role really well and ran with it. That’s helped us to get to the point where we are this year.”
Not the biggest, yet Wood can sneak in for a key rebound. Not the quickest, she helps handle the ball against pressure. Not the leading scorer, she has hit big shots at crucial moments.
And she’s done it with an unassuming demeanor. When teams focus on PC’s big three of Ali Looney, Taylor Fortune and Drue Thomas, Wood quietly slices them apart, not with a machete but with a pocketknife.
“One of our main things that we focus on is to know our role on the team. I know that my role is to take care of the ball and play defense to the best of my ability,” said Wood, whose improved shooting has bolstered the Lady Trojans’ offense.
“During off-season we did a lot of shooting drills which helped me improve as a shooter. I also feel like defense is key which leads to a better offense. We have worked really hard and all improved over the season.”
Always a defender, Wood’s improved offense has done wonders for the Lady Trojans’ this season.
“There are some games where they’re so focused on stopping Ali, Drue and Taylor that she is going to have to look for those opportunities. She has done a really good job of finding that point and not taking it too far. She’s a very unselfish person so that helps out, too,” said Welch.
“She’s really focused on her shot form in the off-season. Her shot form has come a long ways. That, in turn, she’s been able to hit some outside shots which adds pressure on the defense to cover more shooters. And she’s handling the ball a lot better, taking care of it a lot better than she was last year. That’s a huge improvement there with her ball handling skills and decision making on the court.”
Welch said Wood has been one of the team’s most improved players this season. That’s come in handy late in games when teams try to take away the top scorers. There’s no panic when the ball finds Wood.
“She has hit some very timely shots for us this year in some pretty clutch situations,” said Welch. “When you have that extra person there that can hit a shot without having to force it, that helps a ton. It takes a little pressure off and also makes the defense have to worry about another person.
“She’s pretty fearless. When she’s open she’ll be ready to shoot it. But I think this year she’s hit several of them and that’s given her confidence.”
The Lady Trojans claimed a share of the league title and will be the No. 2 seed in the district tournament this week. The team’s seniors have never been to a state basketball tournament, didn’t even make the regionals last year.
“No one ever complains, and it’s been a great season so far,” said Wood. “We are definitely the best we have ever been over the years and I think we can make it farther than we ever have. I look forward to seeing how far we can go. I know everyone on the team wants the season to continue. We are definitely pumped.”
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February 20, 2021 at 08:50AM
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Versatile Wood a big part of PC's success - El Dorado News-Times
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