McWilliams signs with NEMCC
By Staff
Kim West
RED BAY – Chelsey McWilliams has led Red Bay in scoring the past three seasons and has been one of the top all-around players in the county but it wasn't only her steady jumper or interior defense that attracted the attention of perennial power Northeast Mississipp Community College.
"I've known Chelsey and her family for several years," said Northeast coach Ricky Ford, who coached McWilliams after her junior season in a Hawaii summer tournament and watched her turn in an MVP performance at a NEMCC summer camp.
"She is a first-class person who has a lot of integrity, and she's the kind of person our program is looking for because she is also a great athlete."
McWilliams, a center who averaged 15.9 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting from the field this season, helped Red Bay (22-9) to its 10th straight county championship, the Class 2A, Area 16 title and first Northwest Regional appearance in five years.
"We're going to play her at the No. 3 or No. 4 position, and because she is such a good athlete, we can have her out there running the floor or as a post player," said Ford, who utilizes a similar system to Red Bay's full-court offense and defense.
"We play man-to-man defense and use the full-court press. We play at a fast pace, and I think Chelsey will find it very similar to what she's been used to at Red Bay."
McWilliams has played basketball since kindergarten and was moved up to the varsity as an eighth grader. Despite winning an armful of individual honors, including being selected for the North-South All-Star Game, Northwest Regional All-Tournament and team MVP, she would rather talk about team accomplishments.
"Awards don't mean as much to me bccause just playing basketball makes me happy," McWilliams said. "Winning the area championship was a lot more special because it had been a long time since Red Bay had won it. I like the atmosphere here and we've always had close-knit teams. I was the water girl for my sister's team, and I always liked the excitement of playing basketball here."
McWilliams has played in county, area and sub-regional championships but she named a regular-season game as her most memorable moment in her high school career.
"My favorite memory was the first game during my ninth-grade year because it was my first game as a starter for the varsity," said McWilliams, who plans to major in education and become a high school coach. "We were playing Lauderdale County at home, and we were down by five point with 20 or 30 seconds left. We went to a full-court press and I was able to get two steals and pass them in for scores. I got a third steal and scored the winning basket as time ran out, and I think that's every basketball player's dream."
In additional to basketball, McWilliams, who was voted Most Athletic by her senior class, won individual state track championships as an eighth grader, freshman and sophomore in the high jump and 400-meter dash.
She is also an A-B student and active in Envirothon, 7/11 Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Leo Club, Science Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America and English Club.
Red Bay coach Donnie Roberts has equal high praise for McWilliams' playing ability and personality.
"Chelsey's character is the most impressive thing about her and she is a first-class player who shows great sportsmanship and is an unselfish player," Roberts said. "She carried a lot of the scoring load for us and was our leading scorer every year she has started. She has gotten better every season and we're going to miss having her around. "
McWilliams is the daughter of Jon and Tammy McWilliams of Red Bay. She has two older sisters, Audrey, 23, and Tiffany, 25.
