Coupeville’s Audrianna Shaw, a three-sport star who played her heart out. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
“She never misses a layup. Ever.”
And then Audrianna Shaw promptly bounced the basketball off the back of the rim, the orb skipping free and bringing my career as a hoops scout into serious question.
Except…
As a rival rebounder hauled in the wayward shot and turned to head back up the floor, Audri immediately spun into battle mode, a fierce look crossing her face.
Catching the unsuspecting dribbler from behind, she snaked her hand into a tiny gap, poking the ball free and snatching it up before heading in the opposite direction.
Step-step-slap-the-ball-through-the-hoop and Audri’s layup rate was back at a crisp 99.3%.
That was the one, and only time, I ever saw her miss a layup during her middle school hardwood career.
And her fast recovery to turn the moment into a win speaks to exactly the kind of athlete she has been for the past six-plus years.
Audri, who played three sports and was a key figure in all of them, never hung her head, and certainly never accepted defeat.
Instead, she attacked, attacked, and attacked some more, relentlessly giving her teams the spark they needed.
Whether she was on the soccer pitch, the basketball court, or the softball field, Audri was always one thing – a winner.
Now sure, sometimes her team came out on the short end of the final score, but you never knew it from her effort or body language.
Audri has a bright burning fire in her soul, and I never witnessed her give up on a play or surrender without first throwing haymakers every which way.
In short, she has moxie, something which should serve her well as she heads to college in Alabama, and then off to rule the world.
Giving her all. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
On the soccer pitch Audri anchored the Wolves from her midfielder position, capable of both banging home goals and playing rough-and-tumble with any rivals foolhardy enough to challenge her in the open field.
She tied for the team lead in scoring as a senior, spinning the ball past flailing goaltenders with laser-like shots, capping a stellar run which covered her entire high school career.
Once let loose on the basketball court, Audri lived to make wild dashes from end-to-end.
Weaving through traffic, before throwing up runners while on the move, she absorbed more than her share of punishment from flying elbows and grasping defenders trying in vain to slow her down.
“Get outta my way! I got buckets to score!!” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Even when she was smacked around, Audri almost always wore a huge smile as she ambled to the free throw line, where she tossed in daggers while dropping side eye at the girl(s) who fouled her.
She could be explosive on offense — leading the Wolves in scoring during her junior season — and finished her varsity time with 212 points, which lands her at #56 all-time on the scoring chart for a CHS girls program fast approaching its 50th anniversary.
But while Audri could drop buckets, she was also a scrapper on defense, a two-way weapon able to help her team at any moment of the game.
A layup? Odds are she’ll make it. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
That carried over to her spring sport of choice, where she was an integral part of the softball program.
As a freshman, Audri was one of two 9th graders on a varsity squad which went all the way to the state tourney, where the Wolves played three games in a day, including toppling powerhouse Deer Park.
Covid erased her sophomore campaign, but she and the Wolves responded by mashing the crud out of the ball once they got to return to the diamond.
Audri and Co. went 12-0 during a cut-down junior season, then finished with a 16-3 tear this spring, missing out on a return trip to state by just a game.
Patrolling center field, Miss Shaw was dynamic on defense, capable of running down balls from the left field line to the right field line.
She made life considerably easier for the girls patrolling the outfield corners, as they often got to sit back and watch Audri spear runaway balls while sprinting out of her shoes.
At the plate, she was a weapon unleashed, capable of launching rockets to the deepest, darkest parts of the outfield, followed by her legs churning as she alertly picked up extra bases by capitalizing on the slightest hesitation from fielders.
Power, unleashed. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
How dangerous could she be with a bat in her hands?
At several times during her senior season Audri changed things up during big blowout wins and came to the plate batting left-handed, instead of her normal righty stance.
It’s not easy to suddenly hit from a completely different look, and yet Audri surprised, not just making contact, but whacking the ball for line-drive hits.
Followed by her bouncing at first (or second) base, big grin washing across her face as her teammates went bonkers and Wolf coach Kevin McGranahan shook his head in silent tribute.
From middle school through high school, Audri was a fun-lovin’ ball of fire, one of the more entertaining athletes to ever wear the red and black, and one whose hustle, skill, and love of competing made for a potent combination.
I might have been wrong with my assessment she would never, ever miss a layup, but I was right that she would have a major positive impact during her prep sports days.
So today we induct Audri into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame, welcoming her to our hallowed digital shrine.
After this you’ll find her at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.
I have no doubt this is but the first of many honors Audri will capture in her life, however.
Her future is as bright as her personality.
Celebrating Senior Night with mom Bonnie. (Jackie Saia photo)
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