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McCann Brings Leadership To Royal Knights

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By CLIFF GILL Tribune correspondent

Published: February 3, 2008

River Ridge Middle School's seventh-grade girls basketball team is playing against rival Hudson. The winner will be the conference champion. Late in the fourth quarter, Hudson leads by one point. The clock is winding down, and there are just seconds to play.

River Ridge's leading scorer, Jessica McCann, manages to get free of her defender and runs to a spot outside the 3-point arc. The ball arrives in her hands. Her eyes are focused on the rim. She shoots. The ball swishes through the net, and River Ridge wins by two.

As the crowd roars and her teammates scream with joy, McCann manages a sheepish smile, embarrassed by the attention.

Her coach, Tim Newman, counts on McCann for both her scoring and her ball-handling skills.

"Jessica's leadership is through her action, rather than talk," said Newman.

The Royal Knights did not have high expectations going into the season.

"At the start of the season, only three of our 14 players had played organized basketball," Newman said. "A coach can only do so much. Jessica's experience and leadership have really helped.

One of McCann's teammates who has benefited is first-year player Tiffany Hulse.

"Jessica helped me a lot with my shooting technique at different spots on the floor and at the free-throw line," Hulse said. "During practice and timeouts, she helps us keep our head in the game, even if we're down. Plus, she's fun to hang around."

After school, McCann practices her jump shots in her driveway and at a nearby park. She can often be found playing 2-on-2 with high school athletes.

"Practicing against better players has helped me improve," said McCann.

She also gives credit to her older sister, Amanda, a guard for River Ridge High.

"Amanda is a great role model for helping me get better in all facets of the game," she said.

McCann carries her focus into the classroom.

"Jessica is an excellent student. She's organized and focuses on what needs to be done, then does it," said science teacher Mark Turnau.

McCann is an honor-roll student with a 3.5 GPA.

On weekends, McCann is a member of her church's "Edge" program, which includes sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

"We play out scenes from the Bible, go on retreats and listen to Christian music. We talk about the good things in the world," she said.

TEACHERS AND COACHES: If you would like to nominate an outstanding student-athlete to be featured in an upcoming In The Community article, please contact Cliff Gill at reportercliffgill@yahoo.com or (727) 860-4903.

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