Reynolds Looking to Carry Momentum to Basketball. By: Brad Davis
** It’ s not often that a coach gets to write about one of their players, but I will consider it an honor and a privilege to do so. I will try my best to provide Ruby’ s perspective, but also my own. I will also make zero apologies for the completely biased takes that I will provide!**
Ruby Reynolds is a three sport athlete that has seen her share of success in golf, basketball, and soccer for the Valley View
Blazers. She is hoping to use the momentum she created at the end of her golf season to forge memorable basketball and soccer seasons her senior year. Golf is a grind, and Reynolds learned to embrace the grind, work when no one is around, and the results will present themselves. Something that she has carried to her two other sports, soccer and basketball. The golf season did not start the way she would’ ve liked it to, but Ruby kept grinding, went to the range, put the work in, and slowly started seeing things turn around. Reynolds would step up when needed the most.
It started at her last home match where she fired a 79, breaking 80 for the first time in her career. The next week, she would shoot her lowest round of her career and have a chance to win medalist at the 5A East conference tournament.“ I would definitely say that the most memorable moment of my high school career was this year in the 5A East Conference Tournament when I sank a 30 foot putt to tie for medalist,” Reynolds recalled.“ I had to go to a playoff hole and I ended up finishing runner-up shooting a 73, which is my personal best. We also finished district champs as a team.”
Ruby was one shot back of the leader with two holes to play. She stepped on the tee box on # 10 at Paragould Country Club( her 17th hole) and drove the par 4 green. She then nearly holed the eagle putt, but tapped in for birdie and a tie for the lead. On her final hole, she faced a 30 foot putt for a par to remain tied and force a playoff. I approached her as her coach and simply said,“ We’ ve got the team title wrapped up, go ahead and sink it.” She looked at me and just said,“ Ok,” as if I had said,“ Let’ s go eat.” She has always had a calmness and business-like approach to any situation. Earlier in the round, I checked in with her after a bad hole asking if she had eaten anything. Her response:“ No, I’ m locked in.” That told me all I needed to know about her mindset the rest of the round.
The following week, Reynolds would finish in the top 15 for an All-State finish and help her team claim a 5A State Runner-up trophy.“ I have absolutely loved the last four years of playing for Valley View Golf,” Reynolds shared. Not only have we been very successful, but I have also made friendships and memories that I will cherish forever. Coach Davis and Coach Jones have been great mentors to me, and they were always there for me whether I hit a bad shot or even if I was playing really well. I would say golf is a lot harder than it looks. It definitely is a game of frustration at times, but it is a very addicting sport because once you play good one time, it just keeps you coming back.”