Pioneers select Ross
ROGERSVILLE 鈥� West Greene has gone through a transformation the last few years in football and basketball.
Garret Ross has been part of both turnarounds.
Ross is the Pioneers鈥� winter representative for the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar-Athlete program.
The 6-foot-2 son of Ryan and Penny Ross is a four-year member of the Pioneers boys basketball team and a two-year member of the West Greene football team, both of which broke long playoff droughts recently.
The basketball team hadn鈥檛 made the playoffs since 1992 when Ross made the roster as a freshman in the 2014-15 season. The Pioneers finally reached the postseason again the next year, and made it three years a row this season with Ross as their starting center.
鈥淐oach Romanus really turned this program around when he got here, and I was lucky enough to play with Kolton Rush and Craig Weaver and those guys, they really were big in helping make it happen,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淚t was awesome to be part of that.鈥�
Ross waited his turn during his basketball career and gradually worked his way into a major role.
鈥淚 played behind Craig Weaver and he was always pretty great, so I got limited minutes,鈥� Ross said of the Pioneers鈥� 1,000-point scorer. 鈥淏ut I played pretty well this year. I was really glad how we performed, though I wish we would鈥檝e went a little deeper in the playoffs.鈥�
West Greene played well in its playoff loss to Imani Christian, losing 46-39. Imani then went on to defeat No. 2 seed Monessen.
This fall the West Greene football team, coached by Rod Huffman, qualified for the WPIAL playoffs for the first time in 24 years.
Ross, a lineman, is proud to have played for the team that snapped the streak.
鈥淚t was awesome to be a part of it,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淎nd just to get to play with the rest of those guys and break that tradition of West Greene always being a loser and everybody wanting us for their homecoming game. Now we鈥檙e winners and that鈥檚 all changed.鈥�
Ross didn鈥檛 play football his freshman and sophomore years, but when freshman sensation Ben Jackson joined the team in 2016, Jackson鈥檚 father urged Ross to try out. Ross credits him for being his greatest influence in sports.
鈥淢r. Brian Jackson was always the person that pushed me,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淗e talked me into playing football. I wish I would鈥檝e listened to him a lot sooner than I did. When I came out my junior year he pushed me to be the greatest athlete I could be and I thank him for that.鈥�
Ross鈥檚 most memorable game came on Oct. 13 this past football season.
鈥淭he Monessen game during football when we realized we had clinched a playoff berth, that was just such a great night,鈥� said Ross, recalling the monumental 48-16 victory. 鈥淭hat was the greatest sports moment in my high school career.鈥�
As his senior year winds down, Ross is looking forward to college and would like to attend California University of Pa. and pursue a degree in secondary education. Ideally, he would like to eventually teach his favorite subject, history.
Ross has a third sport he participates in during the spring and it may be the one he is best at.
鈥淚 shoot sporting clays with the Hunting Hills Hawkeyes,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淲e travel and compete at the state level. I鈥檓 a state champion and we competed at the national level last year and couple of my teammates placed. We start the first week of April. We shoot every Sunday.鈥�
While he will continue his stellar shooting career, Ross admits it was a sad time for him when he realized his high school sports career had ended.
鈥淎fter we lost to Imani, I woke up the next morning and it hit me that it was over,鈥� Ross said. 鈥淚t was really heartfelt, knowing I won鈥檛 get to come back and play football next fall or basketball again. It was tough.
But I have a lot of memories that will last a lifetime.鈥�