She went from one of the best high school basketball teams in the state to one of the best high school basketball teams in the state.
Standout basketball player Samantha Woods, who helped lead Fenwick to the Elite Eight last season and a third place finish in 2003, transferred to Bolingbrook before this season. The 6-foot-3-inch junior left a powerhouse?#34;Fenwick has gone downstate five out of the last six years?#34;for a team that made its debut in the tournament last season (fourth place). Both teams are currently ranked No. 1 in the state, depending upon which daily newspaper you pick up.
How does she feel about the move?
“It’s a different place, a different coaching style, but it’s pretty much just basketball,” Woods said after her new team crushed Trinity 64-49 on Saturday, a rival of Fenwick’s.
Woods, who averaged nearly 10 points per game during her stint with Fenwick, said it wasn’t difficult getting adjusted to new faces, especially because there weren’t many.
“I’ve played with [Bolingbrook teammates] Brittney [Thomas], since sixth grade and I played with Mauvolyene [Adams] on my first basketball team. We’ve been together for quite a while,” she said.
One big difference in style of play from her old team, Woods said, is on defense.
“We do play more man-to-man, in-your-face defense here. It’s different, and it has taken some getting used to.”
Woods is hoping to see her team go downstate again this year. “It’s always my dream to go downstate. It doesn’t matter where I am. We’re going to play hard.” She added, “A ranking is nothing but a number and that’s all I have to say about that.”
The win against Trinity was only Bolingbrook’s fourth game. When asked about being challenged so early on she said, “It helps us to see exactly where we are. We know we have a lot of work ahead of us.”
A lengthy commute played a role in Woods’ decision to switch schools, but she said there wasn’t a main factor.
“It’s two miles versus 25 miles,” she said. “There was no prime factor for leaving Fenwick. It was a great school, and there are no hard feelings there. It was a family decision.”
Woods has a brother that also goes to Bolingbrook. “He’s a sophomore, and it’s nice to be back here with him.”
