CCS retires Hogshire's jersey
By Brandon White
bwhite@henderson</p><p>dispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Jan 28, 2020 2:30 PM
HENDERSON — Crossroads Christian School reached a milestone on Thursday when campus officials retired the first jersey in school history during a special ceremony before the boys basketball team’s home matchup with Vance Charter.
The honor would belong to former girls basketball player Jessi Hogshire, who said she was pleasantly surprised when she learned her No. 11 jersey would be forever enshrined in CCS’ growing history.
“This is really awesome,” Hogshire said. “My goal back in high school was to hit 1,000 points here and I eventually hoped my jersey would be retired. I didn’t think it would be retired this early, but I’m definitely excited about it.”
Hogshire, who went by Jessi Hayes in high school, joined the Lady Colts’ varsity during her freshman year in 2009, but she primarily served as a rotational piece under head coach John Anderson and only tallied six points in four games.
Her production increased exponentially during her sophomore campaign, where she emerged as one of the best players on the floor for the Lady Colts by averaging 14.2 points per game.
Although the team struggled with consistency during her time with the program, Hogshire played a pivotal role in keeping the Lady Colts competitive by improving her points average to 19.5 by her senior year, when she also accumulated 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 5.1 steals per game.
She eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier during the final weeks of her stellar career in a Crossroads uniform, and currently remains the all-time leading scorer in team history with 1,073 points while also holding school records in rebounds, steals and free-throws.
There were very few slow days for Hogshire on the basketball court while she balanced out classes at CCS, but she said that the work, combined with the tutelage from Anderson and Dana LaBerge during her senior year, helped her understand what she needed to do to maximize her own potential.
“I really learned to love the game,” Hogshire said. “I also had a lot of responsibility with the team because I started being the point guard during my sophomore year for both JV and varsity, but all of that taught me so much about knowledge and strength.”
CCS athletic director Scottie Richardson did not have the opportunity to coach Hogshire, but he said that she embodies every quality that should be present in a CCS athlete and hopes many more students follow her example.
“That was so special,” Richardson said. “I think her dad said it best when he said that she graduated in 2013 and it took someone like me to recognize it, but it really wasn’t me recognizing it because it’s something that should have been done. We’re as happy as we can be to honor a special player and person like her.”
The talent Hogshire displayed on the court drew interest from several colleges, but after pondering her options, she ultimately decided to continue her career at Meredith College and gradually worked her way into the team’s rotation.
Hogshire maintained the efficiency that was prevalent both on and off the court at CCS, as her accomplishments included making the USA South Conference All Academic team every single year, finishing as the sixth-leading scorer in Meredith’s history with 1,163 points, and graduating summa cum laude in 2017.
Her basketball career ended with her senior season at Meredith, but she has built a career outside of the court by becoming an executive assistant, a marketing manager and overseeing accounts receivable at National Coatings Inc.
With her playing days formally behind her, Hogshire is excited about the opportunities in front of her, and plans to use the principles and morals she obtained from her coaches and teammates to keep building the foundations of her future.
“I’ll always remember the friends I made,” Hogshire said. “I have lifelong friends from both high school and college, but basketball also taught me discipline, which is something I’ve taken on in my personal life and with my work. I’ll never lose my love for this sport.”
By Brandon White
bwhite@henderson</p><p>dispatch.com; 252-436-2840
Jan 28, 2020 2:30 PM
HENDERSON — Crossroads Christian School reached a milestone on Thursday when campus officials retired the first jersey in school history during a special ceremony before the boys basketball team’s home matchup with Vance Charter.
The honor would belong to former girls basketball player Jessi Hogshire, who said she was pleasantly surprised when she learned her No. 11 jersey would be forever enshrined in CCS’ growing history.
“This is really awesome,” Hogshire said. “My goal back in high school was to hit 1,000 points here and I eventually hoped my jersey would be retired. I didn’t think it would be retired this early, but I’m definitely excited about it.”
Hogshire, who went by Jessi Hayes in high school, joined the Lady Colts’ varsity during her freshman year in 2009, but she primarily served as a rotational piece under head coach John Anderson and only tallied six points in four games.
Her production increased exponentially during her sophomore campaign, where she emerged as one of the best players on the floor for the Lady Colts by averaging 14.2 points per game.
Although the team struggled with consistency during her time with the program, Hogshire played a pivotal role in keeping the Lady Colts competitive by improving her points average to 19.5 by her senior year, when she also accumulated 8.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 5.1 steals per game.
She eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier during the final weeks of her stellar career in a Crossroads uniform, and currently remains the all-time leading scorer in team history with 1,073 points while also holding school records in rebounds, steals and free-throws.
There were very few slow days for Hogshire on the basketball court while she balanced out classes at CCS, but she said that the work, combined with the tutelage from Anderson and Dana LaBerge during her senior year, helped her understand what she needed to do to maximize her own potential.
“I really learned to love the game,” Hogshire said. “I also had a lot of responsibility with the team because I started being the point guard during my sophomore year for both JV and varsity, but all of that taught me so much about knowledge and strength.”
CCS athletic director Scottie Richardson did not have the opportunity to coach Hogshire, but he said that she embodies every quality that should be present in a CCS athlete and hopes many more students follow her example.
“That was so special,” Richardson said. “I think her dad said it best when he said that she graduated in 2013 and it took someone like me to recognize it, but it really wasn’t me recognizing it because it’s something that should have been done. We’re as happy as we can be to honor a special player and person like her.”
The talent Hogshire displayed on the court drew interest from several colleges, but after pondering her options, she ultimately decided to continue her career at Meredith College and gradually worked her way into the team’s rotation.
Hogshire maintained the efficiency that was prevalent both on and off the court at CCS, as her accomplishments included making the USA South Conference All Academic team every single year, finishing as the sixth-leading scorer in Meredith’s history with 1,163 points, and graduating summa cum laude in 2017.
Her basketball career ended with her senior season at Meredith, but she has built a career outside of the court by becoming an executive assistant, a marketing manager and overseeing accounts receivable at National Coatings Inc.
With her playing days formally behind her, Hogshire is excited about the opportunities in front of her, and plans to use the principles and morals she obtained from her coaches and teammates to keep building the foundations of her future.
“I’ll always remember the friends I made,” Hogshire said. “I have lifelong friends from both high school and college, but basketball also taught me discipline, which is something I’ve taken on in my personal life and with my work. I’ll never lose my love for this sport.”
