NEW MADISON – Recently it was signing day in New Madison with 3 senior Lady Patriots Basketball players looking to continue their athletic endeavors beyond high school. Two will play basketball and one will run track.
The 3 senior basketball players have had great careers, they along with senior Andi Bietry have a combined 92-11 overall career record, 47-1 in the Cross County Conference and 3 CCC Championships and District Championships.
Lissa Siler will run track for the NCAA D-I Wright State University Lady Raiders track and field team.
The two seniors who will continue to play basketball are Maddie Downing and Trisa Porter both signing to play with Edison State College and they are excited for the opportunity to continue to play together on the same team beyond high school.
“This season has been so enjoyable getting to play with my sister Meghan and my teammates and having success as a team.” Maddie Downing said.
A lot of that success comes from the play of Maddie as she has been a steady force inside averaging nearly 15 points and 10 rebounds a game. Maddie recently surpassed 1,000 points in her career a feat also accomplished by her sister Allie Downing in high school.
Allie is a junior and Belmont Abbey a team having great success and she reached the 1,000 point club in college as well this year.
If you ask Maddie about reaching 1,000 points she is as surprised as anyone.
“Scoring a 1,000 points was not something I ever would have imagined as a freshman. I never played but a few minutes in the 4th quarter. But I worked hard and started to show some of those results my sophomore year and just continued work hard and got better each year. Much of this success doesn’t happen without my teammates. It’s really cool that I was able to accomplish this and look at the list and see my name right below my sister. I’m so proud of my sister and to see myself right up there with her is humbling,” Maddie stated.
A lot of thought went into her college choice and being an Agriculture major the choices were limited or expensive. Going to Edison allows her to stay close to home and help out at Downing Fruit Farm, get her core classes and also get to play close to home and have her family and community still be able to watch and support her.
“Edison has a really good program and winning a lot of games. I got to attend a game and they are very talented and I’ll get to play with girls I already know plus I really the coaches and the style they play, Maddie said.
“When I made the choice to go to Edison a few weeks later Trisa Porter told me that she was going to commit as well and that was the best news I heard all year,” Maddie beamed. “To be able to continue playing with her at the next level is going to be so much fun.”
Trisa Porter concurred with Maddie that she is very excited about signing to play at Edison and getting to play with Maddie is going to be fun.
“It’s really great to be able to see my dream come true, one to be playing basketball again and two to be able to extend it beyond this year and play College basketball and playing with my great friend Maddie Downing. It’s surreal and so exciting,” Porter commented.
“My junior year was really rough for me having to sit out all year and I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to play my senior year. We were able to get the right medication and I fought back, got the right physical therapy, and I was able to get back to doing what I love and I’m so thankful to be doing this with all my teammates who I love,” Porter smiled.
I went to see a couple of games at Edison this year, they are really good and I like how they play, pushing the ball getting up the floor and getting after it on defense.
With that style of basketball Edison will benefit from Trisa Porter’s style of play. She is a dynamic guard who can lead the break and sees the floor extremely well. In the half-court she can direct the offense distribute the ball and score it in many ways. She has a nice jumper, good runner and can get to the rim.
Porter was so excited about being close to home as well and to be able to still play in front of her family and friends who have supported her through trying times but happy to see her continue her passion.
“To have Patriot nation behind me and now knowing they can see Maddie and I play some next year is exciting,” Porter exclaimed.
Trisa is a complete player she may not score 20 points a game but she does a lot of things that makes everyone else better. She has the ability to score, but is best a facilitating and doing the little things that allowed the team to excel.
