Big Reds’ senior Shay-Lee Kirby is named MSAC Player of the Year

PARKERSBURG -- Ignoring the Parkersburg High School girls' basketball team's rampant run through the Mountain State Athletic Conference during the 2018-19 season proved impossible for coaches of the MSAC teams during the league meeting to determine all-league teams and player and coach of the year honors last Sunday.

Head coach Scott Cozzens' Big Reds outscored league opponents 759-382 and recorded an undefeated mark.

Though all-conference team honors remain hushed until the final league club is eliminated from the post-season, one of the Big Reds' players received a recognition trumping this mandate.

PHS' constant source of inspiration, guts, and will power in senior hybrid guard/forward Shay-Lee Kirby was named MSAC Player of the Year.

The senior received her honor at the Night of Champions Saturday evening at the South Charleston Community Center.

"I cried tears of joy," said Kirby on when she found out, during an interview Tuesday.

"I didn't really expect this coming into the season. I just want to play basketball and win games. It is not that I don't have goals, I just don't have personal goals. When someone tells me I am close to something my reaction is kind of like 'OK.'"

The versatile young lady pulled in what could be the first of five post-season honors. Her name will be in the mix for All-State first-team honors, the Mary Ostrowski Award, the all-state tournament team, and another state championship ring.

Possibilites not in her mind as the task at hand, winning another title, hasn't been accomplished. The team aspect shining through for one of two seniors on the Big Reds.

"It is a lot to take in but I can't think about that stuff and have to just go work hard and get to states and win that," said Kirby, who signed with Division I program Austin Peay in Novemeber.

Even though Kirby missed the last three games of the league season with a twisted ankle, her presence in the remaining seven games could not be overlooked.

The Big Red, who ecplised the 1,000-point mark earlier this season, averaged 19.1 points, including at least one made 3, per game. Her tenacious defense also helped hold opponents to 38.2 markers per contest. Kirby often guarded opponents' best offensive player.

George Washington and Woodrow Wilson especially can attest to her talents on the hardwood. Head coaches Jamie LeMaster and Brian Nabors took front row seats to her scoring and defensive prowess.

Kirby sparked a 16-2 run against LeMaster's Patriots turning a close game in the third period into a blowout in a Jan. 28 contest. She also scored 15 of her season-high 33 points in the period in addition to a 7 of 12 night from behind the arc.

One game prior, Nabors watched Kirby lead a harrassing PHS defense in a deciding first quarter. She helped cause eight turnovers in the first three-and-a-half minutes and forced Nabors to call two timeouts during the process during a 19-6 PHS run. She also scored 24 points, including three 3s, on the evening.

Kirby cited her continuation of the hardwood sport at the college level as a reason for her receiving this award. She was forced to become a better leader, something noticed by Cozzens.

"We have always seen the talent," he said of Kirby. "Shay has really done a nice job of becoming a real leader this year. She has really matured and improved on the little things.

"She knows what we want to do and understands what we are after and she don't try to do things this year that she can't do. Last year she might try to get a little bit out of control but this year she has stayed within the game plan and what we do and it has paid off in spades for her."