At the near midway point in terms of games, the Middle School Basketball team is on a roll, currently sitting at 5-0. Their hot start is due in large part to Ashton Hammock ’24, who is leading the Young Tigers in scoring this season.
Hammock (Dry Fork, VA), transferred into Hargrave from Tunstall Middle School and he is the younger brother of Nick Hammock ’22, who is making a name for himself on the football field and basketball court at the Varsity level. Earlier today, we had a chance to catch up with Ashton and get his thoughts on the transition to Hargrave from Tunstall and how he, and the team, hope to progress as the season continues.
If you could describe the transition from Tunstall to Hargrave in three words, what would you say:
AH: “This has really been a year of growth for me really. Throughout the fall I felt myself getting stronger both physically and mentally. Between football season and now basketball season, I’ve had really great coaches here at Hargrave and I’ve learned a lot from them so far. What I appreciate most is the effort that the faculty puts in here at Hargrave. They truly want you to understand the material instead of just breezing through everything.”
You played Varsity Football in the fall as an 8th grader, what would you say the biggest differences are between that Varsity level Football and Middle School Basketball?
AH: “The size and strength are two big differences. On the court, we are facing 7th and 8th graders that are similar to us in size but in football, I was going against 11th and 12th graders that were much bigger and stronger than me. The level of competition was much higher too, but that’s natural the older you get.”
How has playing Varsity Football in the fall benefit you so far this winter on the court?
AH: “It really benefited me in terms of strength. We lifted a bunch this fall so I got physically stronger. But also mentally it made me stronger too because I was the young guy out there. I had to really bring my best effort each day in order to maintain and I’ve been able to keep that same intensity on the court this winter.”
The Middle School Basketball team is currently undefeated and you guys have a pretty deep roster. What has led most to your success?
AH: “We defend extremely well. We play really hard and I think we’ve got a really unselfish group. Coach (Deitrich) Martin coaches us with a lot of intensity and that shows in how we play on the court. When we are focused defensively, we can stop anyone.”
What’s your outlook for the rest of the season?
AH: “We just want to continue to get better. We have some tough games coming up to finish the season and we can’t take any days off. We have a chance at an undefeated season and that’s something we all want to achieve together.”
The Tigers are in action after ten days off when they head to Danville, VA on Thursday, January 23rd, to take on Sacred Heart. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 PM.
