[Stardust]

“People don't rise from nothing....It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't.”
— Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success
Greatness is a rare thing to find in any facet of life. Sports is certainly no different. With an ever changing culture and constant turnover of talent, for any program to discover one player able to change the game and leave their mark is difficult enough. To find multiple players to fit that mold though, is almost unheard of. That said, Murray High has.
Boasting a trio of Haley Armstrong, Janssen Starks and Shelby Crouch, Lady Tiger head coach Rechelle Turner has found the unique luxury of suiting up not only the First Region’s all-time leading scorer, but the school’s all-time leader in assists and the only player in Turner’s coaching career to break the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound plateau as well.
Still, despite those obvious pros, the biggest beneficiary of their playing together may be them. Though each possesses considerable talent alone, all three credited the other two for bringing out a unique aspect of their game.
Starks, for one, was very candid about how much her teammates have meant in her quest to the top of Murray’s assists chart.
“I’d like to thank them very much,” she said with a laugh, “because without them I wouldn’t (have the record). I am blessed because if you had asked me in the 8th grade when I moved here if I would have been the school’s all-time assists leader I probably would have said no. It’s very shocking but I am blessed and couldn’t thank them more.”
Armstrong and Crouch were equally as complimentive, praising Starks’ ability to see multiple moves ahead and distribute the ball through the slimmest of windows.
“I think that Haley and I have a step up on people because we’ve been playing longer with Janssen so we already know when to expect the ball,” Crouch said. “We expect to get crazy passes and we’re ready for them to score.”
That said, the success the three have found didn’t just develop over night. In addition to where they are now, the trio also talked in depth about where they’ve come from and both the highs and lows the journey has presented along the way.
“We’ve been blessed to be able to go as far as we have in some seasons and then in some seasons we haven’t done as well,” Starks said, “but I think that’s brought us closer as friends and teammates. It’s been a blessing to play with each other and we’re very lucky.”
Still, though the season hasn’t panned out quite the way they had hoped after dropping their final two district games to fall from first to third in the fourth district race, the Lady Tigers look to be righting the ship at just the perfect time. With a stunning 60-46 knockout punch over the state’s No. 8 team, Henderson County, Murray High will look to ride momentum into the post season for their final hurrah. Squaring off with bitter rival Calloway County, the defending district champ, in the 2-3 game Tuesday at 6 p.m., the Lady Tigers will see how far they’ve come since Jan. 30.
Regardless of what happens though, the three have still left quite the legacy in their time in the black and gold. Despite each possessing a unique skill set, Turner praised each for both how they’ve contributed to the team and what they’ve done as individuals.
“I’ve just been blessed to not only have the kids and their talent level on the basketball court, but to just be able to be a part of these kids’ lives,” Turner said, “because they are second-to-none individuals, on and off the court. I would be proud to have any of them as my daughter and I know that they’re going to make a difference in this world and I think that’s the most important thing. They’re just great kids and their personalities are just so fun to be around. I just feel honored and blessed to have had the opportunity to coach them.”
Haley Armstrong
“Haley’s accomplishment has been over a six year career and she withstood the valleys we were in when she started for us in the 7th grade,” Turner said, “but she just played, continued to work and continued to get better every single year. Her role changed every single year that she played and by the time she was a freshman or sophomore she was looked upon to score points for us and be that type of offensive leader. She has accepted her role every single year and the thing about Haley is she’s a very creative scorer - she can score in so many ways. I think the one thing that is overlooked by a lot of people is the way that she scores. She’s a kid that can play inside or out depending on the defender and who’s guarding her and I think that’s just a part of the work that she’s put in working on her game.”

Shelby Crouch
“That’s just the type of kid that Shelby is,” Turner said. “She’s a workhorse and the most selfless player that I’ve ever had. She doesn’t care about the points or the stats, she just wants to win and she’ll do whatever it takes to win. Still, when a kid gets 1,000 rebounds, it just goes to show you that she goes to work every single night and she’s going to the little things. Rebounding is one of those little things that has to be done but not everybody does it. That’s just a credit to her because she’s a hard-working kid with a great attitude and great leadership skills and it’s just a great accumulation of what she’s been able to put together in her years with the team.”

Janssen Starks
“Once Janssen arrived at Murray, she just brought a winner’s mentality with her,” Turner said. “As an 8th grader, she had no fear and just went out and played. That’s a mentality that you love for your point guard to have because she just has that killer instinct and basically puts the ball in her hands and says ‘I’m either going to make a play or help somebody else make a play.’ You just have to love the attitude that she has and that she’s brought to our team.”

All that said, the praise isn’t just one sided though as each girl also took the time to thank Turner, who has been there through it all, for what she has meant to them.
“She works so hard for us and we know that with scouting reports and just everything that we’re going to be prepared,” Crouch said. “We wouldn’t be anywhere we are right now without her. She just does so much for us and we’re just so thankful and blessed to have her.”
Still, on the court success aside, the biggest impact Turner may have had on the three is much bigger than basketball.
“Off the floor, she’s pretty much like our second mother,” Starks said. “You can go to her with anything and she’ll help you. It makes the bond on the court stronger than it is because if she yells at you - Haley would know this - you don’t take it personal because you know she’s going to be there for you in anytng you do. It’s been a blessing playing for her; she makes us better every day in practice and every game and we love her so much.”

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[Stardust]

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