Published in a November issue of The Madison County Journal. www.mainstreetnews.com
By Dallas Bordon
dallasb32@yahoo.com
Madison County’s Patrick McCrary is
making an impact for the Emmanuel College Lions basketball team. A 2010
graduate of Madison County High School and former Raider basketball and
football standout, McCrary has led the Emmanuel Lions to a 2-0 start and is averaging
17.5 points and 10 rebounds a game.
McCrary, who is in his second season
with the Lions, suffered a wrist injury this past February that sidelined him
for the conference and NCCAA championship tournaments. “It was an experience
I’ll never forget,” said McCrary. “All I wanted to do was get back up and
continue playing but I knew what the injury meant; missing the conference and
NCCAA tournaments.” McCrary was injured while attempting a breakaway dunk
following a steal just weeks before the Lions started tournament play. While
going up for the dunk, McCrary was fouled causing him to dislocate his wrist
against the backboard and then breaking the wrist in four places trying to
brace himself on the fall. The injury required surgery, but McCrary has made an
amazing comeback. “He made an unbelievable recovery from a devastating arm
injury,” said Lions coach and former Oconee County standout T.J. Rosene. “I
really worried that it would affect his aggressiveness, but it has not in the
least.”
The injury took nearly 6 months to
completely heal, but McCrary claims it changed the way he plays the game. “I
was able to mentally understand the game better being away for so long and it
made me a stronger player,” said McCrary. Patrick remembers his coach jokingly
telling him that he’s a warrior but wishes it would have been his other wrist
so he could become a better shooter. McCrary states that he appreciates his
relationship with coach Rosene. “Coach Rosene told me that if your dreams are
bigger than those around you then your life should look significantly
different. That truly hit me because I had dreams of being freshman of the year
when I got to Emmanuel, but ended up making the All Freshman First Team which
was truly an honor,” said McCrary. “Patrick is one of the finest young men I
have ever coached. He is very much an undersized post at our level, but has
already been able to accomplish great things,” said Rosene who is in his 6th
year at Emmanuel. “Pat has been a great Christian example both on and off the
court.”
