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Hats Off to Brittany Shields; Haldane Superstar
Blue Devil senior poised to break school scoring mark, much more
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Haldane's Brittany Shields added to her legacy Monday night, dropping 27 points on Dover during a 60-54 Blue Devil win, their 15th in 16 tries. The All-NYS senior was set to break the school's all-time scoring record Wednesday at North Salem, needing just 12 points to do so. |
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The true measure of greatness in a sports superstar isn't calculated by their individual success, but by the means in which they make those around them better and the championships they win. It's simple for a star to make him/herself shine, but a true superstar takes an ordinary teammate and makes them better for having teamed up.
A true basketball superstar scores the ball, defends the ball, rebounds, dishes, dictates tempo and changes the game around her/ him with extraordinary ability: All of the above included. For all those things, though, a true superstar is only a genuine superstar when he/she rates a 10 as a teammate.
"Brittany Shields definitely rates a 10, no question about it," so said junior Avery Zuvich when asked to rate Shields from 1- to-10 in terms of being a teammate just seconds after Shields led the state-ranked (No.5) Blue Devils (15-1) to a 60-54 league triumph over visiting Dover Monday night, Shields putting up 27 on the feisty Dragons.
By the time most of you PCN&R readers spot this story early Wednesday evening or sometime Thursday, Brittany Shields will have broken Jen Moran's all-time scoring record (1,776) with another vintage effort from the All-NYS senior, who also holds the school rebounding mark (1,255 and counting). She needs just 12 points against North Salem today.
Classifying superstars has never been my calling: Though I'm guilty as charged of over-hyping the youth of America, particularly those in Section 1. But in Shields' case, all I needed was confirmation from Zuvich, the heir apparent to Shields' throne as top banana at Haldane.
"She's about to break the school's biggest record, but you'll never hear her talk about it," Zuvich said, checking in with 13 points against Dover and confirming Shields' humility, another staple of a true superstar. "It's always about the team with Brittany. She's actually glad that our points are more evenly distributed this year. When you're playing with someone that good, you can't help but be better. She also teaches… she shows us her moves and all the little things about the game to help make you a better player. You couldn't ask for a better teammate. I'm pretty positive I can speak for all of us."
If my own two eyes hadn't triggered the thought the first time I saw her, I'm quite positive now that Shields fits the superstar billing laid out before her when she busted onto the Section 1 scene as a seventh grade call-up by then-coach Ken Thomas in the winter of 2002.
"She's a special player, no doubt about it," said current Blue Devils Coach Ken Haskins. "She's as complete a player as I've seen at this level."
Shields dropped a game-high 23 points on Dobbs Ferry the second time I saw her play in the 2006 Section 1 championship; the last of the Blue Devils 14 consecutive sectional championships. She's making it her business to attain sectional bragging rights this March at the fabled Westchester County Center, making good on last years shocking Class C championship setback at the hands of Blind Brook.
Initially, I saw her go for 14 against 2004 Class AA champion Ossining during her sophomore year in 2006, leading the Blue Devils to a 51-47 win. I was tipped off about this tremendous sophomore from Ossining Coach Dan Ricci, who grew to love "Shieldsy" as a two-time member of his Hudson Valley Empire State Games team, but I only saw glimpses of greatness that night, hardly a superstar. Since then, we've all witnessed exceeding growth; both as a player, a person and member of the Haldane community… we've seen a certain three-time All-NYS selection develop into the kind of superstar that ranks at the top of the Haldane star chart.
And y'all know you've had ridiculous star power over the years: Moran, the Nastasi sisters - Aaron and Ryan, Kristin DeMarco, Meighan Hackett and Brittany King to name a few in the 1,000-point club. I saw most of those girls play back in their hey-day at one time or another, but her teammates and I just might take Shields over all of them if we were forced to decide.
Please visit www.yourdirectrays.com to view Section 1 sports photo galleries.
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