Cardinal seniors Haley Adams and Emily Kruse both have played a lot of basketball in their four-year careers with the Huskies, but they're not done yet.
The four-year letter winners were both selected to play in the 2016 Ohio Varsity Senior Shootout presented by Score Stream, which will be played on Sunday, April 3 at the Seidman Gymnasium at Ursuline College.
“It is a great honor to be selected to play in this game,” said Kruse, a 5-foot-8 forward. “I've been playing basketball for over 11 years and have put a lot of time and energy into the game. It is a nice way to end my career.”
Adams and Kruse will represent the Army All-Stars in the game that is an official fundraiser for The Wounded Warrior Project.
“It is very touching as my Pappy served in the Army,” Adams said. “Although he wasn't wounded in the war, so many have been, and they have chosen to sacrifice so much for all of us.”
The game will allow Adams one more opportunity to honor her grandfather, Calvin Varner, the same way she has before every game dating back to her freshman year.
“It was our first scrimmage and I was called away suddenly to find out the death of my Pappy,” she said. “So that is why I always wore the number 12. He passed away in the year of 2012 and he was at Chalker's, a frequently attended auction and his auctioneer number was 3027. When you add up those numbers they equal 12.”
Of course Adams will wear that number in the Shootout.
Kruse also is looking forward to playing for such a great cause.
“I’m glad the event is raising money for an organization like the WWP,” she said. “Being able to do something I love while fundraising for people who have done so much for our country is really a blessing and reminds me to be grateful to be able to play the game I love.”
According to their coach, Luke Kruse, both players should help the Army All-Stars knock off the Navy.
“Haley brings a lot of offensive and defensive tenacity. She knows how to put the ball in the hoop and she knows how to rebound and steal the ball. She can pick her spots and knows when to pass to her teammates. She has developed into a well-rounded basketball player and was a huge part of the Cardinal program for four years. No doubt she'll bring a lot to the all-star team,” Coach Kruse said. “Emily is another player that was a four-year letter winner. That's quite an accomplishment. She is somebody who had a pretty devastating shoulder surgery, which she really had to bounce back from in a big way this year. As a senior she was in the top three or so in the team in points and rebounds, steals and definitely one of our better defenders. She was just a real well-rounded player in terms of how she helped the team be successful. She is a quiet leader out there and a player that helped Cardinal have a solid year this year.”
Adams won’t let her competitiveness get the best of her but she does want to end her career on a winning note.
“Of course I want to win,” she said. “But most of all, I want to be able to support (the wounded warriors) in a way they have served us.”
Kruse isn’t looking forward to the official end of her playing career, but she is excited to have one more chance to create lasting memories.
“I will miss playing the game I grew up loving,” she said. “I'm sure I will remember all the sweat, tears and blood as well, but overall I will remember the behind the scenes moments the most, putting on my uniform, singing and dancing in the locker room with my teammates and the jokes we made at practice.”
Adams carries a 3.8 grade point average and has achieved perfect attendance since her freshman year. She is undecided on college but plans to major in communications/sports broadcasting with a minor in journalism.
Kruse also excels in the classroom with a 4.4 gpa. She plans to study Actuarial Science in college.
The boys’ game is scheduled to tip-off at 5:00 p.m. The girls will follow at 7:00 p.m.
Click here to purchase presale tickets.
