BRIMFIELD, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — Last year, Elly Doe says she was in the shadows.
She was a junior starter on a senior-dominated team that won the class 1A girls basketball state title. Different story this year.
She’s clearly front and center as a team leader.
“I was really nervous coming into the season, it was different,” Doe admitted. “I had a new role to pick up. I really enjoyed it. I like getting to help everyone, make sure our young girls are getting involved and make sure everyone in the program works together.”
She’s the voice and the face of a team that carries a 19-8 record into Thursday’s game with Illini Bluffs. It’ll be Doe’s final home game in a Brimfield uniform.
“She is definitely a leader with this team. And as far as a person, she is a better person,” said first-year coach Brimfield Josh McKown. “She’s been nothing but great since Day 1.”
Her leadership extends beyond the basketball floor.
Doe is taking college classes and is a scholar athlete in the National Honor Society. She’s working towards getting a Certified Nursing Assistant license through Illinois Central College.
She’s works Brimfield’s youth basketball camps and serves on the school’s Prom Committee. And she volunteers at the big Brad Wallin summer baseball tournament which raises money to help kids fight cancer.
But she says one of the things she’s most proud of is her role in helping coordinate Brimfield’s annual canned food drive. It’s a competition between students to donate food and help restock shelves at local food pantries.
“Every class competes against each other to see who can donate the most cans of food,” Doe said. “It’s really competitive because everyone wants to win. Our school has definitely made a difference in building up our community and providing for people who have a need.”
Using competition to make a difference. Elly Doe appears to be doing that well on and off the basketball floor.
