P.O. Female Athlete of the Week: Cat Weber
In January, the Waynesboro Maidens went on a seven-game losing skid, diminishing any chance of an end-of-season miracle that would award them a playoff berth.
But that didn't matter to Cat Weber and her 7-14 team.
The Maidens won three of their last four games to end the season strong, with Weber at the helm.
Weber scored 67 points in three games this week, tallying back-to-back season high's to end the year strong, scoring 25 points against Carlisle and Fairfield in the final two games of the season to earn her Public Opinion Female Player of the Week honors.
At the end of January, Waynesboro lost a tough game to Mid Penn Colonial Division champs Greencastle-Antrim, a game that Maiden coach Allison Steiger said was a wake-up call.
The 59-44 loss to the Blue Devils was like a smoking gun for Waynesboro's momentum to end the season strong.
"Greencastle hurt; to go in there and not be able to match up," Steiger said. "That loss propelled them more than anything to finish off the season the way they did, and to play the way they expected from themselves."
Weber struggled to start the season, but found a rhythm finishing at the basket to emerge as one of the area's top scorers, averaging 15.5 points per game.
Weber credited her turnaround to family friend Derek Hine, a 1986 Waynesboro 1,000-point scorer who gave her advice throughout the season about how to be a productive post player, and to relax and let the points come to her.
"I was frustrated, and I don't like when I don't perform and help my team out," Weber said. "He gave me some good advice."
That advice came in handy for the junior forward, just in time to aid her team to a strong finish.
"We realized that after last year, I think we had four wins, we had something to prove," Weber said. "We lost some games but we weren't getting blown out. We had a lot to prove and buckle down in the last four games to show everyone what we are about."
With no seniors on the team, it was important for the Maidens to accomplish their goal of finishing the season on a high note, because they saw the last leg of 2016 as a stepping stone to next season.
"The end of the season for us sets the tone because they are all back," Steiger said. "This is the start of our next season, and this is how we get prepared for 2016-17."
Cat Weber, Waynesboro
Sport: Basketball
Grade: Junior
Position: Forward
Height: 5-foot-9
Parents: Kurt and Amy Weber
Other interests: She plays soccer for Waynesboro and FC Frederick, and plays AAU basketball out of Frederick. She says she loves basketball and soccer equally.
Surprising fact: She really enjoys Spanish and wants to do something with the language in the future.
Favorite team: UConn basketball.
Statistics: Weber finished the season with two season-high performances, scoring 25 points against Carlisle and Farifield ... She also added 17 points against Big Spring on Tuesday.