On the 13th of January, one of our own, Mackenna Lawson (10) achieved the title of player of the week. This honor is hard to come by and is given to those who work hard in their sport and show outstanding integrity. Students are picked across the entirety of East Tennessee, and Lawson was spotted as an outstanding player who carried these very traits. In the fourth quarter against Anderson county, Anderson was up by one, leaving the score at 41-40. It was a battle in the last moments of the game with both teams calling timeouts, burning seconds on the court, and aiming to score as many points as possible. With 3.7 seconds left in the game, the ball was passed to Lawson; with the little time she had, she took the shot and hit a three with a foul. Lawson gave her point of view from the court.

“There’s very few seconds on the clock, and I had one shot at the free throw line to win the game. I hit the free throw and we won,” Lawson said.

The buzzer signified the end of the game and was followed quickly by cheers erupting from the bleachers. With such an intense ending to it all, Lawson processed many emotions alongside the students of Lenoir City High School.

“It all felt very surreal and exciting but nerve wracking with all the pressure to hit the game-winning free throw,” Lawson said. 

By deciding to make the shot, Lawson moved her way up to 5-star preps as a candidate for girls basketball player of the week. 

“I think I was picked as a candidate due to the team’s accomplishments that week and the amount of diversity faced,” Lawson said.

Accomplishments were definitely made even prior to Friday, January 13 when it was revealed that Lawson had won the 5-star preps player of the week. Lenoir City High School students and faculty showed their support by continuing to vote for her throughout the week and acknowledge her boldness in the Lenoir City vs. Anderson County game. Congratulations Mackenna Lawson! Your hardwork and drive is evident and seen.