HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Hanceville senior Katie Twilley had a great sports career and made some great memories during her playing days. She played with a lot of great teammates at Hanceville, learned a lot from that experience and had nothing but good things to say about her coaches.
“My favorite memories were always the ones with my teammates either at practice, or before games. We always had so many laughs together about the dumbest things all the time,” Twilley said. “It was like a breath of fresh air. Despite many of them being so much younger than me, I knew that I could trust them with anything, no matter what. I learned that sports are all about having fun and making memories. I couldn’t have made the memories I did without just having fun playing the games. My coaches were good people who wish the best for their athletes. My favorite game that I was a part of was when we played East Lawrence in the area tournament. Even though we lost by one, everyone was having a great time just playing together, and that’s what it’s truly about.”
Twilley shares some more of her favorite high school memories.
“I’ll always remember the girls that I played with. They made it so special and so much fun, no matter what. Playing at Hanceville was like playing for a big family, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that,” she said. “My favorite high school memories were when we would have homecoming week during football and basketball season. It was a week of having fun, no matter what, and I always enjoyed it.”
She talked about what made Hanceville a special place to go to, what she’ll remember and miss the most about being a Bulldog, and her role models in sports and in school.
“What made Hanceville a special place to go to are the teachers. They were the best people to be around and always made sure their students were okay, no matter what, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them,” she said. “I’ll definitely remember the friendships I’ve made along the way. All of my best friends are from Hanceville, and I’m going to miss every single one of them once I graduate. My role model in sports was coach Roxi Lee. She just started coaching this year, but she had such a significant impact on my senior year. In school, it was Mrs. Cone and Mrs. Lisle. Both of these teachers mean the world to me, because I had them for two years. They love each and every one of their students and always made sure that they were doing okay.”
Katie gave the students that will be starting high school in August some advice, and she talked about being a role model for the younger kids.
“Stay on top of your work, be respectful to your teachers, because they only want the best for you, and stay out of drama, because it will only make your high school career much more dreadful,” she said. “It was so important to me. I always tried my hardest to stay on task and to always show up just because I knew there were people looking up to me. I didn’t realize that there were kids who looked up to me until my senior year, and they would be telling me how much they’re going to miss me once I graduate.”
She was in several clubs at Hanceville and learned a lot from that experience. She received a pair of scholarships from Faulkner and was so happy when she first got them.
“I was a member of the National Honor Society, Leo Club, Yearbook, and Quill and Scroll Honor Society. I also did the morning announcements for school. The experience was the best. It helped me prepare for my future, while also serving my community in many different ways,” she said. “When I received the scholarships, I felt so thankful knowing that my hard work throughout high school finally paid off.”
Twilley talked about what she wants people to remember about her, and what advice she would give to those athletes that want to be where she’s at right now. She also talked about a life-changing experience that happened to her that helped her out in a positive way.
“I always want people to remember the hard work I put into my schoolwork, no matter what,” she said. “For the upcoming athletes, I would tell them to never give up on their dreams. It’s going to be hard at times, but it’s so worth it once you get to the end. I was baptized just recently in December and became a member of First Baptist Church of Cullman. The best advice I would give people in high school would be to put all your faith and trust in the Lord, and all things will work out eventually. God only puts you through things that He knows you can handle.”
