Jenay Faulkner and Casey Hoover - examples of good things happening to good kids

By Ben Destefan

During my time spent at Greencastle-Antrim, I've written about hundreds of athletes excelling in a variety of sports.

For the last three-plus years, the names Jenay Faulkner and Casey Hoover have dominated stories throughout the winter. And, while it's easy to highlight their basketball accomplishments, it can be difficult to acknowledge traits that separate them as individuals - not just players - when recapping a game.

Considering the milestones both have reached in the last few days, there's no time like the present to take a slightly different approach. Honestly, I just appreciate good things happening to good people. Faulkner and Hoover exemplify such a dynamic.

Ladies first.

Quite frankly, I've ran out of adjectives to describe Jenay. She's the best girls' basketball player I've consistently covered at the varsity level, impacting the game in every aspect.

Last Friday, Faulkner became the all-time leading girls' scorer in school history and will likely surpass the boys' record at some point this season.

Here's the thing - after burying a 3 to eclipse the mark, Faulkner barely gave it any attention. She couldn't completely avoid the moment considering the game was stopped for the announcement, but aside from a brief smile, she wasn't getting caught up in the celebration.

Besides, her team was still trailing rival James Buchanan midway through the third quarter. Winning was more important than individual praise. In Jenay's own words, "It's not about me, it's about the team."

Her biggest grin of the night occurred after she dished a beautiful pass to Lauren Cole for an easy finish. Moments later, Lydia Crist's 3-ball kept the smile on Faulkner's face.

Ultimately, the Division-I signee and two-time All-State selection showed more emotion for her teammates' success than that of her own - even on a night which belonged to her.

It's been the story of Faulkner's career, the selfless superstar who deflects the attention. She's humble and thoughtful with her answers, making sure to thank you for the interview even though we're the ones asking questions of her.

Faulkner's talent has always spoke for itself. She happens to back it up as a person.

The same can be said for Hoover, who became the ninth boy in school history to reach 1,000 career points Monday night.

Similar to Faulkner, Hoover has never been overly vocal, instead letting his abilities make an impression. Following his 3 from the wing to hit the distinguished total, Hoover's reaction simply reassured what we already knew.

After being congratulated by teammates, Hoover immediately went over to hug his family members in attendance, ranging from the broadcast table to the bleachers. Just as he spoke about talking with his father in hopes of one day seeing his name on the wall, Casey made sure to recognize those most important to him.

The reaction of team members mirrored that of his family, joining those in attendance to applaud the feat.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway was the collection of people who greeted him as he emerged victorious from the locker room. Friends, family, the whole deal. Then, after waiting their turn, players and coaches from Waynesboro personally congratulated Hoover, indicating how respected the young man is. Representatives of the rival school were on hand to scout both G-A and Northern York. Rather than leaving early when the game was clearly decided, they stayed, displaying a tremendous amount of class and admiration for a top player in the area.

That's the type of kid Hoover is, one that's easy to root for. Hence why there was a fulfilling quality to Monday's accomplishment, getting to witness a good thing happening to a good person.