Prairie State Profile: Woodworth is enjoying grand time helping Titans succeed

HAMILTON, Ill. — Lillie Woodworth is part of the final class of high school student-athletes who had their careers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The West Hancock basketball standout played only nine games as a freshman when the Illinois High School Association altered its calendar and shrunk season lengths  in hopes of getting all fall, winter and spring sports the opportunity in mind.

It made Woodworth appreciate reaching the 1,000 career points plateau this season.

“I’ve been working hard and doing all I can to get better,” said Woodworth, a senior forward. “It meant a lot. That was a very big accomplishment for me.”

Postseason success would mean even more, and the Titans are showing they are capable of winning in February. West Hancock has won seven of its first eight games.

“I’m loving it,” Woodworth said. “I think we’re going to keep pushing it and doing things that are going to make us go deeper into the season.”

Woodworth chatted with Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman about this season, her love of basketball and her interest in painting and being creative for this Prairie State Profile, brought to you by Sleep Tight.

Q: What is making this team successful?

A; Definitely putting trust in one another. We have the coaches who are going to make us get to the level we want to get to, but at the end of the day, it’s all about all of the players trusting one another and making sure everybody knows if they get the ball their going to make the shot. It’s believing in yourself and each other.

Q: Has there been anything that has surprised you during this stretch of games?

A: I think it’s just the freshmen stepping up. We have a freshman starting at point guard (in Grace Grothaus). She’s been really doing well for us. The freshmen are filling in roles that we have been needing.

Q: Have you had to help her and the other freshmen get adjusted?

A: In terms of gaining confidence, I feel like I’m helping them a lot. I’m telling them that they don’t need to be anxious about anything. I remind them to just play the game they know how to play, and they’ve been doing it.

Q: Do you remember what it was like to be a freshman on varsity?

A: As a freshman, I was starting. I was pretty nervous, too, but I was making sure I was getting the ball to the people I needed to get it to. We were doing decent I guess because we kept getting better.

Q: How long ago does that feel?

A: Oh, it feels like such a long time ago. Time flies for sure.

Q: How much did it impact you to get that experience and learn as a freshman?

A: It definitely instilled a lot of confidence in me. I had been working with that head coach (Wilson Neill) since I was in sixth and seventh grade. I was already pretty used to him, and he was always helping me out. Having him there allowed me to not be nervous at all because it was a coach I knew.

Q: In what ways are you a better player now?

A: I would say as a freshman I was necessarily in shape. I would make silly turnovers. I really didn’t have a leadership role then, but I was always trying to stay up and keep the energy level high. I still do the same thing now, but I’m doing it for other people.

Q: How much of an adjustment was it for you to take on the leadership role you have now?

A: I don’t think it was that big of an adjustment at all. When it comes to school or anything else, I’m a person everybody looks toward. When I was a freshman, I wasn’t as old as everybody else, so I didn;’t have to fill that role. As time went on, I kind of filled in the role of being the player with more experience. That is what has put me in the spot to be a leader and to have people turn to me if they need anything. Again, instilling it’s going to be OK and telling others, “Hey, next play,” is what I have to do.

Q: What made you fall in love with basketball?

A: I think the reason I fell in love with basketball is the competitiveness. I’m very competitive. And it’s always fast moving. I play golf, too, but I don’t enjoy it as much. You don’t really have competition. You’re competing with yourself, and it’s so slow.

Q: Basketball is important, but what else is important to you?

A: I like to paint a lot. I do arts and crafts. I like hanging out with my family and watching TV shows and such.

Q: What kind of paintings do you like to do?

A: I like doing more abstract stuff. If I find an image I think looks cool, I try to recreate it in my own way. Also, I took a couple art classes, and anything we’d do in those classes, I’d give to my mom. She has one in her office right now at work.

Q: Does the creative process draw you to that?

A: It’s something I just like to do. Growing up, I doodled all the time.

Q: What would you doodle?

A: I like drawing skull and crossbones. I do eyes, crosses, random stuff. Sometimes I’ll start off with a circle and see where it takes me from there.

Q: Will the creative side of your personality lead to what you major in at college?

A: I’ve wanted to be an elementary teacher, so I think it’s all going to come together. Going into education is what I have my heart set on right now.

Q: What made you decide to go into education?

A: I took anatomy last year, and it was a fun class in general. But I thought it would be fun to teach kids about it. It was something I found interesting and something I could do for the rest of my life. And I thought I don’t want to do just one subject, so why not do all of them. I thought I could teach all of it to younger kids.

Q: How important is school to you?

A: In general, school is very important to me. Since I was little, my parents always had me have a goal of straight A’s. After they kept saying it to me, it was no longer about them keeping me on that track, but it became about me doing it for myself. I’m always trying to get good grades and always putting school first. In high school, not a lot of kids feel the same way I do about school. So by teaching elementary school kids, I want to teach them school is something you should want to do.

Q: Do you have a favorite class or teacher?

A: My favorite teacher was my seventh grade social studies teacher Mr. Cole. He doesn’t teach here anymore, but he was always someone you could talk to about anything. He cared about the students more than just a grade in the system.

Q:  It’s the Christmas season, so how much do you enjoy family get-togethers at the holidays?

A: Quite a bit. My family is super small. My dad’s side of the family lives in Kansas and my mom’s side of the family lives in Iowa. Whenever we get together it’s super neat because I don’t see my extended family as much. When I see the ones in Kansas, it’s really nice because I don’t see them a lot.

Q: What is your favorite thing about the Christmas holiday?

A: I would say watching people open their presents as they get them. Honestly, when I was younger, I wanted to open presents. Now, as I’m older, the gift is sentimental. So when I see them open it and see their reaction, it’s kind of nice.