Special Mention All-Ohio honors go to LaLonde
There are those who would have quit or returned without the intensity they once had following a time of adversity.
Alex LaLonde did neither.
The 6-foot-4 Wooster High senior returned from an opening-game injury this basketball season better than ever. LaLonde’s biggest reward was impacting the Generals’ lineup immediately upon his return after missing five games; earning All-Ohio honors was merely the icing on the cake.
LaLonde, an Air Force recruit, was named Special Mention All-Ohio by The Associated Press March 22, capping a stellar three-year career with the Generals. He wasn’t sure how far his stock would fall after he broke his left wrist, eventually missing five games, “so I’m definitely pleased with … being special mention,” he said.
“It was all about perseverance and knowing I’d have to worker harder,” said LaLonde, who averaged 19.5 points for the 11-11 Generals, who shrugged off a 3-6 start. “My mindset is working hard pays off. That was definitely the case here. I felt toward the end of the season I was back to 100 percent. It took a little time with the splint I had to wear, but at the end I was playing to the best of my abilities.”
WHS coach Craig Martin thought LaLonde had the chance to earn All-Ohio recognition before the season. Like his player, he wasn’t sure how that would work out following the injury.
“When he got injured, that definitely could have had an impact to earn that recognition. When he came back, he earned it,” praised Martin. “As we’ve talked, Alex had the ability and talent and size, but he has put in a lot of work and a lot of hours in his ball handling and shooting to make himself a well-rounded player. It has paid off in this recognition.
“Even while he was out, he worked hard. He was a good leader for us and he supported his teammates. That speaks to Alex and his character. I’m proud of him and the work he’s put in. It’s well deserved.”
LaLonde was a first-team District 4 selection, as well as a first-team All-Inlands District selection this past season.
LaLonde is looking forward now to making the next step, both academically and athletically. He leaves for boot camp July 12, where he will spend a year in the Air Force’s prep school.
“To be honest, I don’t think I have reached my peak yet,” said LaLonde, who was twice named the Ohio Cardinal Conference’s Player of the Year. “With the prep year, I will get a lot stronger. When I broke my wrist, the doctor said my growth plates were still open and I could grow a couple inches more. When I go to the academy, I should be at my best potential to give myself the opportunity to play more.”
While in prep school in Colorado Springs, LaLonde will follow a strict routine.
“It’s all blurred into one,” he said. “We have military training in the morning, followed by classes and then sports and then studies after that. They have a prep team and they play 30 games during the season against the Navy and Army prep schools and junior colleges.
“This is everything I’ve worked for.”
Alex LaLonde did neither.
The 6-foot-4 Wooster High senior returned from an opening-game injury this basketball season better than ever. LaLonde’s biggest reward was impacting the Generals’ lineup immediately upon his return after missing five games; earning All-Ohio honors was merely the icing on the cake.
LaLonde, an Air Force recruit, was named Special Mention All-Ohio by The Associated Press March 22, capping a stellar three-year career with the Generals. He wasn’t sure how far his stock would fall after he broke his left wrist, eventually missing five games, “so I’m definitely pleased with … being special mention,” he said.
“It was all about perseverance and knowing I’d have to worker harder,” said LaLonde, who averaged 19.5 points for the 11-11 Generals, who shrugged off a 3-6 start. “My mindset is working hard pays off. That was definitely the case here. I felt toward the end of the season I was back to 100 percent. It took a little time with the splint I had to wear, but at the end I was playing to the best of my abilities.”
WHS coach Craig Martin thought LaLonde had the chance to earn All-Ohio recognition before the season. Like his player, he wasn’t sure how that would work out following the injury.
“When he got injured, that definitely could have had an impact to earn that recognition. When he came back, he earned it,” praised Martin. “As we’ve talked, Alex had the ability and talent and size, but he has put in a lot of work and a lot of hours in his ball handling and shooting to make himself a well-rounded player. It has paid off in this recognition.
“Even while he was out, he worked hard. He was a good leader for us and he supported his teammates. That speaks to Alex and his character. I’m proud of him and the work he’s put in. It’s well deserved.”
LaLonde was a first-team District 4 selection, as well as a first-team All-Inlands District selection this past season.
LaLonde is looking forward now to making the next step, both academically and athletically. He leaves for boot camp July 12, where he will spend a year in the Air Force’s prep school.
“To be honest, I don’t think I have reached my peak yet,” said LaLonde, who was twice named the Ohio Cardinal Conference’s Player of the Year. “With the prep year, I will get a lot stronger. When I broke my wrist, the doctor said my growth plates were still open and I could grow a couple inches more. When I go to the academy, I should be at my best potential to give myself the opportunity to play more.”
While in prep school in Colorado Springs, LaLonde will follow a strict routine.
“It’s all blurred into one,” he said. “We have military training in the morning, followed by classes and then sports and then studies after that. They have a prep team and they play 30 games during the season against the Navy and Army prep schools and junior colleges.
“This is everything I’ve worked for.”
Published: March 29, 2011
