Tim Ortscheid

Thanks for the letting us be a part of the ride @KenzieOrtscheid now go do great things in Michigan! Forever our Trojan!

19 years ago, a high school basketball coach put his team manager into a game for the final four minutes. The kid had never played a single minute of competitive basketball in his life. He scored 20 points. Jason McElwain was diagnosed with severe autism at age two. He didn’t speak until he was five. He couldn’t chew solid food until he was six. He wore a nappy for most of his early childhood. As a baby, he was rigid, wouldn’t make eye contact, and hid in corners away from other children. He tried out for his school basketball team every year and got cut every time. Too small. Too slight. Barely 5’6 and about 54 kilograms. But he loved the game so much that his mum called the school and asked if there was any way he could be involved. The coach created a team manager role for him. For three years, McElwain showed up to every practice and every game. He wore a shirt and tie on match days. He ran drills, handed out water, kept stats, and cheered every basket like he’d scored it himself. On 15 February 2006, the last home game of his final school year, the coach let him suit up in a proper jersey and sit on the bench. With four minutes left and a comfortable lead, the coach sent him in. His first shot missed. His second missed. Then something shifted. He hit a three-pointer. Then another. Then another. His teammates stopped shooting entirely and just kept passing him the ball. He hit six three-pointers and a two-pointer. 20 points in four minutes. The highest scorer in the game. When the final buzzer went, the entire crowd rushed the court and lifted him onto their shoulders. His mum tapped the coach on the shoulder, in tears. “This is the nicest gift you could have ever given my son.” McElwain won the ESPY Award for Best Moment in Sports that year, beating out some of the biggest names in professional sport. He’s 36 now. He works at a local supermarket, coaches basketball, has run 17 marathons including five Boston Marathons, and travels the country speaking about never giving up. When asked about that night, his coach still gets emotional. “For him to come in and seize the moment like he did was certainly more than I ever expected. I was an emotional wreck.”

The day referees officiate girls as BASKETBALL PLAYERs and not girls, we will have more exciting games! Don’t let this message go over your head !

@LuckyLefty_5 We need to get that gender bias out of officiating. The easiest way to see it is in the number of jump balls called in a girls game vs a boys games. It may vary from state to state but overall it’s like officials move as patriarchal protectors instead of objective facilitators

@LuckyLefty_5 AMEN!!!! Also, if a girl is intense and plays hard doesn't shy away from contact, somehow she is labeled a "dirty" player??

I have seen 100+ championship press conferences but the pure love that Hoggard's players have for coach Boubacar Aw and vice versa had in this one was perhaps the most moving one I've been part of highschoolot.com/story/mallard-…

@CoastalPreps Jump to the 4:47 mark! CANNOT think of any higher praise than what this young lady said about her coach!!!! This is the primary reason SPORTS exist at the HS level. It is not about NCAA scholarships....it is 100% about making better stewards of our communities!

Wow. Better get your tissues ready before watching this. I'm lucky enough to be able to cover this program, and I can promise you that this was 100% authentic. Coach Aw is the definition of a leader, and these 3 young ladies are total class acts. youtu.be/sh-f8CfeVZA

Get to play another day! Congrats girls!

The NC Basketball Coaches Association has released its all-district teams for the 2025-26 season. Each district has a first, second, and third team with one POTY and one COTY. We've got their full list below ⤵️⤵️

1st Team All - District!! Congratulations Ma-Kaela, on a well deserved honor! We are happy and proud of you! Go Bulls!

Congratulations @KenzieOrtscheid for being selected ALL DISTRICT by the NC Basketball Coaches Association! An exceptional accomplishment in one of the toughest districts in NC!

That’s a wrap! youtu.be/H3OoIFPMF8I?si…

Picture worth 1000 words! Thank you for 4 amazing years! Coaching isn’t only about wins and losses, it’s about making an impact on our future leaders! Thank you for understanding that! @CoachSpruill1

@BallHerHoopsCLT Amen!

I love when a team can play full court man

#MMBR North Carolina Girls | Class Breakdown Gary Bell's TOP SENIORS @MajorMovezMedia @AutumnJawel @Kaiyabond @T_Shivers_14 @dvdaya_swimmer @RayanaMinard12

More work to do 💪🏽 #tallgirls #nchstrojans

Complete look at our ALL SPC All Conference Awardees for @NCHSTROJANSWBB - Congratulations and well deserved!

Congrats to Ma-Kaela Gidney on being named GMAC Player of the year! A well deserved honor! She averaged 19.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4 apg and 4.5 spg. Leading us to a record of 14-0 in conference. Regular season and Conference Tournament Champs!

🆕 MILESTONE! Saginaw Valley State (@svsuwbb) Commit Mackenzie Ortscheid (@KenzieOrtscheid) of Northwest Cabarrus (@NCHSTROJANSWBB) recorded her 1,500th point! Congratulations, Kenzie! @CoachBCH @CoachJillDunn @LAE2026 @LADYATTACKELITE @cltmediagroup

North Carolina Players Primed For Postseason Play (Part 1) ⛹️‍♀️ @Kennedy73156517 @JaidaMcclure @JuliaOMalley26 @JaKailaGaskin1 @KalinFavreau @KenzieOrtscheid & more! jrallstar.com/2026/03/north-…