Staff Report
Players like Absegami’s Lily Ortiz don’t fill up the stat sheets. They don’t lead their team in scoring, they’re never mentioned in story headlines when reporters cover their games.
But it’s really tough to win a lot of high school games — in any sport — without players like Ortiz. Players who show up every day, grind it out, set an example for hard work for the younger players and just do what’s asked of them.
In basketball, what was asked of Ortiz was to handle the ball, take some pressure of star guard Reese Downey, and play hard-nosed defense. She did just that, helping lead the Braves to a 21-win season that featured a trip to the Cape-Atlantic League quarterfinals and South Jersey Group 3 semifinals.
Ortiz averaged just three points per game, but was instrumental in helping coach Bob Lasko operate his offense and was one of the best defenders on the team.
On the softball field, Ortiz was just as dependable as an outfielder for an Absegami team that took South Jersey by storm and made it all the way to the sectional semifinals. A team that won just four games when she was a freshman won more than 20 this spring. She hit .314 as a senior and added 11 runs scored and nine RBIs, and as a four-year starter she had 41 hits, 51 runs scored, 40 walks and 11 stolen bases.
— Dave O’Sullivan, Staff Writer
