Jan 17, 2018 3 min read

Name: Jason Fowlkes

School: Canon-McMillan

Sport: Basketball

Class: Senior

Fowlkes’ week: The 6-2 senior guard led the Big Macs in scoring in section victories over Connellsville and Baldwin as Canon-McMillan kept on the heels of first-place Mt. Lebanon in Section 2-6A.

In C-M’s second game away from home in the section, Fowlkes led all scorers with 19 points in a 65-34 victory at Connellsville Jan. 9.

An early start because of inclement weather didn’t impact Fowlkes or the Big Macs, who had the only local game Friday. He scored 22 points as C-M defeated Baldwin, 59-43.

“Getting into a rhythm is big for me,” Fowlkes said. “What I try to do is do my best to get to the hoop early. Once you see a few easy shots start to fall it makes the basket look a lot bigger.”

Those wins, along with another victory Tuesday night against rival Peters Township, extended the Big Macs’ winning streak to seven games with their last loss coming nearly one month ago.

Canon-McMillan is 5-1 in section and 11-1 overall.

It’s a start that Fowlkes is enjoying even more since moving into a starting role after coming off the bench as the sixth man last season.

“It’s all about the hard work we’ve been putting in ever since last season ended,” Fowlkes said. “People were underestimating us and I think that’s definitely been used as some motivation. For me, it feels good to be a starter but it’s all about going out there and winning. But that confidence builds more when I’m starting games because I can get the butterflies out.”

A perfect fit:

Fowlkes is a perfect fit for the five-out motion offense implemented by Canon-McMillan head coach Rick Bell.

Meant to create space and allow easier cuts to the hoop, Fowlkes has benefitted from the up-tempo offense the Big Macs run.

“He has unbelievable athleticism,” Bell said about Fowlkes. “You don’t teach that. He has been able to combine that athleticism with a consistent jump shot and great handling (of the basketball). He is, along with the rest of our players, the reason we run the offense that we do. He has the ability of penetrating and getting to the rim.”

In addition with growing into a starting position, Fowlkes has also grown into a leadership role after the graduation of R.J. Bell, Britton Beachy and Carson Miller from last year’s team.

“I really looked up to Britton last year because of the confidence that he led with,” Fowlkes said. “I try to lead by example, always having my head up and keeping a smile on my face. But we feel that if we are hitting our shots, playing as a team and defending then we can beat anybody.”

Compiled by Luke Campbell