Semoball

Kennett senior Caroline Patton reflects on surpassing 1,000 points

FILE PHOTO
Kennett senior Caroline Patton (pictured) finished her high school career with 1,005 points.

Kennett Indians senior Caroline Patton got her first taste of basketball at a young age.

“I started playing Kiwanis basketball and travel ball with Coach Spencer Hoffman at about the same time,” Patton said. “Then I played fifth and sixth grade basketball for my dad. He played a big part in teaching me a lot of fundamentals. Then Coach Fred Garmon got into the gym with me and helped me improve my game when I was in middle school. I grew to like basketball because it was fast-paced and everyone could be involved in every play.”

Patton has enjoyed her fair share of success on the court in recent years. Patton, who had the luxury of playing on varsity all four years of high school, scored 1,005 points for the Indians.

“It was a goal of mine to score 1,000 points at the beginning of the year when I realized that I could possibly get there,” she said. “I tried not to think about it throughout the year, I just wanted to play the best I could for my last year. My overall goal was to help my team have a winning record, which we did accomplish. To get to 1,000 was still such a great feeling, I was very proud.”

Patton surpassed the 1,000 point milestone in the final half of her final game against New Madrid County Central on March 1 when she recorded a game-high 24 points.

“I wanted to win the game, but I knew if it was my last game this was the last opportunity,” she said. “As the game was ending and I finally got to 1,000, I felt relieved. It was really great to see how happy my teammates were for me. They helped me the whole way to get there.”

Patton said scoring her 1,000th point is not the most memorable moment of her high school career.

“My favorite memory would be celebrating in the locker room after we beat Saxony Lutheran and Twin Rivers this season,” she said.

Patton plans on turning her attention to academics at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau following graduation.

“I want to get into the nursing program and become a nurse practitioner,” she said.

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