ALL THE RIGHT MOVES
Troup's Janna Ross has game plan for success, on and off the court
BY CHARLOTTE SMITH Editor

JANNA ROSS

There are some significant Number 1s in the life of Janna Ross:

She is the Number 1 scorer and rebounder for the Lady Tigers.

She is Number 1 in the junior class academic ranking.

And she is the Number 1 fan of Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks power forward.

Ross' not-so-secret crush on Nowitzki is a factor in the junior post's impressive performance this year.

"I watch him play so much," said Ross. "My dad said if you're gonna watch, at least try and pick something up."

That she has, and not only from Nowitzki.

She practices with big brother Tell, a former athletic standout at Troup who now attends Lon Morris, and she heeds the advice of her father, Tim Ross.

"It's not easy being a 5'7" post," said Ross. "My dad has taught me ways to get around that."

It seems to be working. Utilizing pump fakes and a fadeaway jumper, Ross is averaging about 16 points per game, and her style of play has not gone unnoticed.

"Coach Thomas has asked if she would play for him," said Coach Cherry Downs with a laugh. "She plays tough and that is the main difference you see from girls to boys athletics."

Troup's Janna Ross attempts a reverse layup

"She also shoots a fade-away shot that most girls don't do," added Downs. "That is usually a boys shot because boys can block better."

As Ross' game has improved (she was a second-team all-district post last year), so have the fortunes of the Lady Tigers' team. Ross attributes that success to a variety of factors.

"We have a different chemistry this year. This group of girls just connects better than the others," said Ross. "I always knew we had the potential, we could just never get it together."

Ross also cited her participation in the summer workout program (open to girls for the first time) and the play of Abby Darden.

"Abby is the main reason. She has matured greatly as a point guard," said Ross. "Without a good point guard, I would never get the ball."

Though Ross is also a talented athlete in volleyball and softball, basketball is her favorite sport.

"I like the physicality, and the competition is greater," she said. "Basketball is also more uptempo, and you've got to keep going. There's no time to think about the basket you just missed or what you did wrong. You've gotta play through it."

When she's through playing at Troup, Ross hopes to earn an academic scholarship and attend the University of Texas at Tyler and become a teacher.

"I want to teach middle school English. I used to think elementary, but I did Vacation Bible School and that was enough," said Ross with a laugh.

"I'd like to go to the middle school and be a role model to the girls there. They're looking for role models," she said. "I think it would be great to be that for them."