END OF REGULATION: Lady Red Devils senior Cassidy Geddes set to take her gritty style of play to D1 collegiate basketball level

NEWTON, N.C. — Every high school athlete has to walk off of the field or court for the final time in his or her respective sport. It is an inevitable notion that for some, may be the last time ever while others get the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level.

In the midst of that, almost every student-athlete is hoping to leave a long-standing legacy behind.

For Newton-Conover High school senior Cassidy Geddes, she now has to embrace the challenge of moving on after having left something valuable behind for those that follow in her footsteps. 

Geddes competed in multiple sports during her high school career, which included volleyball and soccer, but the driving force was her time on the hardwood.

“It feels great to have a legacy that you can physically see but the most important part is the mark I’ve left on the people in the program,” she said. “I have felt that I have been able to not only help people with basketball but things in their personal lives as well.

“I am so grateful for the amazing Newton-Conover fans that have supported our team and cheered me on for four years. I was blessed with amazing coaches and teammates. We worked hard to get better each day and made memories that will last a lifetime. I have loved every minute of being a Lady Red Devil.”

Geddes officially competed in her final high school basketball contest on March 25, as part of Team North Carolina in the 26th Annual Carolinas Classic East-West All-Star game held at Hoggard High School in Wilmington, N.C. 

During the All-Star match-up against Team South Carolina, which was a competition of the best senior girls from both states, she obtained four points, a pair of rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal in an 86-56 victory. 

Although she ended her career representing her home state, Geddes has not rested on her laurels. 

With graduation right around the corner for the students of Catawba County, she still makes it a point to work on her training with her travel ball coaches, as well as organizations like Velocity Skills Training, which is based in the Hickory area; it is also led by founder and player development coach Christian Beasley.

Growth is a vital process in sports and not all athletes have the necessary tools to take the next step in building upon one’s potential. It is about growth in character; growth in physical endurance; as well as growth in mental fortitude. 

Geddes found her growth the last four years while competing for the Lady Red Devils varsity basketball program. In addition to her basketball career, she also demonstrated growth and prosperity in her academics as she finished with a 1400 score on her SAT and a 4.6 weighted GPA. 

She was most recently presented as a Hickory Metro Sports Commission Scholar Athlete of Excellence and a Scholar Athlete of the Year recipient on May 15, at the 21st Annual Catawba County Sports Hall of Fame banquet held at the Highland Recreation Center in Hickory, N.C.

Furthermore, she also spent time honing her athletic craft during the travel ball season with the Lady Attack Elite Club basketball program which is based out of Charlotte, N.C. She competed on the Lady Attack Elite 17U National team during its 2023 installment. 

Lady Attack Elite’s leading principle for athletes ranging from 3rd grade until 12th grade is to ‘grow the game of girls basketball in North Carolina & South Carolina through extensive on-court player development, leadership development, player performance training, and exposure to the highest level of competition the nation has to offer.’

It is a subset of the Lady Attack girls basketball organization that was founded in 2016. The Elite program, developed in 2019, provides National and Showcase level teams from 14u through 17u with host games at the Carolina Courts in Indian Trail, N.C. 

By helping these ladies achieve their goals, over 30 student-athletes have earned the opportunity to play collegiate basketball including Geddes’ opposition for three years via Bandys High grad Logan Dutka (who recently finished her freshman season at Lees-McRae College). 

FIRST QUARTER (EARLY SUCCESS AS THE MENTEE):

While at Newton-Conover, Geddes began her tenure coming off of the bench under the tutelage of point guard Aaliah Walton during the first part of her freshman campaign in 2019-20.

Then, Lady Red Devils head coach Sylvia White placed her into the starting lineup alongside Walton. This would be her leading spot on the team for the next three seasons. 

“I absolutely loved playing against Aaliah Walton every day in practice,” said Geddes. “She made me a better player. We constantly challenged each other.” 

On that specific ball club, she experienced the highest team success possible early on en route to a share of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A state girls basketball championship. The Lady Red Devils finished the season 29-2 overall and 14-0 in the South Fork 2A Conference. 

“The state championship team was a special team. It is hard to select only one favorite memory out of all my years being an LRD [Lady Red Devil] but some highlights would have to be our state championship playoff run my freshman year,” she said. “Getting sized for the rings and accepting our trophy is a moment I will never forget.”

The nucleus of the roster during that championship run consisted of Walton, Geddes, star center Chyna Cornwell, forward Jahlea Peters, forward Grace Loftin and back-up center Emma Fox. 

Cornwell was the leader of the team at the time and went on to become the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Girls Player of the Year in 2020. 

“Chyna Cornwell helped me with my demeanor by modeling and not reacting out of frustration,” said Geddes about what she learned playing alongside Cornwell. “I try to play with an even composure no matter the situation. We could be down or receive a bad call and I will not react negatively. It does not help anything.”

Primarily a gritty on-ball defender at first, as Geddes began to grow into more of a two-way point guard, her role within the program began to change. 

SECOND QUARTER (THE ASCENSION):

During her sophomore season, which was shortened due to COVID-19, she averaged 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 5.4 steals per contest while shooting 42 percent from the 3-point line and 42 percent from the field in 16 games played. Newton-Conover finished the 2020-21 season at 15-1 overall and 14-0 in the South Fork 2A Conference. 

Nevertheless, she was still just an ancillary piece alongside Loftin and Fox. 

“Grace Loftin is such a positive person,” she said of the added value Loftin gave to her game. “Her influence helped me be tougher and go into practice every day to push myself to exhaustion.”

Although she was awarded her first of three conference player of the year honors, her second of four straight all-conference selections, as well as her first NCBCA All-District 10 nod,  it was not until her junior campaign that she fully controlled the flow of the offense.

“I feel that Coach White had done a great job preparing me year in and year out for how my role would expand each year. I think the most important growth I made year after year was in my ability as a leader,” said Geddes. 

THIRD QUARTER (BECOMING A TRUE LEADER):

During the 2021-22 season, Geddes’ star across the state began to rise.

As its leader, she helped guide the Lady Red Devils to a 24-3 overall record and an 11-1 Catawba Valley 2A Conference mark (the program’s fourth consecutive regular-season conference title). She averaged 21.2 points, 4.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 steals per contest while shooting 77 percent from the free-throw line and 30 percent from behind the 3-point line. 

“Learning how to use my teammates’ strengths and weaknesses to better us as a team and pushing our team each day are ways I have seen my leadership grow the most,” said Geddes.

Her first of several big accolades on the season came during the 2021-22 Dick’s Sporting Goods Holiday Classic as she garnered the all-tournament Most Valuable Player honor, along with being an all-tournament selection. 

Her prowess ensured she was added onto the Charlotte Preps Ms. Basketball Watchlist and deemed the winner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Performance of the Week for Feb. 21, 2022. 

During this junior campaign, Geddes achieved a career-high 40 points on Jan. 7, 2022, in a 73-32 victory over conference opponent, West Lincoln. Her stardom in scoring led her to become the National MaxPreps WBCA Player of the Week on Jan. 9, 2022. 

She then surpassed the 1,000th career point threshold in the first-round NCHSAA 2A West state playoff win at home over Owen, 64-32, on Feb. 22, 2022. 

Following the end of her year, she was deemed a NCBCA 1st team All-District 10 selection for the first time of her career. She earned 2nd team honors the previous season. 

FOURTH QUARTER (ESTABLISHED GREATNESS):

By the time Geddes’ senior year rolled around during the 2022-23 season, she was at an elevated status. 

In what was essentially a new-look roster, with the exception of forwards Lizzie and Sara Sain, Geddes had to do what she did best with eyes focused on her in every coach’s game-plan. 

The Lady Red Devils once again were at the upper-echelon of the Catawba Valley 2A Conference. 

Unlike the previous three seasons, however, Geddes and company found themselves in a battle with conference foe East Burke. The Lady Cavs ultimately were the better program in 2022-23, finishing with a 14-0 mark in conference play, while Newton-Conover trailed in second place at 12-2. 

East Burke had the Lady Red Devils’ number in three out of the four meetings between the two programs. Newton-Conover’s only victory came in the CVAC tournament championship on Feb. 17 in a double-digit outing, 58-45, led by Geddes’ 34 points. 

Unfortunately, Geddes and her teammates also saw the season end at the hands of the Lady Cavs in the third round of the NCHSAA 2A West state playoffs on Feb. 25, losing 54-37. In what could be considered a blimp in an otherwise impressive season for Geddes, she amassed only nine points on a 3-for-17 shooting night which included 0-for-10 on three-pointers.

Despite the outcome, Geddes obtained 21 points, 5.4 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 5.8 steals and 1 block per contest in her final year. 

Predicated to a hounding style of defense, Geddes also finished her career with 475 steals and 49 blocks including a career-high 173 steals and 26 blocks her senior campaign.

Her effort on both sides of the floor led her to become a NCBCA All-District 10 1st team selection for the second time, as well as a Charlotte Observer Girls Player of the Week nominee five times. 

Geddes scored her 1,500th career point on Jan. 31, 2023, against West Lincoln. The Lady Red Devils defeated the Lady Rebels, 71-38, and Geddes notched 24 points. 

Next up on the docket for the 3-time all-district and all-conference player of the year is at the collegiate level. Geddes officially signed her National Letter of Intent on Nov. 9, 2022, to join The College of William & Mary where she will compete as a guard at the Division 1 level. 

“I feel that both of my parents [Cindy and Leonard Geddes] have been instrumental in instilling the work ethic needed to play college basketball,” she said. “All throughout my life, they have taught me by example that if you put the time and effort into something then you can accomplish it. This helped me achieve my childhood dream of competing in college athletics.”