Chattooga’s Shropshire lifted to national contest by fans
The American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championships airs today on CBS.
The American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championships air today on CBS.
After a senior season of giving Chattooga basketball fans something to cheer about, Jay Shropshire got a something back from them.
The Chattooga forward flew to Phoenix, Arizona, last week to compete in the American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Championships, an honor that came to him after beating out 15 other players over a span of four weeks through an online fan vote.
The contest was held Friday and will air on CBS (Comcast channels 6 & 12) today at 3:30 p.m.
“As soon as we knew about the competition and as soon as we knew Jay was one of the 16 selected, we knew our community would get behind Jay,” Chattooga boys’ coach Jared Groce said. “They were going to do everything they could to help Jay reach this stage.”
Groce and his wife, Cheryl Groce, put together a highlight reel of Shropshire dunking in games and sent it in to the contest to start the process. The video put him as one of the top contenders, and the fans began to take over.
“It just felt like every day, people were letting me know they voted or sharing my highlight reel,” Shropshire said. “Personally, I could really feel all of the support.”
Shropshire’s win is the cherry on top for what has been a special season for the Indians. The team went 26-2 and 13-0 at home, going undefeated in Region 7-AA play and winning the region title.
“The basketball program has certainly been riding a wave of success, and the community support is a major part of that,” Groce said. “They did everything they could to get Jay in this, and we are hoping he can help put Chattooga on the map.”
Shropshire hopes his exposure in the contest can bring him a scholarship offer, optimistic that the connections he made in Phoenix will benefit him. Whatever happens in his future, the senior knows he’ll have the backing of an entire county behind him.
“I’m just very thankful and blessed for this opportunity,” Shropshire said. “I got to meet some of the other best players in the country, and it is just kind of crazy that I’m in that group. It’s really unlike anything.”