Female Athlete of the Year
Angleton, Texas Texas has always produced some of the finest collection of football talent in America, and this season is no different. Except for one thing: this year the Lone Star State a/so has one of the best female athletes in the whole country ... Ann Moon of Angleton.-
By John D. Adams
"I haven't seen a female athlete who playoff to Victoria by one point. T.xas high schools are renowned for As a senior, Moon was not leading her producing blue-chip football players, espe- combines speed, strength and size as Moon cially running backs who have on occa- does," said Janette Barlow, who has team to as many wins, for her supporting sion been chased right out of the state by coached girls' basketball for 13 years at cast is small and inexperienced. Only one desperate college recruiters, unwilling to Calhoun of Port Lavaca and whose teams other starter returned from last year's distake no for an answer when thousands of have averaged 20 wins per season for the trict championship team, but despite a last four years. "I've seen other girl ath- drop-off in overall talent, Angleton had a yards of rushing is at stake. This year was no exception. There were letes with speed and some with the com- 15-7 record through the first week of Januenough "Friday Night Heroes" coming bination of size and strength, but no others ary, due mainly to the efforts of Moon, who has had an opportunity to show even out of Texas' high schools to handsomely with all three characteristics." "I've never seen a girl with that much more of her talent. furnish the nine Southwest Conference She concluded the 1976-77 season with teams and keep Oklahoma in contention physical ability ... I've never seen anyfor another national championship as well. body with that much ability," emphasized · a whopping 38.0 points per game average, The oil industry must envy Texas' football Dennis Lane, a former boys' assistant hitting 54 percent of her shots from the resources which never dry up, but instead track coach at Angleton who now holds a field. Angleton reached the Class AAAA similar job at A&M Consolidated in Col- state semi-finals, where they lost to eventu~ become more productive. a! state champion Dallas South Oak Cliff, Despite the expected bountiful supply lege Station. Residents of Angleton, a town of about 79-61. Our heroine scored 36 points in that of good football players, it could be that the best all-around prep athlete in the Lone 10,000, 36 miles south of Houston, have game to tie a single-game tournament Star state will be overlooked by college grown accustomed to Moon's excellence in record for Texas AAAA schools. "The college scouts like the way she athletics during the last thtee years. She football recruiters - for obvious reasons. Ann Moon of Angleton, Texas, isn't won the state championship in the shot put can play either outside or inside," points the right gender for football, but with each as a sophomore and junior; holder of the out Angleton head coach Dorothy Smith, new appearance on the basketball court 'Or 4A state record, Moon had one toss of 47- who admits that Moon IS her offense. She track, she is winning more boosters, 13/.i. She has been clocked in 10.8 in the averaged 34 points per game through the boosters who are quick to offer monstrous 100-yard dash and 6.8 in the 60. Her team's first 22 outings and had four games compliments about her athletic prowess. combination of speed and muscle has en- in excess of 40 points, including one 50"Ann Moon is the best female athlete I abled her to amass over 50 medals in track point explosion. No team held her to less have ever seen," insists Victoria High meets during her first three years of · than 26 points, and in the West Columbia School basketball coach Jan Lahodny, competition. Tournament, won by Angleton, she averwhose team missed the Class 4A state That blend of speed· and strength also aged 46 points in three games. championship by one point in 1976. Vic- produces a nearly impossible mixture for · Moon has produced those figures detoria had a 45-game regular-season · opponents to deal with on a basketball spite beipg restrained by the mid-court winning streak eclipsed in mid-December court. She carries close to 170 pounds on line. Texas ·is one of five states in which by a 38-point Moon performance, decisive her 5-10 frame and is an extraordinary high school girls play half-court basketin a one-point Angleton victory. "I've seen leaper. Those attributes carried her to ball- three forwards on offense and three a lot of good athletes in high school and first-team all-state recognition as a junior, . guards on defense. Such a boundary recollege, but she is the best by far. She when she averaged 22 points per game and ·stricts the power and mobility of Moon: could be an Olympic star," adds Lahodny. led her team to a 25-7 overall record. "Lots of times I want to go past the line Angleton eventually lost in a hi-district
14 PREP I JUNE-JULY 197i