Senior point guard Nate Rodriguez met his long-time goal of scoring 1,000 points in the last quarter of the Feb. 8 varsity basketball game against Musselman. Only nine other boys basketball players have reached this mark, and Rodriguez is the first since Andy Dollman in 2011.

“I was really nervous,” Rodriguez said. “It’s always been a goal of mine to score 1,000, so being in the game where I know it’s possible to do it, it was nerve-wracking because you want to do it, and I had a lot of family and friends there. It was a home game, so you definitely want to do that at home, and you definitely want to do it in front of your family and friends.”

Rodriguez stated that, after the National Anthem was over and the ball was tipped, his nerves went away for a portion of the game. However, they returned once he was within one basket of his goal.

“Once I scored my fourth point, the nerves kind of set back in because I knew I was one bucket away from 1,000,” Rodriguez said.

After finally reaching his goal in the last quarter, Rodriguez said that he couldn’t stop crying. He was proud to achieve his dream and leave a legacy behind.

Rodriquez said that he feels pride that he’s been able to join such a select group of athletes in scoring 1,000 points. He wants to be the best version of himself and believes that achieving something this special reflects that.

Now that his last season of basketball at PHS came to an end on March 11 after their regional game against Spring Valley, Rodriguez plans to join a new team in college. However, he knows that he will miss his high school team.

“It’s a lot of feelings,” Rodriguez said. “I’m sad. I’m excited. I’m happy. I’m gonna miss a lot of my friends, and I’m gonna miss the aspect of just being able to play basketball without, really, a care because once you go to college, it’s more of a business and more of a job.”

In addition to his own legacy, Rodriguez believes it’s also important to leave behind a solid team for next season. He hopes that he and his fellow seniors have built the team to be in a better place for new arrivals. Rodriguez also wants his teammates to understand his values.

“Every little thing matters,” Rodriguez said. “You represent more than just yourself when you’re part of our basketball team. When you’re in school, you represent the basketball team. When you’re out in public, you represent the basketball team. It’s an honor to be a Big Red, and it’s an honor to be on the basketball team, so I just hope that they (teammates) take pride, take it very seriously, and don’t take it for granted because high school basketball is one of the more fun things you get to experience.”

Other than representing the basketball team, Rodriguez also encourages his fellow teammates to remember that they’re students, too, and need to find a balance for both parts of their high school experience. While it can be difficult to manage the split between academics and athletics, Rodriguez knows that it is a responsibility that can’t be slipped up on.

Maintaining good academics will allow him to take the next steps into college, as he plans to keep up with basketball, especially with the multiple scholarship offers he’s received, while studying for a major in criminal justice with plans to be a cop or undercover cop. The four-year varsity player hopes to play basketball professionally, but understands the importance of having another career plan. He intends to continue both his academics and athletics at either Malone University or West Virginia Wesleyan.

With graduation right around the corner, Rodriguez wants his fellow students to know who he is and how thankful he is for being at PHS.

“I just give God all the glory,” Rodriguez said. “I couldn’t be here without Him and I don’t want anyone to think that I have a lot of pride or anything like that. God comes first and, without Him, I wouldn’t be here. I’m thankful for everybody in the school, and I feel like I’ve had a good support system of teachers and students. There’s nothing like PHS.”