St. Marys’s Addie Davis handles the ball during a game last season. Davis signed Friday a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at West Virginia Wesleyan.
(Photo by Kerry Patrick)

ST. MARYS — Addie Davis is not one to shy away from the limelight.

For the past three seasons as the starting point guard on the St. Marys girls basketball team, she has embraced every opportunity. Won’t change for her senior season as a Blue Devil. Won’t change when she steps onto the campus at West Virginia Wesleyan.

Friday afternoon, inside the high school auditorium, the three-time, first team all-stater made her decision official as a WV Wesleyan commit.

“As far as being held to a high standard, I’ve always had a good mentality about it,” said Davis, who is the daughter of Sean Davis and Heather Straight. “I literally give it my all because I know my family is watching, younger girls are watching. My teammates look up to me. So I lay my body out on the court every single night because I have so much love and passion for the game. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I thought I was going to be the little freshman and have to wait my turn. That freshman year, I got off to a good start and kind of made a name for myself and got myself known. It kind of went from there.

“I love having that target on my back because I know I wouldn’t want it on someone else – me chasing someone else. I want to be chased. It pushes me to stay ahead of the pack. That’s my motivation.”

Since playing club basketball as a second grader, a passion for basketball has always been a constant for the 5-foot-8 point guard, who can also play shooting guard and small forward.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play at the next level,” Davis said. “Since second grade, that’s been the goal. I just fell in love with it – my love for the game literally went through the roof and I’m so glad it did.”

Some 70 schools were on the radar before the short list began to form. Davis is relieved the recruiting process is behind her so she can focus on leading St. Marys to another possible state tournament appearance.

“Now I can focus on the season and kind of get my mind away from it, so it’s not a stresser,” Davis said.

WV Wesleyan is coached by former West Virginia University Mountaineer basketball player Brett Vincent. The more she stayed in contact with Vincent, the more she knew WV Wesleyan was the right fit.

“I love the location of the West Virginia Wesleyan. I love Buckhannon,” Davis said. “I think coach Vincent is amazing. I knew of him and of his program. We started building a connection, and after my visit and met him live that sealed the deal.”

The Bobcats’ current roster features nine products from the state of West Virginia, including former Doddridge County High School standouts Abby McDonough and Carrie Lloyd, and Sydney Baird from Webster County – not to mention a slew of incoming in-state recruits with Ritchie County’s Rebekah Rupert being among them.

A familiarity already exists since Davis played alongside many of the girls as part of travel ball with the Ohio Valley Dragons.

“The girls coming in with the incoming class – I love them,” Davis said. “I’ve played with a bunch of them. And with some of the girls who are there, I have a pretty good connection with all of them. I have connections to their families, and friends so it will be a smooth transition.”

Davis is not one-dimensional by any means in terms of participating in multiple sports. She joins Baird as another basketball player who will compete for the WV Wesleyan women’s golf team. Davis first joined the St. Marys golf team as a junior. She took interest in the game because of her grandparents (Ray and Stephanie Straight).

“I did it to get out of school, but I came to love it,” Davis said. “I’ve definitely got better 100% since I started last year. “That was not the plan at all to play in college. My grandparents, they love it so I get to spend time with them. That’s why I did it.

“Coach Vincent was so supportive about me playing golf at West VIrginia Wesleyan. I’m so excited I get to do it.”

Last season as a junior, Davis was named Little Kanawha Conference Player of the Year after averaging 17.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.8 steals per game. The numbers could reach another level for the upcoming season.

Not one to be complacent and satisfied with her game, Davis has been making trips to Clarksburg to train with current Notre Dame High School boys basketball coach Jarrod West. Davis can see the results.

“I give Jarrod West so much credit because of how he transformed my game from a year ago to now – it’s changed so much,” Davis said. “I’ve been scrimmaging the boys also, and I love that because that is the physical you need to see,” Davis said.

On Thursday, several individuals spoke on Davis’ impact at St. Marys, including high school athletic director Howard Meeks, who praised Davis’ character and her decision to try something different when she decided to join the school’s golf team.

St. Marys girls basketball coach Fred King remembers Davis as a youth at his basketball camps and how wonderful it has been to watch her develop.

“You don’t get to this table by walking in the door – it takes a lot of dedication,” King said as Davis and her family were gathered at a table on the auditorium stage prior to the official signing.

Davis plans to major in pre-med on the biology track. West Virginia Wesleyan has a direct path to the osteopathic school of medicine in Lewisburg.

All the stats Davis eventually accumulates at the school don’t rate as high as leaving a legacy that future St. Marys girls basketball players strive to be.

“I don’t want to be remembered for being on the wall or scoring however many points – I would much rather be the person little girls look up to,” Davis said. “So when they get to high school they want to be like Addie Davis because she was a good role model, a good teammate. She took control when games got tough and grinded it out.”

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com