Making History

Senior David Hodije helped take the West Ashley High School Boys’ Varsity Basketball team to new heights this season. For the first time in school history, the team is going to the Lower State Finals! In the  game that got them to this round, Hodije led the team in scoring with 18 points. He also had four rebounds and four assists. “David has been a major contributor to the varsity basketball program for three years,” says Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Ronnie DuPre.
As one of the few seniors on the team, Hodije feels like he needs to be a good role model for the younger players, which is why he always tries to be supportive. “I tell them if they’re struggling [to] keep their heads up and move on because they’ve still got two years to get better,” he says. It seems like his teammates and coaches have been impressed with his leadership. “He is a very quiet young man who is very well-liked and respected by all of his teammates,” says DuPre.
Hodije has been playing basketball for 11 years; he started playing Upward basketball when he turned 7. He dabbles a bit in football recreationally, but his prime focus competitively is basketball. He has played for WAHS for three years, and has been a significant factor to the team’s success all three seasons. “He is a two year All-Region player and has led the team in scoring both his junior and senior seasons,” says DuPre.
With an average of 15 hours practicing each week, his performance on the court proves that practice pays off. Hodije successfully pulled off a step back move that he has been practicing all season for the first time in the game against South Aiken. He says that practice has been very beneficial for the team as well. “Our chemistry wasn’t that good at the beginning of the season, but we synchronized well at the end,” he says. Hodije believes that going to state is a big possibility for the team, especially considering the amount of work they’ve put in.
As his senior year and last high school season are coming to an end, Hodije has begun to prepare for his future. He has applied to several colleges including the College of Charleston, the University of South Carolina, and Coastal Carolina. He says he’s also looking at a few smaller colleges because he hopes to play basketball for his college’s team. He isn’t completely sure what he will major in, but he plans to explore the engineering field. Hodije has already taken three engineering courses at West Ashley, and even though they were tough, he really enjoyed them.