Writing her own Story

Bandys point guard Madi Story grew up just trying to be the best player on her family’s own home court.

Her older sister, Jesse, 18, now playing basketball at Lenoir-Rhyne University, was a little bigger and stronger for most of their childhood.

Her younger brother, Charlie, 16, now a linebacker on the Trojans football team, was a tough matchup because his size and strength caught up with his elder sisters quickly.

Her father, Mark, a 1986 Bandys graduate and now her head coach, once played basketball and football for the Trojans and was regularly involved in the sport as an assistant and AAU coach.

Even her mother, Mitzi, a 1988 graduate, has considerable talent on the hardwood, starring for two state championship teams at Bandys, earning N.C. Ms. Basketball honors in 1988 and playing college hoops at Appalachian State.

While Madi, 17, took her lumps on the Story family court, she also gained the competitive nature and confidence that helped her become the player she is now.

“I always wanted to be able to beat Jesse and my mom and dad,” said Madi, who started playing when she was 6 years old. “It was tough at first, because I was always the smallest one. But losing only made me work harder. I wanted to be the best, and it really motivated me.”

“It wasn’t always easy for Madi to play with the older girls,” Mark said. “But it not made her better, but she was forced to play guard most of the time. Now, that she is 6 feet tall, it gives her a lot of advantages.”

When her time came, Madi didn’t waste a minute, not only earning a starting spot on the Bandys varsity team as a freshman but also leading the team in scoring at 17.3 points per game. The team went all the way to 2A regional semifinal before losing to eventual state champion Salisbury.

Madi joined a team loaded with her friends, including Jesse, Chelsey Queen, Taylor Sigmon, who she has played with on her AAU team, and led by her parents and former Bandys’ girls’ basketball coach Beth Queen.

Madi stepped up her game even more as a sophomore, averaging 18 points per game on another a Trojan team that just missed a chance at the 2A state title, losing to Wilkes Central in the 2A West Regional final.

Madi went on a tear in the playoffs, averaging 26 points per contest in her team’s five-game run, including a career-best 41 points against Central Davidson.

While Madi already has 1,342 points and counting in her Bandys career, it is her turn to help lead and keep Bandys in contention for Catawba Valley Athletic Conference and 2A state titles.

While she has a familiar leader in father, Mark, the head coach of the Bandys’ girls’ basketball for the first time (after many years as assistant and one year as Trojans’ boys’ head coach), most of the rest of team has had to take on new roles.

Madi, now a junior, hasn’t missed a beat this season as the Trojans’ point guard, averaging 18 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals per contest on a team atop the CVAC standings (13-1, 5-0).

The rest of the Trojan rotation has been solid but also marred by sickness, including flu, mononucleosis and strep throat, forcing them to play with as few as seven players on the roster at times.

When they are healthy, 6-foot-1, senior center, Sierra Brotherton (10 ppg, 5 rpg) brings a lot of experience to the table, while juniors Morgan Bibey (8 ppg) and sophomores Sarah Goble (10 ppg) and Haleigh Lackey (13 ppg) have caught on quickly. Meanwhile, Allie Smith, Rachel Hendershot and Alexis Wagner also play key roles.

“When you play for the Lady Trojans, you expect to win and to go far in the playoffs,” Madi said. “We are a young team, but I think we are starting to gel at the right time.”

Madi has been averaging 25 points per game in last five games, including a season-high 30 points in a critical 65-58 CVAC win over South Iredell.

Madi recently verbally committed to play basketball at Appalachian State, where she will look to follow in mother’s footsteps.

But no matter what she is doing, Madi wants to be the best.

Whether she is trying to lead Bandys to a CVAC title deep into the playoffs this year, or even in the classroom, where was No. 1 in her class at last check, with straight A-average, she is usually near the top.

It all started on the Storys’ home basketball court.

“I think a lot of my motivation has come from my family,” Madi said, including her Bandys teammates and even fans. “We have always set high expectations for ourselves. I think if you expect to do well, and work hard to get there, you are going to be successful.”