Mark Nance/Sun Gazette correspondent Royal Sock Julie Ellis (2) celebrates Royal Sock after the Royal Sock won the 4th District Class AAA Championship with Hughesville this season.
Freshmen who participated in the Loyalsock Girls’ Basketball program four years ago remain there today.
What did player and leader Julie Ellis become?
Ellis is the only lancer left from that group, leaving behind marks beyond points and rebounds. I never had one for Ellis’ individual numbers, but I just won. And she certainly helped Royal Sock do 92 times more in fact for the past four years.
Currently, Ellis is helping Royal Socks reach the second consecutive class AAA State Final Four. There, Lancer will play imhotep at Parkland High School on Friday.
“It feels good because I look back at everything about the season and know it’s a good experience.” Ellis said. “The people I played for four years were amazing. The coaching staff is great too. I don’t want to play for other coaches.”
Those coaches don’t want a different version of Ellis than the ones they watch every day.
“Julie has been an instrumental member of the team for the past four years and has won 92 games in her career. She deserves a lot of credits to make it stand out as the only member of the class for four years.” Royal Socks coach Curtis Jacobson said. “I’m so proud of the growth and maturity she has created as a person than a basketball player.”
Excellence on and off the court, Ellis has helped bring out the best of Royal Socks in four years. Meanwhile, the team won two district championships, six state tournament games, two HAC-III titles and a Heartland Conference Championship. Loyalsock never won less than 18 games in a season that year, breaking a single-season record with victory over the past two years, producing 27 and 28, 55-6. Royal Socks averaged 23 games per season in Ellis’ four years. This is an incredible achievement considering the regular season lasts just 22 games.
All players are in the role of creating that success, but Elis, who has emerged as a strong leader, provided a strong foundation to build. This year it’s doubled. She and Lacey Clevele were lonely seniors on the team and helped coach a team that had graduated several important players a year ago.
“Julie is the X-factor of our team. As Julie and I are the only seniors, she offers the extra leadership the team needs.” Cliebel said. “She also does a lot of dirty work and extra small things that don’t necessarily show up in her box score, but they have a big impact on our performance.”
That has been clear over the past four years. Ellis is a Swiss Army knife player and can injure the enemy in many ways. She can become a scorer, facilitator, rebounder, and defender. She can film her game inside or outdoors, protect the guards or post players.
Equally important, Ellis has a calm influence on the court. She is a stabilizing force. A glue-like player that helps keep your team together, whether things are going well or not. Every successful team needs such a player, and the Royal Socks with Ellis once again helped him become one of the state’s top four 3A teams.
It goes beyond the game. Ellis shows the same quality during practice. She is a tone setter and makes sure the team is focused on the next game and play. Cliches make practice perfect, but in reality, perfect practice perfect.
The players and games aren’t perfect, but there’s no way Ellis attacks every day.
“There’s no day when Julie doesn’t give her team everything she has. She’s never had a bad practice.” Jacobson said. “She wasn’t perfect, but her attitude and effort was indeed. She speaks up when she needs to, and she is always by example.”
It helped Royal Socks survive the storm in the game. Lancer hasn’t cracked late this year or when struggling. They gathered towards Edge Edge Building in the district final from 11 down in the fourth quarter to Hughesville in the district final, overcoming a three-quarter struggle in the second round with West Catholics to maintain the lead, turning the fourth quarter fourth quarter deficit into a one-point third quarter lead.
This was the next step in the evolution of players who excelled as reserves in freshman years, helping Royal Socks repeat the season as district champions after graduating from two All-State Selection summer McNulty. Ellis moved to the starting lineup a year later, and was an important factor in returning the younger team to the district finals.
Ellis continued to surge as a junior as the Royal Socks made history and reached the first Final Four. Became senior captain, Ellis confirmed that Lancer continues to crush all the ups and downs that the season has to offer.
That included suffering from a severely sprained ankle in the second half of the regular season. Ellis wanted to go back to the HAC tournament, but with things in mind, she realized what her team needs most to push the state tournament. She then returned to the district semi-finals and has been steadily affecting ever since, setting a tone against Dunmore when she scored the first two points of the game, and found Alaina Dadzie for the next two.
“I’m extremely proud of her because she’s been fighting through injuries this whole postseason.” Cliebel said. “And all the games she went out there and played her heart.”
There are many ways to explain Ellis. But looking at her entire high school career, a word stands out more than the others.
Simply put, Ellis is the winner.
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