HS Boys Basketball: Conroe Tiger Gary Lewis Notches His Name in History by Breaking 1,000 Career Points

CONROE, TX -- The Conroe Tigers celebrated a momentous achievement for senior guard Gary Lewis on Friday as the talented scorer broke the 1,000-point mark for his high school career.

Lewis’ contributions on the floor have kept the Tigers in district contention throughout his time at Conroe High School. In the competitive district of 13-6A, a handful of wins separate the top dogs from the rest of the pack, and a proficient scorer like Lewis has kept his team from going under.

But scoring and team success were not always at the forefront for Lewis. The athlete’s scoring abilities brought him and his team success, but the thought was usually on the team, not his gains.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Lewis broke down his relative shock at hearing the news and the planning that went into scoring at the right time.

“I actually didn’t know till the beginning of this year,” said Lewis. “When it came up, I was like, ‘Should I break it [at Conroe] or at a tournament’ because I could have broken it a long time ago.”

The reason behind breaking the record was a combination of individual prowess and mismatches that Lewis could feast on. His over six-foot frame allowed Lewis to take advantage of smaller opponents while working towards a closer shot.

“I would say it's just my aggressiveness,” said Lewis on his abilities. “Me being a bigger body and being a bigger guard gives me more strength than other guys in my position.”

The support system at Conroe also aided Lewis in achieving his goal. Teammates who were willing to feed the guard when he was on runs helped fuel the scorer when others may have felt outshone.

“I trust my teammates a lot,” said Lewis. “The joke around sometimes, though. ‘Here comes 1-K boy,’ and they like to joke around, but I feel like they can also look to me and say they’re proud.”

Conroe’s support goes beyond Lewis’ teammates, as the Tigers coaching staff appreciates the contributions on the floor. Rather than forcing Lewis to fit into a system that may hamper his scoring style, Coach Daryl Mason and his staff have opened their minds to the contributions that Lewis brings regularly.

“100 percent, they trust me,” said Lewis. “They tell me to take my shots, but they also tell me to trust in my teammates.”

There is a next level of trust and maturity between Lewis and the Conroe coaching staff. Atypical signs of trusting a high school athlete to understand situations as they are happening on the floor and to distinguish between bad and good opportunities further demonstrate the talent Lewis displays.

“[The coaches] tell me ‘Let it come to you, trust your judgment,’ and I built on that,” said Lewis. “But this year, I built a lot of trust in my teammates.”

Unwavering support after missed chances and games lost still gives Lewis the support he needs to finish out tough stretches.

“It comes down to my teammates wanting me to take the tough shots,” said Lewis. “Even if I missed the game winners, they pick me up and let me know that it will be alright, we’ll keep it going.”

With support flowing in from friends, family, teammates, and coaches, Lewis has plenty of chances to celebrate the hard work that has led to a momentous achievement.

Congratulations to Gary Lewis on breaking the 1,000-point mark and to success in the future.

Photos