OXFORD, Maine — Julia Coby's name hangs high above her home court.
“She’s the first girl at Oxford Hills to score 1,000 points," says head girls' basketball coach Nate Pelletier.
Julia is no stranger to achieving big things. In 2019, she scored a team-high 34 points in the AA State Championship game to give the girls from Oxford Hills their first ever gold ball.
Now, she’s back at it, spending hours in the gym practicing her shooting so she can contribute in this year’s playoff run.
“I just love basketball, and I’ve always loved it," Julia says. "I just really want to get another win in the states.”
Despite her individual successes, Julia stays humble. Coaches say what makes her a special player is how unselfish she is.
“All that she cares about is winning," says Coach Pelletier. "If that’s scoring two points a game or 20 points a game, getting rebounds, steals… she’s been around basketball her whole life and knows the correct way to play.”
Basketball takes up a lot of her time, but she still leaves room for her community. Julia became CNA while in high school and works with the elderly at the Market Square Nursing Facility.
“I just like older people and working with them," says Julia. "This one woman that I work with, she always shows picture books of her family, and it’s just nice to see.”
Connecting with the people that support her is of the utmost importance, and so is staying on top of her studies. Julia is playing basketball at New York Institute of Technology next year while she pursues a nursing degree. But before she goes, she'd like to put another mark up on the state title banner in the gym.
“Tournament time, it’s just a whole different setting when we get to the big court," Julia says. "I think we just have to keep focused and play our game.”
Another gold ball would be the cherry on top of an already impressive high school career.
Congratulations to Julia Colby, the newest member of the Varsity Club!