Oak Ridge Elementary Ace Shooters Headed to State Contest

There isn't a day that goes by that Drew Collins, 11, and Trevor Musick, 9, do not have a basketball in their hands. That dedication has earned the Oak Ridge Elementary students a paid trip to Grand Rapids where they will compete in the Michigan State Elks Hoop Shoot.

Drew and Trevor both took home trophies for their basketball shooting at the Elks District Hoop Shoot held in Ferndale on Jan. 5. There were three age groups competing. Each contestant had 25 attempts to make a basket from the free throw line. The boy and girl in each age group with the best score is advancing to compete in the state contest at East Grand Rapids High School on Feb. 23.

Drew sank 14 out of 25 baskets; Trevor sank 15 out of 25.

“I am really proud of both boys,” said Mike Lewis, the physical education teacher at Oak Ridge. "Besides being good basketball players they are both very good students and great kids.”

Lewis said the boys’ prizes have caught the attention of their classmates. In addition to the trophies, as part of their award, the boys and their families will be lodging in a hotel with a waterpark during their stay in Grand Rapids.

“It’s a treat for the families,” Lewis said. “It’s a nice getaway.”

If the boys win in Grand Rapids they will move onto the Great Lakes Region 4 Hoop Shoot Semi-Final on Mar. 16 in Angola, IN. A win there would put them into the Hoop Shoot National Finals on Apr. 20 in Springfield, MA.

Are the boys nervous? Just a little, they say.

“I am just so proud of both boys,” said Leslie Collins. “Our son, Drew, has Cystic Fibrosis so he works harder and tires easier. It’s really a big accomplishment for him.”

Drew, who plays for the Pistons at the Boys & Girls Club of South Oakland County, hopes to play in the NBA one day.

Trevor is not on a team at the moment but still practices everyday at home. His father, Phil Musick, said he is very proud of fourth grader, who initially tied with another boy for total number of baskets but ultimately won after a series of additional shots to break the tie.

For more on the Elks Hoop Shoot visit elks.org/hoopshoot.