Gorham High School junior center Mackenzie Holmes reached the 1,000-point mark in a recent varsity basketball game. This accomplishment put her into the ranks of several other student athletes throughout Gorham’s athletic history, with the most recent being GHS grad Emily Esposito (’17), who is now attending Villanova University.

However, as senior player Michelle Rowe put it, each athlete’s experience is different. “I guess we don’t really compare [Mackenzie] to Espo that much. The only difference was that Kenzie got her [1,000 points] at home in the first three minutes of the game, and Espo got hers at the Civic Center when we were up by 20.”

As a younger athlete, Holmes had some nerves going into the game where she was expected to reach the milestone. “Considering it was already a pretty big game for us, I was super nervous about that and there was some sense of pressure knowing how close I was to 1,000. I tried to tell myself before the game to not overthink it, don’t try to do too much, and just have fun with it because I know that not many people get to have a moment like this,” she said. “My teammates and coaches were really supportive in letting me know that they were there for me no matter what so that helped take some of the pressure off.”

Coach Laughn Berthiaume added, “Mackenzie has been extremely consistent throughout her career. What has made her special is her ability to adapt to what defenses are trying to do to stop her. Her game has continued to expand and she has not been satisfied to just rely on what has worked in the past. Scoring 1000 points in a career is an amazing accomplishment and to do it in only three seasons is even more impressive.”

Both Holmes and Rowe credited the accomplishment, and the lack of pressure leading up to it, to support from the team and overall community. “We know this year’s team is a lot different than it has been in the past, but we don’t really talk about the past. Even though we have lost more games than we would have liked, the team dynamic is great,” Rowe said.

Holmes agreed, and said that getting that final basket that pushed her over the 1,000-point mark was “such a great feeling. The endless support the community gives is amazing and made it a unforgettable day. I could never thank them enough for everything that they have done. My team, coaches, friends, and family support me in no matter what I do so it was really nice for them to all be able to watch. They made it a very special day and I couldn’t be more thankful.”