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Zhya Marshall has only been with Ellwood Christian Academy for two years, but she made the most of it.

The Lady Eagles center was a dominant force in the paint collecting over 1,000 rebounds in her time at the school.

Marshall said it meant a lot for her to come in and achieve the milestone.

“It’s just a great achievement,” Marshall said.

Marshall came to Ellwood last season when her father, Calvin, accepted the position as coach and school headmaster. Playing for her dad has been one of the best parts of enrolling at Ellwood.

“He’s literally taught me everything I know,” Zhya said. “He’s really helped me become the best player I can be. It’s been great getting to play for him over the past two years.”

Calvin said he’s loved having the opportunity to coach his daughter over the past two years.

“I really appreciate Pastor (Gary L.) Crum for giving me the opportunity to come here,” Calvin said. “And it’s been great for me as a dad to watch her grow as a player and as a person.”

Getting to 1,000 rebounds is no easy feat in an entire high school career, but Zhya did it in just two years. She was averaging between 15 and 20 rebounds per game for Ellwood. One of her best games was when she scored 12 points and had 26 rebounds.

And coming into her senior year, she had to be the team leader. Many of Ellwood’s key players in the 2023-2024 season graduated.

“She really had to step up and be the team leader this season,” Calvin said. “This was her team, and she did a great job stepping up and being a leader on this team.”

Zhya said she would love to continue playing basketball in college. She said she has a tryout scheduled with Wallace Community College Selma, and she plans to try out for other programs as well.