Chrissy Gratz one of many

from Sun-sentinel

Chrissy Gratz boarded the bus and found a seat by herself near the front. She began going over the moments of Archbishop McCarthy's victory over Key West in the 4A regional quarterfinals.

She wondered how she was able to play at all after fighting the flu and she thought about the goal she scored. She remembered her mother mentioned that the senior was just one goal from 50 on the season and, all of a sudden, it hit her.

"I scored my 50th goal," Gratz said aloud.

Gratz, who is headed to East Carolina next season, was Broward County's leading scorer and her offensive prowess helped her become the Sun Sentinel 4A-3A-2A Player of the Year.

Instead of taking credit for her offense, she deflected credit to her teammates.

"Just because I'm the one who puts it in the back of the net doesn't mean there's any less credit given to the people who actually get me the ball," said Gratz, who also had 15 assists.

That she declines to take all of the credit is a testament to the maturity Mavericks coach Paul Frechette said his standout showed this season. For the first time in her high school career, she really depended on her teammates and, while it didn't lead to the Class 4A state finals, it helped her develop the skills that will help her succeed at the next level.

"I've seen her grow from freshman year to senior year," Frechette said. "I definitely feel like she's come a long way." When looking ahead to her first collegiate season, Gratz doesn't want to seem overconfident, so she won't make any predictions.

That said, she thinks she can contribute right away.

"I'll always give everything I have to be the best," she said.

East Carolina coach Rob Donnenwirth agrees.

"Chrissy is a dynamic forward and is a handful for defenders," Donnenwirth said on signing day. "She has great speed, agility, creativity, one-on-one ability and a killer instinct when it comes to scoring goals. She loves the game and is an exciting player to watch."