SJM_WinterAthletes_0219v3FINAL_Feature 1 / 31 / 19 12 : 07 PM Page 7 SHINING STARS South Jersey Magazine : Last year was a memo - rable one and most of the team is back . Do you have high hopes for this season ? Nick Cartwright - Atkins : Of course we have high hopes , but we also have a target on our back . Last year we kind of snuck up on teams and shocked them . They didn’t know how good we could be . NICK Now people know who we are and what we have . SJM : Did this core of seniors grow up playing CARTWRIGHT - together ? NCA : It’s actually kind of crazy because I was on the ATKINS B team and most of those guys were on the A team [ in youth basketball ] . I played freshman basketball ; MOORESTOWN most of them moved up to JV . But I’ve always been BOYS BASKETBALL a guy who was accepting of my role and sophomore year when I started to get time on varsity , I just jelled with them . I knew Brian [ McMonagle ] A senior guard , Cartwright - Atkins is the because he’s my quarterback in football and we had leading scorer for a squad that reached the chemistry . It’s a good group in general . sectional championship game last year and is among South Jersey’s best teams again SJM : To go from the B team as a kid to leading this season . He is a three - sport standout the team in scoring as a senior shows how hard you’ve worked . Does it make you proud ? who also stars in football and track & field . NCA : Yeah , it’s crazy . If you told me in eighth grade that I even would have played varsity as a sopho - books . People would never think I’d like to do that more , I wouldn’t have believed it . I know a lot of but I do . I’m also a huge superhero fan so I love guys just play basketball , just play football or just reading comic books and watching movies . I’m a run track . I worked hard in three different sports big Marvel fan . I got that from my dad . and became a good player . So who’s your favorite superhero ? SJM : SJM : Did you ever consider giving up one of your NCA : That’s a hard question . It’s either Wolverine or sports ? this other superhero called Nightcrawler . Not a lot NCA : No , because I love competing . I never wanted of people know him but he’s blue , he has a tail and to go right home after school . I think competing is he can teleport . He’s from X - Men too . I also like the the best feeling ever . I remember how seriously I Flash , because he’s a quick - witted guy and I love used to take Wii sports . I get competitive no matter saying quick - witted things . what it is . SJM : What’s your favorite sports movie ? SJM : What do you like to do when you’re not NCA : Like Mike is where it’s at . Lil ’ Bow Wow ? Come playing sports ? on , he killed that movie . It was funny and I liked NCA : You probably hear this a lot , but I like to play seeing Lil ’ Bow Wow do his thing . video games . I also like to draw and I like reading SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume15 issue 11 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 40 |