Many high school athletes like to participate in different sports each season giving them diversity throughout the school year. However, there are those who totally enjoy taking part in one and only one sport all year long; Norwood’s Cam McDonough is one of those athletes. The senior considers himself to be a one-sport athlete playing basketball year-round.

It was around fifth grade while he was playing with a neighbor’s driveway when his friend’s father, who happened to play basketball in college, told McDonough he should try out for the town team. Liking the concept of the game and having the skill needed to play the game, he took his advice, and the rest is history. 

“I really enjoyed the sport and after playing for the town I decided to turn my focus strictly on basketball to make myself better; that meant dropping football,” McDonough said. “In the sixth grade, the Dedham AAU Coach asked me to play for him.  AAU is a community of athletes that pretty much only play basketball and the competition is much harder than anything I’ve ever encountered.”

 

McDonough continued to play AAU basketball knowing that he was going to have to get better to keep up with the kids he was playing with and against.  By the eighth grade, his town team went undefeated and captured the championship. It was here that the Norwood resident realized that his talent was improving, and he could play the game on a high level. 

“Originally, I noticed that I needed to pick up my game because the kids I was playing against were really good,” McDonough said. “I thought that I was good but when we started traveling, I realized I wasn’t as good as I thought I was, so I began training a lot. I started going to the gym regularly, had a ball in my hands every day, and worked on increasing my quickness and speed.”

McDonough’s hard work and determination paid off as well as his playing AAU with older kids by the time he reached high school.  Going in, he thought that he had a shot at making the team, especially after former Norwood basketball Coach JJ Oliver asked him to take part in the summer league in which the high school team participated in. 

 

“My first year in high school I tried out for the freshman team, but after the tryouts Coach Oliver came up to me and told me to come back to the varsity tryouts,” McDonough recalled. “I made the team but realized that I was now a little fish in a big pond playing in a very tough Bay State League with some talented athletes.”

During that initial season, the Norwood point guard played anywhere from 6 to 15 minutes per game, bringing the ball up court while learning to play on the varsity level. McDonough soon realized that taking the step up to play varsity basketball was a reality check and that as good as he was, he still needed too improve upon just about every part of his game, while putting on some weight and getting stronger. 

There was a bit of a setback during his sophomore campaign when during the Mustang’s first scrimmage he received a concussion. Eventually, he found his way back on the court, and following the season he focused on his game and played every moment that he could to be ready for his junior year.

Under first-year coach Kristen McDonnell, the Mustangs had one of their best season’s in some time, going 9-11, and McDonough found that he was named to the Tri-Valley League (TVL) All Star team. 

“That year, Coach McDonnell gave me the confidence in my ability to go out and score my best game came against Holliston when I scored 29 points; I also had a couple of 15-point games,” the now senior said. “Moving to the TVL also made a big difference in my game. The TVL is still a good league, but the Bay State League had more athleticism and was much a much faster game.”

The Norwood Coach may have nudged McDonough in the right direction, but he already had the ability within him.

“Cam may be somewhat of a quiet kid, but he has a high basketball IQ and does everything right,” McDonnell said. “He may not have a flashy game, so his game is sometimes overlooked, but as our point guard he makes us tick. He knows the game and was someone that not only stepped up his game, but he has also managed to keep the team positive and moving in the right direction.”

Coming into this season, things on the court will be a little different due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the senior is optimistic about the abbreviated season.  This winter, Norwood will continue to play two games a week (against the same team) against the likes of Medfield, Holliston, Hopkinton, Ashland, and Westwood. 

“I really believe that we are in a really good spot coming into this year, despite it being different,” McDonough said. “We are going to take what we are give and run with it. I’m hoping that we go 10-0 and win all of our games. I strongly believe that this a doable goal with this team.”

Individually, McDonough wants to be the best leader possible and guide his teammates down the right path to be successful and he is rather confident in his abilities. When this limited season concludes, the senior is planning on attending college and would like to play basketball on some level but at this time, he has not really thought too much about it.  

“I definitely want to continue to play basketball – if not on the college team then at least on a college club team, but that will be determined much later,” McDonough said.

For the meantime, McDonough will concentrate fully on Norwood’s 2020-21 season and capturing that undefeated season he se