Sheniyah Philpot. Remember the name. The two-sport star is one to watch out for on the diamond and the courts. The Troup High sophomore has just capped off her second athletic year with the Tigers, leading the basketball and softball teams to the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

“It means a lot to me to wear a Troup Tigers uniform because it shows that my coaches and teammates trust me enough to wear it,” Philpot said. 

Despite being just a sophomore, Philpot is a big voice in any locker room. This was even more evident this season with the Troup girls basketball team as she took over as starting point guard and was one of the more experienced players on a team full of youth.

“It was definitely difficult at the beginning of the season, just trying to get them to listen to me because I’m a sophomore and young myself,” Philpot said. “It took them a little while to get used to listening to me and not copping an attitude.” 

Basketball is where she feels most at home even though she has a deep love for softball as well. Even though this was the case, Philpot almost sat out her sophomore basketball season. She was dealing with a shoulder injury that stopped her from playing flag football and it lingered into the basketball pre-season. Philpot turned that feeling of disillusionment into perseverance as she put together a huge season on the court.

“Some games it still really affected me and I had a hard time moving my arm right,” she said. 

The Tigers got the best performance yet from Philpot in the region tournament third-place game against Trinity Christian. Troup fell by just four points, but Philpot scored a career-high 35 points and truly showed her mettle.

“It was the best game I’ve ever played, but I really wanted to win, but I left the court knowing that I gave it my all,” Philpot said. 

Philpot was never 100% during this season which makes her success this basketball season all the more remarkable.

The nagging shoulder injury gave her trouble all season as she jumped straight from softball season into basketball.

Her sophomore campaign on the diamond was just as fruitful as her time on the court. She helped guide the Tigers to just one win away from the Elite Eight.

“This season they put me out at the center field and I did not feel good about it at first, but I eventually grew into the position and started to feel safe and comfortable out there,” Philpot said. “Playing in playoff games is fun, but I try to treat them like any other game.”

Philpot’s stats speak for themselves. She hit .363 with 20 RBIs while leading the team with 13 extra-base hits and started just about every game in center field for the Tigers as a sophomore. 

There was also a family connection in the dugout this past season as her father, Nick, was an assistant coach.

“There are a ton of ups and downs to having a parent as a coach, but it was nice and he has been coaching me all my life,” she said. 

What makes Philpot stand out is her coachability and her willingness and eagerness to learn and adapt. It is why she has been a key contributor since her freshman season under basketball coach Carla Thornton and softball coach Ryan Simpson.

“I love my coaches because I know they are always there for me on and off the field,” Philpot. “All my coaches here at Troup are a phone call away and will be there for me in a split second.”

While she used to play travel ball, it became too overwhelming for her. Now, she is solely focused on producing for the Troup Tigers — a feeling like no other as she grew up watching her brother play sports in the blue and gold.

“I used to come and watch my brother play for the boys basketball team, and I would get here to watch the girls play and knew that I wanted to play basketball here and work under coach Carla (Thornton),” Philpot said.