Tyrone Outlaw of Person High School at Dave Telep's 5th annual Carolina Challenge held at Ravenscroft High School on Saturday, March 26. (photo by Will Okun)
Dec 23, 2012
This season will mark the first time since 1994 that the Person Rockets have played in the HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational.
It’s a feat that the senior class has been waiting to achieve. Three players on this year’s Person team are the sons of players from the last Person team to play in the event.
“They all kind of came in as freshman talking about it, and I said, ‘Well you have to be really good. We can’t just call them up and say we want to play,’” said head coach Charles Dacus.
Person is really good, and they’re led by UNC-Greensboro recruit and reigning PAC 6 Player of the Year Tyrone Outlaw, Jr.
"The biggest thing he brings is leadership. He's an unbelievable leader," Dacus said. "He knows what I want as a team, and as a coach, so he does a great job of relaying that to the players."
After a conference championship and a playoff run last season, there are high expectations for the Rockets this season.
"It's motivation really. If everybody is expecting me to do big things, then I'm just going to work that much harder not to let them down," Outlaw said.
Outlaw’s father, Tyrone Outlaw, Sr., was a star basketball player at Person in the early 1990's. The older Outlaw committed to NC State, but after finding himself in trouble, he never enrolled.
"I feel like I'm the son of an NBA superstar because everybody knows him, everybody says he could have been big in the NBA if he would have went," the younger Outlaw said. "He tells me, 'Don't make this mistake. Don't do this.' He tells me to stay focused, really he guides me."
Outlaw believes Holiday Invitational could be a launching pad for a special senior season too.
"If you're going to aim for something, aim for the best. I’m going for the state championship. I'm going to work my tail off until I do," he said.
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