Cobb Schools’ Athlete of the Week (AOW) program is a weekly recognition of male and female student-athletes performing at high levels in their sport, classroom, and school communities. The program is made possible by support from BSN Sports.
This week’s winners are from Kennesaw Mountain and Pope. Vithaal Dhamodharan plays E-sports for the Mustangs, and Ellis Crawford is a middle hitter for the Greyhounds.
Vithaal Dhamodharan, E-Sports, Kennesaw Mountain
In only its second year of competition as a GHSA-sanctioned sport, E-sports is still very new, and many teams are just getting started. The Mustang E-sports team tallied its first-ever win thanks to Vithaal's 24 goals in two Rocket League matches. In addition to playing on the E-sports team, Vithaal participates in the Programming Club, NHS, INTERACT Club, Astronomy Club, and Mane Link (KMHS's student government). He also participates in many community service projects.
"Vithaal is a senior magnet student here and has played several important roles in our E-sports program," said Head Coach Suzanne Manahan. "This is our first year having a team, and Vithaal has helped in both recruiting and leading the players."
"We play Rocket League 3 on 3, and not only does he take shots and score goals, but he also tries to assist our other players by setting them up to score goals to improve their stats. Vithaal is a great example of a team player!" Coach Manahan concluded with a smile.
Ellis Crawford, Volleyball, Pope
It is safe to say that Pope Volleyball is dominant. The program has been to the GHSA Final Four every year since 2017 and has won three state championships during that time. The third title in the last eight seasons—and sixth overall—came this past weekend with a three-game sweep of Woodward Academy. Ellis led the team in their Final Four win over #1 seed Milton with four blocks, 16 kills, and a .750 hitting percentage, and 11 kills, a .667 hitting percentage, two aces, and one block in the Greyhounds' Elite 8 win over Glynn Academy. Her determination to help get her team back to the State finals shone brightly in both matches. Ellis is also a great student with a 3.9 GPA and will attend the University of Maryland on a volleyball scholarship next year.
"She has been a dependable, consistent part of our team's success over the past four years, which includes four region championships, two state championships, and one runner-up. She has had quite an impressive high school career," said her coach, Katherine Kirian. "Ellis is our key offensive player, our most dominant blocker, and the most intense voice on and off the court."
"She is quiet and a person of few words, but Ellis focuses the team when they are scattered and redirects them when they're veering off the path. Her teammates respect her for sure, which is why they chose her as a captain this season," Coach Kirian said proudly.
"Ellis is a leader on the team and in our building," agreed Pope Athletic Director Josh Mathews. "She has a positive presence that extends far beyond volleyball. She epitomizes what we want in our Pope student-athletes: excellence on the court, in the classroom, in the community, and overall as a person!"
Congratulations to Vithaal and Ellis on their outstanding performances in the classroom and in their chosen sports. Keep up the great work, Kennesaw Mountain and Pope!
