In the spring he would run the bases and pitch, in the fall he would be under center taking snaps as the quarterback and in the winter he would be shooting the rock from downtown for three-pointers. Faith Baptist Christian Academy Crusader athlete Aaron Power has done it all and at the school’s annual sports banquet a few weeks ago his jersey number was officially retired.
"We don’t retire numbers often," Faith Baptist Athletic Director and basketball coach Jarred Sellars said. "In fact he’s the third guy we’ve retired in the 30 years we’ve been playing and the first in about 15 years."
Power has attended the Ludowici private school for most of his academic years and said having his jersey retired was humbling.
"It was awesome and it was pretty much a dream come true," he said. "It was one of the best feelings ever."
Sellars said Power has meant a lot to the Crusaders’ athletic program and folks quickly took note of No. 15 whether it was on the diamond, the grid-iron or hardwood.
The multi-sport athlete said the hardwood court is his definite favorite.
Coach Sellars agrees.
"He’s a great shooter," Sellars said. "He’s probably one of the best shooters we’ve ever had. He’s been a part of five state-winning basketball seasons and that’s been a big deal. It’s not like he’s been here two years and was a great player for those two years, or three years, he’s been a great player from our junior varsity ranks up through his varsity years. Hopefully he’ll continue that in college."
Power moved from point guard his junior year to shooting guard his senior year. It’s his ability to make the three-point shot consistently that quickly panicked the Crusaders’ opponents.
"That is what a lot of people will remember," the coach said. "When we played First Presbyterian this season he hit nine three-point shots. A lot of people will remember stuff like that, but the biggest thing for me was having someone on the court that was also like a coach on the court."
In his sophomore year Power averaged 17.3 points per game. As a junior he averaged 14.1 points per game and hit 96 shots from the three-point range. He had 73 assists as a junior and a total of 147 rebounds.
In his senior year, Power suffered a torn meniscus during a football game. He had corrective surgery and was back under center within two weeks. While the injury did slow his speed on the hardwood the senior still managed to hit 74 three-point shots, 60 assists and 94 total rebounds en route to the team’s seventh straight state title.Power scored 1438 points, 243 assists and made 273 three-point shots throughout his high school career.
Power had several offers to play under full scholarship at different school, but chose a different route.
He has enrolled at Sellars’ former alma mater, Pensacola Christian College in Florida. While they don’t offer scholarships, they do have a basketball team Power will be joining.
"It’s a Christian environment and what I’ve grown up with," Power said about his decision. "It’s where my coach went and where it suits me best to maintain my Christian values and lifestyle while improving my basketball abilities."
Pensacola’s athletic program is governed by the National Christian College Association and plays against other National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic schools.
Power said he plans to study either physical education or sports management. He said he would like to be a coach in the future. He said he felt comfortable at Pensacola because he grew up in nearby Panama City, Fla., and was familiar with the town.
As competitive as ever Power said he’ll keep busy throughout the summer.
"The biggest thing that I have to do is to work out more and get bigger and stronger and faster since I’m still coming off knee surgery," he said.
He starts school in September.