Timeout with The Times

SARDIS CITY — Madison Langley doesn’t just get it done in whichever three sports she so happens to be playing for Sardis High School.

She also gets it done in the classroom as well.

Langley is a three-sport athlete for the Lions. She plays volleyball, basketball and track and field. But now that her high school career is about over, that doesn’t mean the end of her academic road. The senior has multiple academic scholarship offers to mull over.

Langley sat down recently to talk about her academic success, as well as Jalen Hurts, the Boaz-Sardis rivalry, playing basketball for her stepfather Josh Wallace and more in this week’s Timeout with The Times.

GT: Why do you wear No. 11?

ML: Really because of Josh. Since I was little, he just inspired me because that was his number.

GT: What is your favorite sport to play?

ML: It used to be volleyball, but I would say basketball now because this is my best year that I’ve had. I’ve had a really good year and I’ve really enjoyed it this year more than I have before.

GT: What’s it like playing for your stepfather?

ML: It’s fun, but sometimes I feel like I have more pressure on me because sometimes he is harder on me. But it’s really not any different.

GT: Did you have any academic goals this school year?

ML: Well I was trying really hard to be in the top 10 and I barely missed it. But I really do care about my grades a lot. I stress so much. I don’t like B’s (laughs). I just like to really do good.

GT: Is it tough having to balance both sports and school?

ML: I thought it would be hard playing and constantly being gone. But it’s really not that hard because school really does kind of come easy to me. So when I study, it doesn’t take me long to catch on to things for school.

GT: Where do you have academic scholarships from?

ML: I have scholarships from Mississippi (State), JSU, UAB and Alabama. I have to have (my decision made) pretty soon. I don’t know what I want to do (laughs).

GT: If you could have a sports or academic scholarship, which would you rather have?

ML: Honestly, I think I would rather have an academic. I wanted to play volleyball for a little while, but then this year it really hit me that I don’t think I would be able to do it in college. Even the Snead (State) players say that it’s really hard with school because it’s basically like having a job.

GT: Do you know what you want to major in?

ML: I really don’t know yet. I know I want to be in the medical field, but I’m not exactly sure. I’ve thought about pharmacy and PT, but I really have no idea.

GT: What makes you lean towards the medical field?

ML: Really my mom. That’s what she does and nothing else really interests me that much. Like I don’t really want to be a teacher or anything like that. And there are a lot of options in the medical field.

GT: If you had to play another sport, what would it be?

ML: Softball. I played the whole time I was growing up and I didn’t stop playing until going into my 10th grade year. Then I decided to do track. I’ve done really good at track so it’s really hard to say I’d give it up to go back to softball or not.

GT: What do you enjoy about track and field?

ML: I love high jump. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it because I really stress and work myself up over stuff. But I made it to state my first year and I’ve made it to state every year since. I love the disc and I’ve made it to state in that every year in that every year I’ve done it too.

GT: If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

ML: Probably something with music because I love music. But I can not do anything at all (laughs). I can’t play the piano. I can’t play the guitar, which I don’t have the patience to sit there and learn.

GT: When you have spare time, what are you most likely doing?

ML: Probably hanging out with my friends because most of my friends are already in college so I like to spend time with them when I do have time on the weekends. That’s my favorite thing really. We just normally go eat or go find stuff to do.

GT: If you could meet anyone, who would it be?

ML: Probably (Alabama transfer and Oklahoma quarterback) Jalen Hurts. I really just love him a lot. I love the way he is. He always puts God first no matter if things are going how he wants or not. He believes there is a reason for it all.

GT: What’s been your favorite high school sports moment?

ML: Probably volleyball when we were playing Boaz this year. They are in our area so we had to play best three of five, not two out of three. That was probably the best volleyball game I’ve ever had. I ended the match with a kill that nobody touched and everybody got so excited. It was just a really good feeling.

GT: Tell me about the Boaz-Sardis rivalry. What makes it so special?

ML: For as long as I can remember, like even when my mom was in high school, she said that was their biggest (rival). It’s weird because everybody likes each other. We are all friends. Then when it comes to sports, it doesn’t matter. We are not friends. We want to win. We want to beat each other. It’s just really fun because we all, especially during basketball, get so heated and go back-and-forth. But at the end of the game, we just all get along. So I really don’t know why it’s ever been like that.