Brains and Basketball: The Life of Ben Biber
Just ask anyone; Potomac Falls junior guard Ben Biber is one player and student who can't be missed. That's what his coach learned when he first watched him play, when Biber was a seventh grader.
"I knew right then that he had special instincts that you can't coach," says Potomac Falls varsity basketball coach Jeff Hawes. "Ben is an all-around good person and a good player. These qualities have a positive effect on everyone on the team."
The 6-foot Biber often leads Potomac Falls in scoring and midway through the season averaged 12.4 points per game.
However, one thing that sets Biber, a point guard, apart from all the other players in the Dulles District is his natural leadership abilities.
"During the games, Ben knows what to say at the right time and how to keep everybody calm in pressure situations,'' senior teammate Matt Lause says. ''Off the court, Ben is a cool guy who is easy to talk to.''
Biber is not just a valuable basketball player. He's also a hard-working student. With a 3.84 GPA, saying that Ben gets "good" grades is an understatement. For Biber, he can juggle school, sports and extracurricular activities and excel in each.
Biber stays busy. He's a member of the Varsity Club, a homeroom representative, a member of the National Honors Society, plays the trombone in the PFHS band, is a Boy Scout, and participates in church activities. In the spring, Biber is the starting forward on the varsity soccer team.
But basketball gets attention in the winter and at other times. He prepared for the season by attending two basketball camps in the summer and completed athletic training throughout the fall.
Rick Shangraw, Biber's Boy Scout Leader since first grade says Biber advanced through all the levels of scouting and is close to completing the requirements to become an Eagle Scout.
"I most admire Ben's passion for sports. I also respect his maturity and general love for life," says Shangraw. "In general, Ben lives all of the values promoted in scouting and he is a great role model."
Biber's athleticism shines through in scouting as well. "The thing that sets Ben apart from many of the other scouts is his true love for the outdoors,'' Shangraw says. ''He really enjoys backpacking, canoeing, rock climbing, and other high adventure outdoor activity."
Says Biber, "Scouting teaches you to be a leader not only in basketball, but in life itself. It shows you to be yourself and to always make the right decision, and to be positive.''
Biber started playing basketball at a young age. "He's always had a passion for the game since he was really young," says Biber's mother, Bettyann.
He received his first basketball at age 5 and started playing organized ball in the third grade.
"I liked the way it was played and how it's fast paced and takes a lot of physical abilities to do it,'' he says. ''And it looked like fun! When I play now, I love winning, for one thing, but besides that I like running the fast break and playing good defense. I like all of it and being out on the court running around!"
As a freshman, Biber played on the junior varsity, though he dressed for a varsity game at season's end. The following year, Biber started on the varsity, displaying and showed that he had a natural ability to lead. Leadership comes in the job description of point guard, but Biber doesn't have to try.
"He's not a follower, he's content doing his own thing. As a point guard, he has been a leader on the court since he was younger and had the ability to lead the team, which is an important quality to have," says his mom.
The Panthers finished first in the district last season and won the district tournament as well. They advanced to the regional semi-finals and faced Robert E. Lee, who had been undefeated for the past two years.
With only a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Panthers trailed by three points and the fans were going crazy. Biber and his parents remember this time as being one of the best moments in his career. He says he played the best he ever had against a well-known point guard from the opposing team.
The Panthers ended up losing, but walked away proud.
"We only lost by six, but to know that that team blew everyone else away by over 20 points felt pretty good," says Biber. "I wasn't too excited because we lost, but it means a lot that we played so well and worked together so well as a team."
Biber has dreamed of attending Duke.
"I've always wanted to go there. I work hard in school and I just never give up,'' he says. ''I always try my best because you never know what can happen."
He even had the pleasure of meeting the entire 2002 National Championship basketball team and Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
He'd like to play basketball in college. But that's a long-term goal. For now he's focused on this season and enjoying the tight bond of his teammates.
"The team is an extension of your family, they'll always be there for you if you need anything and that's really important to have," says Biber. "I know I can call any one of them up and they'll be there to listen to me and give their advice."
Returning seniors Lause, Darien Almond, Ryan Eastridge, and Nick Gammie have played on the same team as Biber since his freshman year, so they have had plenty of time to get to know each other and their playing styles.
When asked what he admired most about the team, Hawes says, "We have very hard workers and we are very close knit both on and off the court."
Even though he's only a junior, there's no doubt about it -- Biber will be a player to be remembered at Potomac Falls. Hawes says "We hope that Ben continues to improve and will graduate as one of the best all-around players in our program's history." And that's saying quite a lot.
