By Mike Drake
Peninsula Pirates guard Jalon McCullough was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. He spent his entire life there until he moved to Port Angeles to attend Peninsula College on an athletic scholarship. “This is the first time I’ve been away from my home. This is the furthest I’ve lived away from my family,” said McCullough.
McCullough gave credit to his small town upbringing, “Growing up in a small town helped me be academically successful because the teacher to student ratio is smaller than in a big city”. He attended Monroe Catholic High School in Fairbanks, and his graduating class had a total of 47 students.
During McCullough’s high school years, he averaged 17 points and 4 assists per game. He made 70 percent of his attempted field goals and 70 percent of his free throws.
McCullough spoke about playing for the Pirates, “The thing with most junior colleges is that a lot of guys get thrown on the court, but the team that works the hardest and comes together as a team can figure any situation out. That’s what we do here.”
McCullough currently holds a 3.4 GPA. He said, “Here at P.C., it’s easy to stay on top of your grades due to the amount of support and resources that are available.”
McCullough outlined his prospects for the future, “My goal is to play at a university. I just have to keep working hard and believe in my teammates and my family. I wouldn’t mind playing at the University of Fairbanks Alaska. UAF is a top notch team in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.”
McCullough is in his sophomore year at Peninsula College so this will be his final season with the Pirates. He decided to wear a red shirt during his first season in hopes of playing for three years at the university level.
According to www.ncaa.org, academic redshirts may practice in the initial term and receive athletics aid during the initial year of full-time collegiate enrollment but may not compete in their first year of full-time collegiate enrollment.