By Shaun Scott, Puyallup Tribal News
Pressure is a word synonymous with the sport of basketball.
Implying, escaping and handling pressure are keys to success for any high school hoops program. The Chief Leschi Warriors girls basketball team prides itself on dictating the pace of the game from baseline-to-baseline with its full-court press defense. The Warriors, who currently have a record of 7-9 at publication, are still alive in the playoff hunt.
“We’ve been pressing most of the year and we really try to speed teams up on the offensive end,” Warriors coach Jarrod Plummer said. “For the most part, our identity is we are trying to pressure you.”
The Warriors’ roster is balanced with speedy guards and a prolific presence in the paint, which wreaks havoc on opponents. Plummer said sophomore post player Sariah Walden is averaging around 16 points per game and is the Warriors’ leading rebounder.
“She has been hard to handle for anybody that we have played against, even if they got a post player,” Plummer said. “She didn’t get to play her freshman year because of a torn ACL, but she was at practice every day and learning as much as she could. She has been a huge help for us this year.”
The Warriors’ deep backcourt allows them to deploy their defensive strategy with relative ease. Marlee Rodarte (junior), Amya Roy (senior) and Cecilia Dillon (senior) form a terrific trio of guards. Plummer said Rodarte averages around 15 points per game. Plummer, who has coached the Warriors for the past eight seasons, is dedicated to seeing his players thrive on and off the court.
“Our goal for the season is to represent ourselves with pride, our community with pride and the name on the back of that jersey with pride. It’s all about building them to be leaders in whatever they choose to do in life versus just having a team goal of let’s just win,” Plummer explained. “Winning is a byproduct and if you do those other things, the winning will come.”
Dillon said Plummer is an inspiration to herself and her teammates.
“He pushes us to go forward and is always talking about growing. We know we just have to keep pushing to be where we want to be. It’s not always going to be easy. He pushes us to strive for greatness,” Dillon said. “We are putting in that effort and work ethic into it. We want it.”
While it’s common for high school coaches to say their team is a family, Plummer said that’s the reality for the Warriors girls basketball program.
“It’s not just a word we say, it’s what we do,” Plummer said. “We never say goodbye because they’re always part of our family. The door is always open we still have players come back. Mylina Pluff and Faith Hudson (Class of 2022) have been at 10 to 15 practices this year. Our assistant coach Jazmyne Sanchez was a player on my first team I coached eight years ago.”
The Warriors girls basketball team varsity roster consists of Rosalina Santos-Banuelos, Ella Yates, Xitlali Renteria, Amya Roy, Marlee Rodarte, Breezy Villiard, Cecilia Dillon, Makayla Nava-James, Linda Earl, Penelope Dillon, Ahnika Mckinney, Kailee Reynolds, Nevaeh Woodward and Sariah Walden.
