Thinking about past Prairie teams

[statewide]

If I had to pick the best teams I have seen it would be:

1995 even though they finished 3rd but the seniors were shooting for a threesome.
1999 winning back to back

and the most amazing team of all for me was the 2000 team which was going for another threepeat. The amazing part was that they had to replace the first seven off the bench from the 99 team. They lost in overtime to Kennewick thanks to a rebound that went back to the three point shooter and a brilliant spin move to tie it up and force overtime by that same shooter, Leilani Mitchell. She is probably the most clutch player I have seen in Washington and has had a nice career in the WNBA. Not bad for a girl who is 5'5" and 130 lbs.
This post was edited on 2/11 5:46 PM by statewide

 

[HockSports]

Very interesting thread, good stuff! Great 2000th post as well, I might add. Who's Mitchell playing for now?

 

[statewide]

She was playing for the NY Liberty. I don't really follow that league but i did see her play once last summer in a playoff loss. That spin move she did and the basket to tie the score sent Al into a rage directed at one particular player. Her parents now have nothing and I mean nothing to do with Prairie.


Brenda Pickup played such an incredible game she went from no offers to playing at Wyoming.
This post was edited on 2/11 6:53 PM by statewide

 

[HockSports]

Brenda Pickup was something, for sure! Her younger twin sisters played at Hockinson. Jennifer was on varsity her junior and senior year, played decent minutes. Jessica quit after her freshman year I believe. Jennifer was feisty and pretty good but not really good enough to play at the next level.

Are the Sitton girls done at Prairie or is there one more? I thought I remember there being a younger girl below Grant Sitton. Am I wrong there? They could use the Sitton family height at Prairie for sure!

 

[statewide]

I know that there was one Sitton girl who decided to concentrate on volleyball and left basketball after one year. I don't know if there are any younger Sittons waiting in the wings. The Sitton parents are really great ones.

 

[statewide]

During the 99 run, Prairie played Bellarmine Prep the first game of the tournament. Prairie was down 10 with about 6 minutes left in the game. Aldridge unleashed his swarming defense with Brenda Pickup being the key to several steals and a victory. It was an incredible performance by Brenda. She was like a hungry honey bee going from flower to flower picking off pollen. Sweet!

 

[HockSports]

Yeah, I think that was Jenna? Pretty sure.

Anyway, yeah, sounds like Brenda was just an animal. Would have loved to see her play!

 

[statewide]

I met Brenda at a party the Moldenhauer's had where most of the players were there. I talked to her a little about her prospects for playing in college. She was not too optimistic since she had had little interest so far. That all changed after the Finals when Wyoming came calling.

She was really something on defense and off the court a very sweet young lady.

 

[wasports]

Reading between the lines, the younger Pickups did not go to Prairie, even though the older sibling earned a scholarship as a result of being a Falcon?

 

[HockSports]

Yep. Hockinson wasn't open when Brenda was in school though. All the kids from Hockinson could choose between any area schools... most went to Columbia River, Prairie, Battle Ground, or Skyview.

Hockinson didn't see its first graduating class until 2006.

Now if you live in Hockinson you have to get a boundary exception to go elsewhere. Jennifer was the one more into sports but she just wasn't athletically comparable to Brenda at all. Not sure she would've really made varsity at Prairie.

 

[HockSports]

Jennifer wasn't a great scorer but actually I should say she was a pretty solid defender. And she was big (not tall)... she could get you those 50/50 balls.

I should also mention... even though she didn't give huge contributions to the team, she was part of Hockinson's first girls basketball team to go to the state tournament in 2009. They went 1-2 at the tournament.

 

[statewide]

I need to get out and see a few Hockinson games. I live so close to the school I could probably be there in less than five minutes.

I really thought that it would hurt Prairie more than it has when Hockinson opened. I was a Jostens sales rep at one time and I never forgot what a principal told me, that a high school between 500-700 is about the perfect size, big enough to offer everything and not so big kids get lost. Hockinson certainly fits the bill and has a great reputation.
This post was edited on 2/13 7:26 AM by statewide

 

[HockSports]

Hockinson's a good school. Their girl's program isn't as good since 2009 left, but all programs aside from Prairie have down years.. LOL

Got a pretty decent young sophomore post Kaitlyn MaGuire. No Prairie player, but she's 6'1 and pretty athletic. Her sister and two brothers played at Hockinson as well.