Girls basketbal preview: Camas senior Williams loves this game

It took time for basketball to find its way to Melissa Williams’ heart.

She had other plans, at first, other passions.

“When I was younger, I wanted to become a professional soccer player,” Williams said. “When I was younger, I actually hated basketball.”

Really?

“I played three years up on my sister’s team. I was not as good as the rest of the girls. I was always the little short one who got picked on by others,” she said.

That was a long, long time ago.

Today, Melissa Williams of Camas is no longer short, and she is no longer getting picked on while on the court.

In November, she signed a letter of intent to play college basketball at Eastern Washington University.

Through the years, she found that she and this game are a perfect match.

“It’s all I do. It’s definitely my passion, my love. It’s what I feel the most comfortable and the most confident,” she said after last season, when she was named The Columbian’s All-Region girls basketball player of the year. “It means everything to me.”

Now, as she embarks on her senior season, Williams is looking forward to this campaign as well as her future with basketball.

Williams stands just barely under 6 feet tall, but her shoes give her the edge to be called a 6-footer on the court. Yet, she looks much taller, with her long arms that appear designed for rebounding and for creating chaos on defense. Passing over or around Williams should be done with caution.

Players to watch

Nikki Bond, jr., Battle Ground

Shamerica Scott, sr., Evergreen

Heather Corral, jr., Prairie

Emily Smith, jr., Woodland

Angela Gelhar, sr., Prairie

Katie Swanson, jr., Skyview

Lauren Goecke, sr., Prairie

Maddie Van Liew, jr., Skyview

Justine Joudrey, sr., Evergreen

Melissa Williams, sr., Camas

Leagues at a glance

4A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE: “I think we’re going to be pretty good. We should be good.” The words of Evergreen coach Jay Foreman. The Plainsmen finished second last season but then won the district title. They return All-Region athlete Justine Joudrey, who recently signed with Idaho State, and Shamerica Scott is expected to return soon from an injury. Evergreen seems to be everyone’s pick as the favorite. … Skyview, the defending league champion, welcomes a new coach, Jennifer Buscher, along with some new talent to go with a solid returning group. … At least one coach would not be surprised to see Battle Ground near the top of the standings, with Haley Grossman starting strong this season and the addition of former All-Region player Nikki Bond. … Heritage lost seven of nine players to graduation, but expectations still remain high. … Union is the newcomer to the league, the wild card. The Titans lost eight to graduation from last year’s squad.

3A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE: Prairie’s back. Actually, Prairie never really went anywhere. Despite a loss in the district title game last year, the Falcons still were the only girls team among the 4A, 3A, 2A, and 1A Clark County squads to make it to state. Well, this year, they are on a mission to return to state and earn a trophy. Seniors Angela Gelhar and Lauren Goecke have taken over the leadership roles, and junior Heather Corral is returning from a major knee injury and looks ready to dominate. … Camas has a new coach, Chuck Knight, who hopes to get the Papermakers over the hurdle this season and into the state tournament. Melissa Williams, who has signed with Eastern Washington, will lead the attack. … Mountain View’s defense, according to another coach, is solid and will keep the Thunder in a lot of games … Columbia River is looking to fill the void left by three graduates who made the all-league team last season. … Hudson’s Bay hopes to use a deep lineup to surprise some teams. … The Fort Vancouver Trappers believe they will be much improved, as well. … Kelso returns to the 3A ranks. The Hilanders finished third in the 4A GSHL last year.

2A GREATER ST. HELENS LEAGUE: No team from this league advanced to state last season. Woodland was a game out of the big dance and hopes to make the leap this season. The Beavers only had two seniors last season. The Beavers started out 3-0 this season. … Washougal and Hockinson have each started with a few wins, as well. Hockinson is young, but does have six returners from last season. … Mark Morris returns four starters and there is a coach in the league who thinks that team could make a run.

1A TRICO LEAGUE: Toledo is the new team in the Trico League. Toledo made it to 1A state last season, while none of the other teams from the Trico advanced that far. … La Center won the league title last season but has struggled to open this season … Ridgefield, always a quality program, is now a 1A team. The Spudders finished second in the 2A GSHL last season.

B COLUMBIA VALLEY LEAGUE: King’s Way made it to Class 1B state tournament. … Vancouver Christian, with several quality players returning, hopes to reach double-figures in wins for the first time in school history.

She can handle the ball well enough to be considered a point-forward, and she has the mental well-being to have a strong game even if her shot is not falling.

“There’s just something about basketball,” she said. “Even if I’m having a bad (scoring) game, I know I can still give my all and leave everything on the court and be everything I can.”

The notion that basketball could be her ticket to college took hold after her freshman year. She started training with current Evergreen coach Jay Foreman. She played for longtime Prairie coach Al Aldridge’s summer program. And then the first contact came from a college, a letter in the mail.

“That was real exciting. That’s when it really started kicking off for me that it could pay off,” Williams said.

She still had not kicked soccer out of her system, though. She played her sophomore year for the Papermakers.

“I had fun, but after that year, I gave everything up for basketball,” Williams said. “I don’t regret it at all.”

Williams and her teammates became the talk of Clark County girls basketball last February when they beat Prairie in the district championship game, ending Prairie’s 10-year unbeaten string against Southwest Washington opponents. But even with being known as the team that beat The Streak, the Papermakers did not achieve what they set out to do.

“We want to go to state. That’s been our goal since freshman year,” Williams said. “We were so close last year. We had two chances, and that’s what kills me. But there’s no reason we can’t do it this year.”

That task got tougher, though. Camas suffered a terrible blow when Katelyn Henson, another top-quality player, went down with a torn knee ligament earlier this school year. She is lost for the season. Coincidently, Henson’s injury came just hours after Williams spoke to her teammates about ACL tear prevention, Williams’ senior project.

“I had just got done saying we need everyone because we’re going to state,” Williams said.

While Henson cannot help on the court, she is doing her part to assist in other areas. Henson is another set of eyes, almost like an assistant coach now. She is a motivator, too. She taped a picture of the Tacoma Dome in the locker, to remind the team of the ultimate destination this season.

“She’s here at every practice,” Williams said. “She never leaves.”

This season, Williams said, is for Henson.

“Every time I step on the court, I’m going to try my hardest and do everything I can because she can’t,” Williams said. “That’s not fair.”

The beauty in Williams’ game is she can do so many things. Even on a tough shooting night, such as this season’s opener when she finished with eight points, she still grabbed 13 rebounds and had several steals. She understands that scoring is just one aspect of the game.

“No one expects the defense to ever get the ball. You scrap for it as hard as you can,” Williams explained. “When you get it, it’s the ultimate. Defense is more fun than offense. It’s just you against your man.”

Williams also is doing more than leading by example this year.

“Some people say this is my team. I kind of disagree. This is our team,” she said. “But as a senior, I always make sure to help the underclassmen, or get on someone’s case if need be. I’m a lot more vocal this year, I’ve noticed that. I feel like I have to let it be known how we are going to be playing. Energy is something no one can take away from us, even if we’re losing.”

That is an attitude a coach can appreciate.

Williams expects to have the same attitude with the Eagles. She said she fell in love with the Eastern Washington campus. And her teammates. And in case you did not know by now, her teammates are important.

Williams has excelled individually in the sport, enough to earn that Division I scholarship. However, she said she thrives because of her teammates. As athletic as she is, she said she would not be motivated enough to perform to the best of her ability in an individual sport.

“I love that it’s a team sport,” Williams said. “I don’t think I’d do well in a one-person sport. I love having teammates who pump you up, and I can pump up. You rely on each other. My teammates are a big reason why I love basketball.”

Melissa Williams has gone a long way from hating the game.