Claire Heitschmidt might be 6 feet tall, but playing in the post isn’t her specialty.
In fact, she prefers the term “big guard.”
“I’ve always been a guard,” the Prairie High School junior said.
Heitschmidt is Prairie’s tallest player, but the interior is where the Falcons need her most.
Heitschmidt’s versatility this season as a guard with post-like skills also made an impact in Tuesday’s 68-38 win over Kelso to remain unbeaten in the 3A Greater St. Helens League girls basketball standings.
Her 19 points, 13 rebounds and five assists led a balanced attack that featured three players scoring in double figures. Senior Meri Dunford poured in a game-hihg 26 points, and Dayna Vera added 10.
It’s part of a string of games where Heitschmidt has shined in various ways. Last week, she poured in a career-high 25 points in a nonleague loss at home to Miramonte of Orinda, Calif.
Heitschmidt saw limited action on Prairie’s Class 3A state championship team last year. In fact, senior Allison Corral is the team’s lone returning starter, but Heitschmidt knew her role on the floor would be a big change — and big impact — from the start of her junior season.
“Someone had to step up and be the big guard,” she said, “and that’s what I could do. That’s what i”m really trying to work on.”
She played a key role helping Prairie rebound from its 12-2 deficit to Kelso to end the first half on a 30-5 scoring run. The Falcons held Kelso to 24 points the rest of the way after trailing by 10 midway through the first quarter.
What makes Tuesday so special — making it a regular-season sweep of Kelso — isn’t how Prairie started, but rather, how it finished.
“The first time we played them, we didn’t play our best game,” Heitschmidt said.
With a win Friday at Fort Vancouver, Prairie can clinch another league title outright Monday against Mountain View.
