Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week: Tisha Gray
Barry Faulkner
When it comes to physical play, there is clearly no gray area for
emerging Estancia High girls basketball standout Tisha Gray.
Having already mastered the skill of blocking, in two years of Pop
Warner football as a seventh- and eighth-grader, the 5-foot-9, 160-pound
Gray has no qualms about blocking out for rebounds. In fact, she relishes
all on-court collisions.
“I love contact,” said Gray, whose formidable physical presence has
made her the most effective rebounder in the Newport-Mesa District.
But she is hardly without finesse. Having worked to add an effective
outside shot to her numerous post moves, the versatile junior is leading
the Eagles in scoring, averaging 13.8 points per game.
Along with teammates Xochitl Byfield and Trisha Wase, Gray has helped
Estancia open the Pacific Coast League season with three straight wins.
In PCL victories over Northwood (Jan. 8) and Corona del Mar (Jan. 10),
Gray combined for 36 points, 17 rebounds and eight steals, leading to
Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week honors.
“She has stepped it up this year,” Estancia Coach Paul Kirby said of
Gray, who averaged six points in her first varsity season last year. “She
gives us an inside presence we didn’t have last year. She can shoot from
outside, she can post up, she can rebound and she anticipates well on
defense. She’s also a captain this year.”
Gray said the seeds to her stalwart season came from a disappointing
end to her sophomore campaign. Having failed to meet academic
requirements, she missed the Eagles’ two CIF Southern Section III-AA
playoff games, which, Kirby said, contributed to a second-round
departure.
“She grew up a lot,” Kirby said.
“I’ve been working on my grades,” Gray said. “If you don’t get good
grades, you can’t play.”
Gray can clearly play.
“She’s been our most consistent scorer (16 of 19 games in double
figures) and she has to be averaging double-figure rebounds (official
statistics are not kept),” Kirby said.
Though she is happy to contribute offensively, and as the last line of
defense in the Eagles’ full-court press, Gray said rebounding may be the
aspect of the game she enjoys most.
“Rebounding is fun,” she said. “There’s a lot more contact down there.
I’m stronger than a lot of girls and, even though I’m smaller, I’m not
afraid of anyone’s hype.”
While Gray is enjoying both her individual and team success, she said
one true athletic passion remains unfulfilled.
“I’d like to play football,” she said. “I played two years of tackle
football in Anaheim and I still play a little with my older brother.”
Gray said she played tight end and wide receiver and scored seven
touchdowns during her two seasons with the Anaheim Wolverines (first in
the Junior Midget, then Midget divisions).
Asked about her personal football highlight, however, her reply had
nothing to do with carrying the ball.
“I was blocking for one of our guys who had the ball and a guy was
coming up to tackle him,” Gray recalled. “I knocked (the would-be
tackler) down and he started crying to his coach. The best part about
football for me, is beating guys.”
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