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.”