Alexa Willard hates being sad.
"I hate sad," said the Stoutland senior.
On the basketball court, she hasn't had much reason to be.
Willard helped lead Stoutland to 12 wins in their first 13 games and along the way scored the 2,000th point of her career and set the Stoutland single-game scoring record with a 50-point performance.
"She's an amazing player," said head coach Jacky Payne. "If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be 'amazing.'"
Something else "amazing" is the 6'1" Willard's versatility.
"She can play all five positions," Payne said. "We've played her a lot more at point guard this year, even though she's about 6'1"."
Point guard? That means usually the opposing team's post player has to pick up Willard near half court, not back in the comfort of the low block.
"I think, 'Game on,'" Willard said.
But the handles aren't a surprise when you look at Alexa's basketball history. Her brother and sister both played the position.
"When my dad was teaching my brother when he was older, he was also teaching me," Willard said. "I just got it as I was growing up."
No matter what positions she happens to be occupying at any given moment, Willard–who self-identifies as a shooting guard–is always thinking of her teammates.
"I want to be able to make sure by the end of the game, if everybody can have points, I want everybody to have points," she said. "I just want everybody to feel like they're a part of the team."
It's that unselfish attitude that led Willard to college, where she'll play for Kellie Harper and the Lady Bears, spurning Arkansas, Missouri and others.
"I've always looked up to Jackie Stiles," she said, of the Lady Bear great. "When they started talking to me, I was like, 'I can do this.'"
Willard has grown up in Stoutland, so staying in the neighborhood was important.
"It's just a family environment," she said of the Lady Bears. "They're close to home. My dad can come to all my games, my mom can. They're both a really big part of my life."
Payne thinks she'll make a quick impact.
"I think they can use her at a lot of different positions," he said. "She's very versatile. She is so smart and
basketball savvy she can pick up things."
That savvy and versatility makes Alexa Willard our Ozone Athlete of the Week.
