Strong on defense
The Energizer Bunny analogies are a bit trite by now, certainly, but it’s difficult to find a better one for Riverside High School senior Felicia Clark, a 5-foot-10 bundle of energy who slows down when only she’s injured, and then just barely.
“Her only downfall,” said Rams basketball coach Dave Wood, “is that she never slows down. She’s got so much energy, it’s incredible. She’s only got one gear. And it’s the same way in practice as it is in games. Felicia’s on the floor, diving for balls, getting knocked down….
“I think that’s why she’s such a good defender,” Wood continued. “Sometimes I try to get her to wind it down a little offensively, but defense is the strength of her game. She held Pullman’s top scorer to 10 points in two games this season.”
Clark, a three-sport athlete at Riverside, pretty much confirms Wood’s assessment.
“Everybody tells me I need to slow down a little, but I’m learning that only reluctantly. Right now, my ankles are hurting, and I’ve got blisters, so I don’t have any choice.
“I think the reason I like defense so much is that I want to get the ball back. I can’t stand it when the other team scores.”
As solid as she is on the basketball court – Wood feels she’s athletic enough to play at the college level, if that became her focus – Clark’s favorite sport is probably soccer, she says. She’s a three-year letter-winner in that sport as well as basketball.
“She is without question our best athlete,” Wood said. “She can run and jump and has a great work ethic. On and off the court, she’s one of our leaders. She’s done some pretty incredible things for us. Her athleticism is exceptional, even without a lot of basketball experience.”
Clark’s also a 3.7 student, involved in National Honor Society and leadership activities at Riverside. She’ll most likely attend Eastern Washington University, although she has thought about starting at the community college level. That’s where Wood would like to see her – he believes she has the potential to develop into an offensive threat as well.
She’s run the 400 meters and relay events during the track season, but the team sports are where her heart lies.
She attended Deer Park High School briefly last spring and was excited to return to Riverside in the fall. After all, that’s been home since kindergarten, and she was welcomed back with open arms.
“I love being a student here,” she said. “The athletic program is awesome, but I love everything about the school. The teachers, the students, the coaches. … It was a wonderful feeling coming back.”
She’s stumped when asked about her individual strengths.
“I don’t really know what they are,” she said, “because I can’t do anything without my teammates.”