Hannah Walls, a senior at Valley Christian Academy, is the rare point guard in basketball who is also the team’s tallest player.
At 5 feet 9 inches tall, Walls runs the Lions’ offense in addition to leading the team in rebounding. The decision to be a point guard wasn’t hers, but Walls has embraced the role after getting used to the position’s added responsibility.
“At first I didn’t like it; it’s a ton of pressure,” the four-year varsity player told the Sun. “Now, I’m more comfortable with it. My teammates are really supportive of me.”
Walls seems more than comfortable in her senior season at Valley Christian Academy. Walls is averaging a double-double, posting 12.5 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists per game, to go along with four steals and four blocks.
“Hannah is one of the hardest working players I’ve ever coached,” said Randy Stanford, coach of the Lions’ basketball team. “She could probably score a lot more points per game, but she’d rather get her teammates involved.”
More impressive than Walls’ stat-line is the fact that her team is undefeated with her on the floor. The Lions were victorious in all six games Walls played in, and lost in the five games Walls missed because of injuries, as of January.
“That tells you what she brings to the floor,” Stanford said.
“That was one of the hardest things,” Walls said of sitting out games. “I was there to watch it, and I wanted to be out there to help my teammates, but I couldn’t.”
Walls’ four years of varsity basketball experience has helped prepare her for this year’s senior campaign, Stanford said. He noted the calming presence she brings to the team.
“She’s a settling influence on the floor, almost like another coach out there,” Stanford said. “When things get tense during the game, she can get kids calmed down, and we save a time out.”
From a skills perspective, stepping into a point guard role brought about growth that helped Walls become a more well-rounded basketball player.
“Her ball handling has just become amazing,” Stanford said. “She sees the floor really well. She’s much more confident as a player.”
Walls said she hopes her season can end with a CIF championship. The Lions were bumped out of the first round last season.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” she said. “I think our teamwork this year, our mesh together, I think that’s going to be crucial. It’s going to help us out a lot in the playoffs this year.”
Contributor Peter Johnson can be reached at pjohnson@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jan 21-28, 2016.