Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Timeout with … Will Heath, senior, Arlington basketball
-
Known as a defensive stopper, Will Heath is a senior on the up-and-coming Arlington High School boys basketball team. The Eagles have a solid group of six seniors this year and expect to rise in the Wesco North ranks. Heath is a guard. For his senior project he's building a kayak from scratch, with help from his dad. His expenses were about $900 and he hopes to sell it for up to $3,000.
Scoring points is a thrill, but shutting down an opponent is what truly motivates Will Heath.
"I'm not one of the top scorers. Defense is definitely the best aspect of my game," said Heath, a second-year starter for Arlington.
With teammates such as Cole Carpenter and Tyler Busby leading the offense, Heath, a guard, makes a difference on the other end of the court. He cherishes his role.
"I'm probably one of the only few that likes defense," said Heath. "Rather than scoring, I like to get stops. It is just as important."
Heath, a Celtics fan who is building a kayak for his senior project, will try to help Arlington get off to a good start this season. The Eagles begin the season tonight versus Sultan in a non-conference game at Arlington High.
Coach's corner
Heath is a good leader who is well-respected by his peers, Arlington head boys basketball coach Nick Brown said. The guard is a quick, persistent defender, Brown added: "He's a defensive stopper for us. He is kind of my lockdown guy."
Be aggressive
Over the years, Heath has gotten better at driving to the hoop with confidence. Repetition was the key, he said: "Getting the ball to the rack is probably the thing I've improved on most since I was younger."
Together again
Arlington's group of six seniors started playing together about seven years ago. At Post Middle School they were dominant, going undefeated during their seventh- and eighth-grade seasons. After getting split up the past few years at various levels in the high school program, they're united again. "We're kind of meshing together better this year than we ever have," Heath said.
Wade and the Celts
Heath's favorite NBA player is Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who through Sunday was averaging 28.2 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game this season. Said Heath, "He's got a lot of heart. He goes hard and plays good defense." Nothing against Wade, but Heath's favorite team is the Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champs. "They're just dominating everyone. I definitely think they can win it again," Heath said.
Will it float?
For his senior project, Heath decided to build a kayak from scratch. He's not an outdoorsy person but wants to expand his interests. "I've always been the kind of guy to hang out inside. I kind of wanted to try something new," he said.
After starting with a $900 construction kit, Heath and his dad are on their way to constructing a 17-foot kayak that Heath hopes to sell for as much as $3,000. "So far it's been pretty successful," said Heath, who has put in 30 hours already. He estimates the project will take 70 to 100 hours altogether.
At the movies
Heath's favorite movie is "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), the first film in the epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. "I'm an action-packed kind of guy," said Heath, whose favorite character in the movie series is Gollum.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
"I'm not one of the top scorers. Defense is definitely the best aspect of my game," said Heath, a second-year starter for Arlington.
With teammates such as Cole Carpenter and Tyler Busby leading the offense, Heath, a guard, makes a difference on the other end of the court. He cherishes his role.
"I'm probably one of the only few that likes defense," said Heath. "Rather than scoring, I like to get stops. It is just as important."
Heath, a Celtics fan who is building a kayak for his senior project, will try to help Arlington get off to a good start this season. The Eagles begin the season tonight versus Sultan in a non-conference game at Arlington High.
Coach's corner
Heath is a good leader who is well-respected by his peers, Arlington head boys basketball coach Nick Brown said. The guard is a quick, persistent defender, Brown added: "He's a defensive stopper for us. He is kind of my lockdown guy."
Be aggressive
Over the years, Heath has gotten better at driving to the hoop with confidence. Repetition was the key, he said: "Getting the ball to the rack is probably the thing I've improved on most since I was younger."
Together again
Arlington's group of six seniors started playing together about seven years ago. At Post Middle School they were dominant, going undefeated during their seventh- and eighth-grade seasons. After getting split up the past few years at various levels in the high school program, they're united again. "We're kind of meshing together better this year than we ever have," Heath said.
Wade and the Celts
Heath's favorite NBA player is Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who through Sunday was averaging 28.2 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game this season. Said Heath, "He's got a lot of heart. He goes hard and plays good defense." Nothing against Wade, but Heath's favorite team is the Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champs. "They're just dominating everyone. I definitely think they can win it again," Heath said.
Will it float?
For his senior project, Heath decided to build a kayak from scratch. He's not an outdoorsy person but wants to expand his interests. "I've always been the kind of guy to hang out inside. I kind of wanted to try something new," he said.
After starting with a $900 construction kit, Heath and his dad are on their way to constructing a 17-foot kayak that Heath hopes to sell for as much as $3,000. "So far it's been pretty successful," said Heath, who has put in 30 hours already. He estimates the project will take 70 to 100 hours altogether.
At the movies
Heath's favorite movie is "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), the first film in the epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. "I'm an action-packed kind of guy," said Heath, whose favorite character in the movie series is Gollum.
Mike Cane, Herald Writer
Comments
(
