Leah Tate, Lake Stevens girls basketball

Published 10:03 am Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Having height certainly helps basketball players, but it’s not a necessity. At 5-foot-2, Leah Tate is more than a foot shorter than one of her Lake Stevens teammates. But the senior point guard still makes a big impact for the Vikings by running the offense, passing the ball to open teammates and playing tight defense.

Said Tate, who became a starter midway through the 2006-2007 season: “I try to be as quick as I can to make up for my height.”

Coach’s corner

The energetic Tate inspires young players by not backing down from bigger, taller opponents, Lake Stevens girls basketball coach Randall Edens said. “She is one of those (players) that’s an example on the floor. She’s going hard and 9,000 miles per hour all the time,” Edens said.

Pleased to pass

As a point guard, Tate enjoys setting up scoring opportunities for teammates.

“I just like passing. It’s my favorite part of the game. I like getting it into (posts) Brittany (Tri) and Karri (Gallagher). They make a good target so it’s pretty easy to do that,” Tate said.

But what about shooting?

“I’m not much of a shooter,” Tate said, “but if I have an open shot I’ll take it.”

Fabulous fill-in

Tate was a backup last year until then-senior Brittany Aanstad suffered a season-ending concussion. Tate stepped in and helped lead Lake Stevens to a 9-1 record in her first 10 games as a starter. The Vikings went on to make their second consecutive appearance in the Class 4A state tournament.

“She saved our season,” Edens said. “The girls had confidence in her from Day 1.”

“It was kind of nerveracking,” Tate said of becoming a starter, “but the team just made it real easy for me to get into it. It gave me some confidence (and) now I’m warmed up because I know what it’s like.”

Key contributions

A member of her school’s Key Club, Tate said she enjoys doing community-service projects. She likes donating food to families in need through the adopt-a-family program.

Carey in Canada

Mariah Carey is Tate’s favorite singer. Tate once took a road trip with teammate Mary Ochiltree to Vancouver, British Columbia., to see a Carey concert. They had front-row tickets that Ochiltree won in a contest.

“It was so much fun,” said Tate, who said her favorite Carey song is “Make It Happen.”

By Mike Cane, Herald Writer