There’s a lot of red and black in the Heard home.
It’s on a variety of T-shirts, posters and other mementos from when four of the Heard children played sports at Snohomish High School.
But new hues are filtering in: Navy blue, white and silver practice gear is becoming more common.
They are the colors of Glacier Peak High School, which opens its doors this fall, making Snohomish a two-high-school town.
Seemingly caught in the middle is Marjorie Heard, a sophomore at Snohomish High who will attend Glacier Peak next school year because her family lives within the boundaries of the new school.
It’s a major break in tradition. Heard’s older sisters — Jenny Heard, Stephanie Heard and Ellie Heard — competed in varsity sports at Snohomish and graduated from there between 2005 and 2007.
A different path was difficult to accept at first, said Marjorie Heard, a key player on the Snohomish varsity girls basketball team the past two seasons. She and her brother Marcus Heard, who will be a freshman at Glacier Peak next school year, were initially torn up about not getting to follow in their sisters’ footsteps, Marjorie said.
But eventually Marjorie saw more than a potentially awkward transition to Glacier Peak, which won’t have seniors its first year.
She saw opportunity.
Marjorie, a 6-foot-1 forward, is the only girl with varsity basketball experience expected to play for Glacier Peak in its inaugural season. She’s used to a high level of competition, having averaged 5.2 points as a freshman and 7.8 as a sophomore in addition to about five rebounds both seasons for Snohomish teams that twice placed seventh at the Class 4A state tournament.
However, providing leadership will be a new challenge. She’ll be counted on to spearhead a group of girls who haven’t played much together.
“It’s going to be a huge change, but I’m looking forward to it,” Marjorie said.
Ellie Heard, Marjorie’s sister who graduated from Snohomish in 2007 after playing basketball and volleyball, said her sister will flourish with the extra responsibility.
“Marjie is a natural at that. She is happy to take that role on and I don’t think there’s any better person for it really,” Ellie Heard said.
Glacier Peak’s girls basketball team practiced for the first time ever May 27. Grizzlies head girls basketball coach Brian Hill said Marjorie quickly made an impact on teammates.
“She’s definitely the leader of our group. Everyone’s always looking to her for that leadership role,” said Hill, who was an assistant to Snohomish High varsity coach Ken Roberts the past three seasons.
Hill said Glacier Peak’s first girls hoops team will include players from five 2007-2008 squads: the varsity, junior varsity, sophomore and freshman teams, and eighth-graders from Valley View Middle School.
Marjorie Heard’s intensity and enthusiasm will motivate the others, Hill said: “She’s going to be a huge role model for all of them.”
Athletics isn’t the only area where Marjorie will have influence. She was elected to be Glacier Peak’s first Associated Student Body vice president and is eager to help shape traditions.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “I love being involved with everyone.”
One of the most difficult things about leaving Snohomish High is no longer getting to play with girls Marjorie grew close to the past few years, she said. The Panthers’ final game this past season — a 52-44 loss to Ballard March 1 at the 4A state tourney in Tacoma — was unusually emotional, she said.
But now she’s focused on helping Glacier Peak, a 3A school that will compete in the Western Conference South Division, become a winner.
The Grizzlies recently faced their first tests. From May 30 through June 1 they went 1-4 in the Snohomish Summer Tournament, which featured local teams Snohomish (the tourney winner), Lake Stevens and Kamiak as well as Lewis and Clark, Moses Lake and Bellarmine Prep.
Heard scored 31 points in Glacier Peak’s final game, a one-point overtime loss to Kamiak. Throughout the tourney she stayed positive, Hill said.
“She understands that this is going to be a growing process,” he said, “and things are going to take a little bit of time.”
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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