All-Region girls basketball: Cherita Daugherty

FIRST TEAM

Jossilyn Blackman, sr., Battle Ground

Alyssa Blankenship, jr., Washougal

Ashlee Comastro, soph., Skyview

Nikki Corbett, sr., Camas

Katie Whitten, sr., La Center

SECOND TEAM

Hannahjoy Adams, sr., Skyview

Lindsay Asplund, sr., Prairie

Megan Bloom, sr., Col. River

Jessica Flanagan, jr., Woodland

Hailey Hartney, jr., Mountain View

Brenna Khaw, sr., Camas

Cherita Daugherty got her first real taste of basketball in the fifth grade.

Her life changed.

“I just loved it. I could never get enough of basketball,” Daugherty said. “I could never see myself getting burned out from basketball. I love it so much. I could do it all year round, every day.

“Some people love candy. I love basketball.”

It shows on the court.

Daugherty, now a junior at Prairie High School, did so much of everything for the Falcons this season. A guard, she led the team in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals and also was first in, what? Blocked shots? Yes.

The Falcons won another league title, another district crown, and for the first time since 2012, the Falcons returned to the Tacoma Dome, reaching the Class 3A state quarterfinals.

For her performance, Daugherty is The Columbian’s All-Region girls basketball player of the year.

Every basketball player likes to score. Those who pass well get a thrill whenever there is that awe-inspiring assist. Daugherty said she is most proud of her rebounding this season.

“Guards aren’t known for boards,” she said. “I think it’s because I can jump so high. Plus, our posts block everyone out, which clears everything up.”

Daugherty is big on crediting her teammates, for their physical work as well as their ability to get Daugherty to relax. Daugherty is not shy about her emotions.

“I get super mad on the court, but I only get mad at myself,” she said. “I don’t like to mess up.”

She said all of her teammates, particularly Lindsay Asplund and Natalie Whitesel, have a way of reaching her when she is about to go into dark mode. They tell her it’s going to be alright. They tell her they need her to focus on the next play, not the last. Without that, Daugherty said, she would be a wreck out there on the court.

Often, though, she turned into a good kind of wreck, like a wrecking ball.

A coach on the Prairie staff described Daugherty as going into Beast Mode, a la Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks. When Daugherty takes that anger and focuses on making plays, and not worrying about past mistakes, then the other team is about to get run over by a player who refuses to accept defeat.

There’s a rebound. There’s a 3-pointer. There’s a blocked shot. Cherita time.

None of that matters, Daugherty said, without all the Falcons.

Her favorite memories from this season have nothing to do with any particular game or victory.

“Going on team trips,” she said. “It’s so much fun getting away from everything, with the girls. I don’t know what it is, but I know the girls love it, too.”

The basketball tournament in California also turned around the season for the Falcons. Prairie opened the season 3-4, and had three consecutive losses before heading south.

“We went to California and started playing together,” Daugherty said. “We were sharing the ball. We were making the extra pass and creating things. People told us, ‘Once you got back from California, you looked like a different team.’ That kind of carried on from there. That’s what got us here.”

Starting in California, Prairie would win 15 of its next 16 games, clinching a spot in the state regional round — the round of 16. That’s the same spot Prairie lost the past two seasons. Not this year. The Falcons held of Juanita to make it to the final eight.

“I saw everyone running on the court. We’re actually going,” Daugherty recalled. “I was kind of in shock, but not really. It was an oh-my-gosh moment.”

The Falcons went 0-2 in Tacoma, but they made some memories. The smallest team there — Emily Peters at 5-foot-10 was the tallest player on the team — attempted 45 3-pointers in one game.

“We’re going to be even smaller next year. It’s just going to have to take a lot of hard work,” Daugherty said.

She’s willing to work. Every day, if necessary.

This is basketball. Sweeter than candy for Cherita Daugherty.