EVERY FRESHMAN HEADING INTO THEIR FIRST VARSITY SEASON HAS LOFT Y GOALS.
For Zachara Perkins, one of those was to make the TAPPS All-State team at season's end. The St. Pius X freshman not only did that – after averaging 19.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game – but she was named first-team, all-state.
"I was surprised," Perkins said. "It was surprising because not a lot of people do that as a freshman."
Being good at basketball runs in the family for Perkins.
Her mother, DeMya Walker Wheatfall, who is the St. Pius X girl's basketball coach, played in the WNBA for 14 years, including winning a WNBA Championship in 2005 with the Sacramento Monarchs.
"It's a very vivid memory I have of traveling around and watching her play," Perkins said. "Meeting new people all of the time. Not only in her WNBA years but also when she played overseas. She was a role model for me."
Making first-team, all-state as a freshman does bring with it some pressure.
Now, the freshman wants to do it every single year of her high school career but her biggest goal of all is just to make mom proud.
"For the first six years of my life, it was pretty much just me and her," Perkins said. "She supports me and she's always there for me. Watching her play and how determined she was kind of gave me that determination. I want to be better than her, I want her to be really proud of me at the end."