Observer-Reporter Athlete of the Week
Name: Alexa Williamson
School: Chartiers-Houston
Class: Junior
Sports: Basketball
Williamson’s week: A talented forward, Williamson was the driving force behind two Chartiers-Houston victories that led to the school’s first WPIAL girls basketball championship. She scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 53-39 victory over section rival Our Lady of Scared Heart in the Class AA semifinals – the Bucs’ third win of the season over the OLSH – and had another double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds in a 47-35 victory over Vincentian Academy in the Class AA championship game at Pitt’s Petersen Events Center.
Chartiers-Houston joined Immaculate Conception (1986) and Washington (1992) as the only WPIAL girls basketball champions from Washington County.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” the soft-spoken Williams said.
The injury: The WPIAL championship helped soften the blow of Williamson missing the postseason last year because of a knee injury. She suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament while playing in a holiday tournament at Farrell and underwent surgery Jan. 22 of last year, sitting out the Bucs’ postseason run to a seventh-place finish in the WPIAL and a spot in the state playoffs.
Though unable to play, Williamson remained with her team, attending each practice and game.
“That was hard not being out there,” Williamson admitted, “but I was there cheering them on, motivating them. I didn’t miss a thing.”
The road back: Williamson’s recovery period last eight months. It wasn’t until August that she was cleared to play in competitive basketball situations, meaning she missed all of the Bucs’ summer league games. She did, however, have plenty to work on. Williamson could participate in skill development, such as shooting and ball-handling. She also rehabilitated her knee and had workouts with Bucs coach Laura Montecalvo that were geared to improve her balance and agility.
No part of returning from knee surgery is easy, even for a gifted athlete such as Williamson. However, she said, winning a WPIAL championship made all the hard work worthwhile.
“I reminded her of that,” Montecalvo said. “I reminded her of all the times she stayed after team workouts and put in extra work. She willed herself to where she is now. It was ugly at times because her leg wasn’t working. Her balance was off. I know it was frustrating for her because the conditioning drills used to be a piece of cake for her.”
The season: Williamson regained full strength in her right knee and was ready to go by the start of the season. She scored her 1,000th career point in January, during a victory over Shenango. The Bucs are a rarity in that they have two 1,000-point scorers in their lineup: Williamson and guard Jala Walker.
Williamson has two triples doubles this year and averaged 22 points per game during the regular season. She led the Bucs to a 14-0 record and the Section 1-AA championship. Chartiers-Houston will take a 23-2 record and 17-game winning streak into the first round of the PIAA playoffs Friday when they play Cranberry at Peters Township High School.
Williamson’s game has developed, in large part, because she could only work on individual skills last summer – parts of her game that Montecalvo said might have been ignored had Williamson not been injured.
“It did a lot of good for parts of my game,” Williamson said. “I was able to expand my shooting. My range is now about 15 feet. I also think my driving to the basket has gotten better and I’ve improved my defense.”
The family: Williamson comes from an sports-oriented family. She has two brothers, Miles and Blake, who have played college football at the Division II level in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Miles Williamson is a wide receiver for IUP and Blake Williamson was a standout tight end on playoff teams at California.
The future: Williamson already was attracting interest from Division I schools prior to her knee injury, which has done nothing to prevent her from being considered among the top players in the WPIAL.
“I think her potential is just beginning to be tapped,” Montecalvo said. “There are parts of her game that have room for improvement. Defensively she has improved this year. Everyone looks at her as an offensive powerhouse but she also can be a force on defense.”
Compiled by Chris Dugan