Wilkinson named Player of the Year
The priority for opposing teams when they played Red Hook High was to stop Jessica Wilkinson.
But, as the expression goes: “You can’t stop her. You can only hope to contain her.”
The senior guard averaged 22.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 2.6 assists per game as she helped guide the Raiders to a 19-4 record, their first Mid-Hudson Athletic League championship in 10 years and a spot in the Section 9, Class A finals. Wilkinson, who hit 35 3-pointers, could score from all over the court.
“I think it was a really good season and I’m happy with the way it went,” said the Freeman Player of the Year.
“We had a bunch of new girls on the team, so I didn’t really know what to expect from this season,” Wilkinson said. “When we started to practice and get into
some of the games, I realized just how good we were. I knew if we kept practicing hard, then it would be a really good season.”
Wilkinson took on a leadership role on a young squad that featured seven sophomores.
“I was excited to take on that role, because senior year I wanted to make it be a good season,” she said. “I wanted to win games and beat teams that I haven’t been able to beat in past years.
“I just wanted to make sure that we had a dedicated team, we were committed and that we would go out and work hard, which we did.”
The high point was winning the MHAL.
“Ten years. That’s a long time,” she remarked. “I think the only time I’ve ever been in that MHAL tournament was in eighth grade, so being a senior and being able to have that opportunity I was excited and I just really wanted to win.”
Red Hook battled Cornwall in a back-and-forth Class A final that the Dragons pulled out.
“We fell short in the end, but we should be proud of how we played,” she said.
Wilkinson worked to hone her game during the offseason, especially her shot and dribble drive.
“I was playing AAU up until the season started, so I had a lot of time to improve my game from last year and work on some things like defense and my
offense, too,” she said. “It was my senior year, so I wanted to go in strong.
“I tried to focus a lot on driving to the basket and try to find new moves,” she noted. “Personally, I think I am a better driver. I like taking shots from outside, but I feel like this season driving to the basket was a lot easier for me.”
Wilkinson had gotten use to foes throwing gimmick defenses on her, especially after a junior season that had her scoring 25 points a game.
“My coach (Andrew Makebish) told me, ‘They’re going to target you, doubleup on you,’’ she explained, “but I didn’t want that to affect my game. It was definitely helpful that he made plays for me that created opportunities for me to get open.
“Some of the plays had screens or staggered screens, so it was easier to get open and I think they worked pretty well.”
She topped 30 points three times during the season, including 37 in a 67-65 win over Marlboro.
Wilkinson started playing at age six, influenced by her aunt, Lisa Moray, a star guard at Roy C. Ketcham High and then at Sacred Heart University. She died in 2008.
“When I was younger, I would always go see my aunt play in college and that kind of inspired me,” Wilkinson said. “She was definitely a big influence. Seeing her play, I wanted to be able to do the same thing.
“I learned a lot from watching her play, so I was glad that I was able to follow like her.”
She joined the Raider varsity as an eighth-grader.
“I was a little shy when I was playing, a little timid. I didn’t see the floor that much and, when I got in the game, I didn’t want to mess up and make the wrong move,” she admitted. “Now, I feel more confident.
“I feel like I’ve grown a lot from eighth grade and I’ve learned a lot from the coaches that I’ve had.”
She joined older sister Julianne on the 1,000-point list last year and she went over 1,500 this season.
“It was such a proud moment. Seeing my sister do it, I wanted to have that moment myself,” said Wilkinson, who finished her career as Red Hook’s all-time leading scorer with 1,697 points. She surpassed Diesa Seidel as the top Raider scorer.
“It was definitely a great feeling,” she said. “I was just happy I was able to do it. It’s about all the the time and work that I’ve put into it. It just feels so pretty good and I’m proud I was able to do that.”
Wilkinson hasn’t chosen a college yet.
“I got it narrowed down. just waiting on that decision now,” she said. “I would definitely love to continue my career playing in college. When I started AAU I knew that I wanted to work hard, so that I can get the opportunity to continue to play after high school.”