‘T’ TIME AT PARKWAY
Sophomore Peterson’s game grows with young team
Tamerah Peterson is the scoring and floor leader for Parkway Christian’s basketball team.
The sophomore had a careerhigh 31 points in a game last week. Throughout the contest, the right-handed shooter demonstrated an ability to get open using a left-handed dribble.
A reporter expected an affirmative answer when Peterson was asked if she considers basketball her favorite sport.
But she smiled and shook her head.
“I like volleyball,” Peterson said. “I definitely enjoy basketball, the aggressiveness of it and all, but it’s not my No. 1.”
Andrea Woods, the Eagles’ basketball coach, was taken aback when she learned weeks ago of Peterson’s preference for volleyball.
“It’s surprising, because she’s a very good basketball player,” Woods said. “I would have assumed that basketball would be her first sport, but it isn’t.
“For her to have the option to be a volleyball player, as talented as she is in basketball, well, I can just imagine what she’s going to do in the next couple of years.”
Peterson played middle hitter on the volleyball team in the fall, compensating to play a position that’s usually handled by taller athletes.
“I have a good vertical (jump),” she said. “I’m a consistent server. I’ll do whatever the team needs me to do.”
Peterson’s do-anything attitude extends to basketball.
A varsity player last season when the Eagles were led by four-year varsity stalwart Caroline Schlaf, Peterson’s role has expanded since Schlaf graduated.
“She’s in transition right now,” Woods said. “She’s taking on a lot of responsibility, and she’s handling it pretty well.”
Peterson, known to teammates as “T,” inherited the point guard position from Schlaf after playing off guard last season.
“It all came at her at once,” said Woods, whose roster has only two seniors. “She didn’t get the chance to ease into it.
“She’s distributing the ball. She has to make sure people are in the right spots. And she plays great defense. She gets her points, but she loves playing defense.”
Peterson comes from an athletic family.
Her sister Teah plays rugby at Michigan State. Her brother Tayshaun played football at Mount Clemens and is currently involved in esports at the U.S. Mili
tary Academy at West Point.
Tamerah’s dad encouraged her to work on dribbling left-handed, she said.
“Teams aren’t going to expect me to be a lefthanded dribbler because I’m mainly right,” Tamerah said.
Woods wasn’t surprised when Peterson started working on that aspect of her game.
“She takes what you say to her to heart,” Woods said. “She’s open to constructive criticism.
“She realizes her restrictions by only being able to use her right hand. She’s going more to her left. She’s picking up on it, getting better at it.”
Peterson had 31 points in the Eagles’ 46-15 victory over Novi Christian on Jan. 26.
She had 22 points and seven steals against Webberville two days later and 16 points and 11 steals against Whitmore Lake on Tuesday.
“She’s processing a lot,” Woods said.
Also on Peterson’s to-do list, Woods said, is finding options at the basket after she has gotten past defenders.
“We’re trying to get her to have a variety of moves,” the coach said.
Parkway Christian hasn’t had an easy season.
The Michigan Independent Athletic Conference team lost 10 of its first 14 games before playing at Inter-City Baptist on Thursday, but Peterson and Woods remained upbeat.
“I love this team,” Peterson said. “We work very hard. A lot of our players are new.
“We’re all connected. We all get along so well.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what our entire team can do with more experience,” Woods added.