By Murray Gleffe, Correspondent
Name: Peyton Wright
Activity: Girls Basketball
Twitter: Pwright3_
Peyton Wright was a three-year varsity performer on the Ashwaubenon Jaguars girls’ basketball team.
She saw action in 12 games as a Sophomore, and then carried that momentum into her Junior Season where she played in every contest and contributed just over five points per game.
However, in her Senior Season, Wright started at point guard from Day 1.
She gave up some production in scoring for the betterment of the team.
Night in and night out, she was faced with backcourt pressure and was undeterred. She had to make split second decisions as the lead guard to set up scoring opportunities.
In her final year, Wright averaged three points per game, and played exceptional defense on top scorers of opposing teams.
Perhaps her best accomplishment was that she dished out over 60 assists and had a team-leading 49 steals on the season for a Jaguars team that made it all the way to a Regional Final.
What is it like to be a leader on the basketball team at Ashwaubenon High School? “Being a leader for this team is something really special. It’s not always an easy job, but it’s a good feeling knowing younger kids look up to me. I always try to lead by example by trying my best.”
What is your most embarrassing moment ever in basketball? “I can’t exactly remember who we were playing, but we were in man defense and I was in the process of moving from low help to high help defense. As I was doing so, my girl cut underneath the basket to the other side of the floor. I didn’t realize she was gone and I just assumed that she was going to be out on the wing but obviously she never showed up. I was then very confused on who I was guarding and so was my teammate, Autumn. She saw this happen and was yelling at me the whole time saying, “P you got nobody, you got nobody.” I couldn’t help but laugh because of how confused I was. I decided to just spin a circle to try and locate where my girl was but couldn’t find her. I basically gave up trying to look for her, and just stood at the elbow of the lane guarding nobody for a good chunk of the possession.”
How many years have you been involved in basketball? “I have been involved in basketball as long as I can remember. I attended many camps as a kindergartener and I started playing on a team in 3rd grade.”
What is your most memorable moment ever in basketball? “This past summer, our team traveled down to Waukesha to play in a tournament. We played Pewaukee who was a very good team. I was a little nervous about playing them, but right from the jump ball, I had a good feeling about the game. We had excellent defensive possessions and nobody on our team could miss a shot. It was the loudest I have ever heard the bench and the crowd cheer. It was a game I will never forget.”
What’s the hardest part about basketball? “Personally, I think the hardest part about basketball is having a short-term memory. If you make a mistake or miss a shot, you have to forget about it and learn from it in order to do well on the next play.”
If you could be somebody for a day, who would it be? “I would be Shaun White for one day because I love to snowboard and it would be really cool to participate in the Olympics.”
What are your college aspirations? “I plan on attending Northern Michigan University to get a degree in exercise science.”
What would your dream job be once you graduate? “My dream job would be to work with a professional sports team in some capacity.”
What are your hobbies? “My hobbies include playing sports, going up north, and spending time with family and friends.”
What is your favorite event ever attended? “I have family in Oklahoma. My dad, brother and I went to visit them, and they surprised us with tickets to an Oklahoma City Thunder game at Chesapeake Arena. It was a really cool and loud atmosphere.”
What is your favorite type of music? “Country or pop”
What is your favorite thing to do on your phone? “I like to snapchat and listen to music.”
What three words describe you? “Goofy, caring, and quiet”
What is your favorite trip ever taken? “I am really into big cities and spring break of my freshman year I got to take a trip to New York City. I had a lot of fun shopping in Times Square and roaming around the Big Apple with my friends. We also got to go to “Top of the Rock” which is an observatory on top of Rockefeller Center. We went at night, so we got to see the whole city of New York lit up and it was a view I will never forget.”
Favorites:
Food:
Tacos
Subject:
Science
TV Show:
Friends
Athlete:
Rodger Federer
Board Game:
Sorry
Candy:
Sour Skittles
Ice Cream:
Mint chocolate chip
Holiday:
4th of July
Season:
Summer
Comments about Peyton Wright: “Peyton was our true point guard on the season,” said Jaguars Girls Basketball Coach, Nicky VanLaanen. “She made our transition game go and had tremendous court vision down the floor. Defensively, she did a nice job at controlling the other team’s main ball handler. She will be missed.”