A-K Valley athletes of the week: Highlands’ Tyarah Woody, Valley’s Taireke Davis

By: Ted Sarneso
Saturday, January 4, 2025 | 4:11 PM

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Tyarah Woody

School: Highlands

Class: Senior

Sport: Basketball

Claim to fame: Woods scored 33 points in the Golden Rams’ 67-50 win over Southmoreland in nonsection play on Dec. 27. The point guard went on to produce 35 points in a 50-46 win against Section 1-4A foe Derry on Thursday night for the Golden Rams (2-8, 1-3).

How did it feel to get in the win column?

It felt amazing. I feel like we’ve made a lot more progress over the last month and those wins felt like such a relief. We couldn’t win multiple games before that, and I guess we just had to get used to playing together.

Are you and your teammates getting the sense that you’re building momentum?

Yeah. We’re gaining chemistry and improving all together. I feel like we needed to get those wins to set us off on the right foot at the start of the new year.

Is it a goal to start stacking wins the rest of the way?

The next two weeks with Valley, Freeport and other section games on the schedule, it’s very important to us, so we’re definitely focused.

What’s it going to take to beat section leading North Catholic on Monday?

We’re going to need to focus on our offense and really hit our shots, have them fall. We have to be really locked in to make it competitive.

Are those 35- and 33-point games the most you’ve ever scored in a two-game span?

Yes, it is.

Was the 35-point game a career best for you?

Yes. It was the first time I ever scored 35 points and that’s now a career high for me.

How were you able to score as many points as you did?

It took a lot of focus and I had to create a lot of shots, knowing I’m sort of a main player. I also got my teammates involved with a lot of screens and cutting.

Being a senior, what’s it like being a leader on the team?

It’s very interesting. I learned a lot being the only junior starter last year. You have to keep the team together as one and keep a positive attitude. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a good position for me to learn as I’m going off to college.

What was it like to be the only junior starter?

It was nerve-wracking because all the other girls were older than me. There were also seniors coming off the bench, so I always thought my spot wasn’t very secured.

What were your individual goals at the start of the year?

To be a good leader, get the girls together. Learn how to take control of the game and have fun.

What gets you in the zone prior to a game?

Music and prayer.

Any particular song you listen to?

Not really. It’s more of a playlist. I like a lot of R&B, but before a game, I like to listen to rap.

Do you play any other sports at school?

I run the 100 meters and the 4-by-100 relay in track. I also used to wrestle, but I don’t anymore because it started to get more difficult to do wrestling and basketball at the same time. I wrestled for seven years, up until my sophomore year.

Favorite subject in school?

Psychology.

What are some of your favorite hobbies other than basketball?

I like listening to music, drawing and hanging out with my family.

What celebrity would you most like to meet or spend the day with?

Rapper YoungBoy.

Who inspires you?

My father. He’s taught me to play for myself, do everything for myself and not worry about what others say or think.

What’s one of your New Year’s resolutions?

To improve on everything. I didn’t have any new ones; just still working harder on my resolutions from last year.

What are your future plans?

To continue to play basketball and study psychology at Mansfield University. I want to become a therapist.

Taireke Davis

School: Valley

Class: Sophomore

Sport: Basketball

Claim to fame: The 6-foot-7 Davis led the Vikings with 35 points in a 64-53 win over St. Joseph in the championship game of the St. Joseph tournament Dec. 28. The forward/center contributed 13 points on Friday night as Valley (5-6, 0-4) fell to Freeport in a Section 1-4A matchup.

How good did it feel to get those wins over the holiday break after the four-game losing streak?

It felt good. I wasn’t really playing well in that four-game skid, but I started to do my part in that St. Joe’s tournament.

What do you think went wrong for you guys during that streak?

Some of those games we weren’t feeling that well as a group and we had trouble getting through some presses.

Were those 35 points you scored on Dec. 28 a career high for you?

Yeah, that was a new career high for me, and it felt pretty good to get that many. My previous high had been 17.

What was going right for you that night?

Things just started looking my way. Every game I always had my man sealed off and my teammates just started to notice that.

What’s it been like playing under new coach Brice Flenory, and what has he taught you?

It’s been really good. He’s trying to help me improve my game down on the post and gain more confidence. He’s always telling me to keep my head up and when I get the ball down low, to go to work.

Are you strictly a post player or do you like to get outside the paint?

I’d like to eventually develop my game to where I can get out on the perimeter, but right now I’m strictly a post guy.

Are there any players, either college or pro, that you try to emulate?

I want to be like Kevin Durant.

Do you have a pregame routine?

I just listen to music.

What were your goals at the start of the year?

Average a good amount of points and grab some double-doubles. Beginning of the year I didn’t start off so well reaching those goals, but I’m trying to step my game up and do as much as I can.

Which opponent do you look forward to playing the most?

Knoch again. I want to go against their 7-footer again. It’s a good challenge to go up against a guy like that.

What is your favorite subject in school?

Gym.

Favorite meal?

A roast.

What’s a New Year’s resolution you have for 2025?

Just to be better as both a person and as a player.

Tags: Highlands, Valley