Peyton Curtis records more than 1,300 points during LRS basketball career

During her senior season, Lind-Ritzville/Sprague athlete Peyton Curtis accomplished a major feat in high school basketball - scoring over 1,000 career points.

Curtis ended her high school career with over 1,300 points, as a well as a three-time Northeast B League selection.

While Curtis’ point total did not beat the school record, Lady Broncos’ Head Coach Steve Wellsandt said she is only a handful of LRS athletes to accomplish the feat.

“We’re pretty sure it’s less than 10 kids, it’s quite an achievement,” Wellsandt said.

Lind-Ritzville Schools Athletic Director Greg Whitmore said scoring 1,000 points is a milestone many high school players aspire to achieve. The accolade is achievable by athletes who play varsity all four years and are competing in every regular season game and postseason games.

Curtis’ ties with basketball began with her father Miles Curtis, who played college basketball at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.

Growing up, Curtis said she did not have much interest in playing the sport. After she was “bitten by the basketball bug,” Curtis stated she would spend hours outside practicing her shots and fundamental ball handling skills with her family.

She described her father as her No. 1 rebounder and the two would practice her shooting up until 10 p.m. while her mother, Bren Curtis, always played defense. Curtis said a usual night at home includes the family watching film of basketball games.

“Our lives kind of revolves around it,” she said.

Curtis started playing at the Pee Wee level in third grade and she joined the Spokane Dawgs AAU basketball team two years later. She continued to play AAU throughout high school and recently finished competing on the Northwest Express.

She described her time as an AAU basketball player as a great experience and enjoyed the camaraderie she had with her teammates and coach.

Among the athletes Curtis has played alongside include top-ranked Northeast B League players, Colfax’s Carmen Gfeller, and St. George’s Ceci and Lydia Bergquist.

Curtis said she and her teammates learned each other’s moves and tendencies during the summer together, which also made it more fun to compete against each other during the high school season.

She noted she was not a good basketball player in middle school. She grew six inches between her eighth-grade and freshmen year, which along with her skills as a point guard, matched her well against other six-foot players in the Bi-County who were post players.

Curtis said the experience of playing on JV and varsity during her freshmen year put a lot of weight on her shoulders as had to transition to the high school level, play roles on offense and defense, and she also had to contribute to the team’s scoring.

In her first two years on the team, Curtis looked up to upperclassmen like Jenna Bennett and Mallory Kessler. By her junior year, she became a leader to focus on helping teammates improve while focusing on her own progression as a player.

Whether she playing on JV or varsity, Curtis saw high school basketball as an opportunity to improve at the game.

“You’ve got to play as hard as you can,” she added.

Gary Kelly, who was the head coach for the Lady Broncos during Curtis’ sophomore and junior year, described Curtis as an “elite shooter.” He noted shooting is not something an athlete is born with and Curtis’ improvement is a result of her spending hours refining her shot.

He added the underclassmen saw her leadership and drive and they followed her example on the court.

Curtis continued to be a major contributor to the team’s scoring during her senior year.

During the season, Wellsandt said Curtis was able to attack the basket, pull up her jump shot and also make the three-pointers. He noted she also had a good season on defense and during games as she guarded the toughest athlete on the other team.

Wellsandt said Curtis’ ability to score allowed the team to build a foundation in offense and defense. Like Kelly, Wellsandt also complimented her leadership skills and said the other athletes followed her example.

Curtis’s senior season was almost cut short during the Lady Broncos’ Feb. 2 game against Liberty when she rolled her ankle. She had never sustained a serious injury during her high school career and missed four games.

Wellsandt said losing Curtis and Linnea Schafer, who also suffered an ankle injury during the game, took about “25-28 points out of the lineup.”

Curtis began rehabilitating her ankle, which she said involved “a lot of ice and elevation.” She acknowledged it was hard for her not to be 100 percent, and felt she was letting her teammates down because she was injured.

Curtis’ returned at the Lady Broncos’ Feb. 10 District 7 Tournament game against Wilbur-Creston. While she was on the bench, Curtis kept asking Wellsandt to put her in the game, which he did for two minutes and she scored two points.

Although her ankle was not 100 percent healed, Curtis said her parents told her she had the biggest smile on her face and they knew she really enjoyed the game.

Curtis’ high school career ended after LRS’ 61-36 loss to Liberty in the Districts on Feb. 15.

Although she is sad her days as a Lady Bronco are over, Curtis was glad to have finished her senior year playing alongside fellow seniors Tessa O’Brien, Alisha Baker and Abby Gering, all of whom she had playing basketball with since third grade.

Curtis was proud of how her teammates performed during the season, especially during her injury.

She acknowledged how freshmen players Julia Klein and Schafer came off the bench and were big contributors during the season.

She also noted how underclassmen like Eliza Galbreath, Brooke Koch, Aaliyah Yaeger and Lacey Miller are growing as players.

Curtis said she plans on coming back to watch and support the team next year. However, she is also excited about potentially playing at the college level.

Curtis said she has received offers from different schools to play at, one being her parents’ alma mater Linfield College.

“I’m not 100 percent committed, but that’s where I’m leaning toward,” she added.