by By Dan Ninham
The Page HS Lady Sand Devils are the 2021 Arizona 3A State Basketball Champions. The time and effort throughout the young lives of the team enabled a foundation of excellence to happen for the upperclasswomen.
Torrance Begay, 17, is a senior at Page HS in Page, AZ. “I am Navajo and my clans are Tł’ááshchí’í, red bottom people, and born for Hashk’aan hadzhoni, yucca fruit strung out in a line,” said Torrance.
“I’ve been playing basketball since I was about eight years old,” said Torrance. “Around that time I was playing for fun and for my entertainment. Not until I was put into a local traveling team called ‘Lake Powell Gunners’ was when I learned to be more competitive and my love for the game grew more and more.”
At the end of this past season, Torrance was voted Offensive Player of the Year in the 3A conference and region.
“My whole family influences me to play especially my sister who hardly ever misses any of my games,” said Torrance. “A mentor during the game and practices I go to is Charlotte Nockideneh. She’s one of our school counselors and an assistant coach. She gives a high expectation and any advice she gives you is the truth. She says ‘you can either take it in and use it or back down from it.’”
Charlotte Nockideneh, Page HS assistant basketball coach, talked about her star athlete: “Passion, love, and respect for the game are something you can’t teach so when you come across players with these three traits it’s pretty awesome. Torrance Begay is a great example of these characteristics.”
“Torrance loves the game. It especially shows when she is having fun. You’ll see her smiling a lot on the court. Torrance gets excited when she attempts a new move and scores. Her enthusiasm intensifies when she picks up a steal or blocks a shot.”
“Her passion for the game can raise the intensity level for her team. She has so much passion for the game that she works to become better. She puts in the extra time during the off-season. Torrance will sacrifice her summer to play summer ball with her teammates as well as play with a traveling team in random basketball tournaments.”
“Torrance has respect for the game. She understands the time and effort necessary to fine-tune her skills. Her understanding of the game both offensively and defensively is reflected in her actions on the court. Torrance is coachable. She’ll ask questions when needed and listens well. She is receptive to encouraging words and positive ‘pick me up’ moments. Torrance will do whatever it takes for her and her team to be successful,” added Charlotte.
“Playing in a pandemic was weird and there were sure a lot of ups and downs about it,” said Torrance.
“Our season got canceled twice before we started. Once we got our season back that’s when we all knew as a team that we needed to be more cautious about who we are around and where we go. Playing with a mask was different this year as well but it was just another obstacle we had to pass,” added Torrance.
Photo Credit: Torrance Begay
