Tyler Held, Amarillo High basketball, Sr.

On the court: Held had one of those moments every athlete dreams of during a thrilling 39-38 win over arch-rival Tascosa during a key District 2-5A clash last Friday. With the Lady Sandies trailing at home 38-37 and only seven seconds left, Held took the inbound pass under the Amarillo High basket and weaved her way the length of the court, putting the ball up off the glass. It fell right before time expired for easily the two biggest of her team-high 10 points on the night.

Thanks to Held’s heroics, the Lady Sandies are still in the hunt for a District 2-5A championship. On top of that wild win, Held has had quite the senior season, averaging 10.2 points a game, playing in 33 games for the Lady Sandies this year alone. Held is shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc, and is close to three assists per outing.

Head coach Jeff Williams: “We have different type of plays for those type of situations. There was no one I wanted than Tyler to take that shot in that situation. We knew if she got covered up, Ella Brown would be the kick out, but Tyler took it all the way down and had the shot. I knew when the ball left her hand it was going in. I’ve seen her take that shot so many times. It’s something we’ll never forget, especially against a great team like Tascosa. What I love about Tyler, is how far she has come as a leader. She is much more vocal this year. She used to be pretty reserved and that’s understandable. Now, she talks all the time and is a huge voice in our locker room. She gets the team where they always need to be and does an amazing job setting the defense.”

Held: “Getting that win over Tascosa was huge for us. It keeps us motivated for a district championship and it was very exciting how it ended. I have never had that kind of moment before. Coach (Jeff) Williams told me to get a screen set and I knew I was going for the shot. It was very thrilling and something I’ll never forget. As for this year, I feel my role has changed quite a bit. I’m a much more vocal leader than I have been in the past. I’ve worked on my scoring and becoming that type of player, but most importantly I just love being a leader and playing with this team.”

About Held

Favorite band or musician: Elvis Presley

Favorite social media platform: Instagram

Favorite athlete: Scottie Scheffler

Bet you didn’t know: She can be really loud around her friends.

Parents: Jay Held and Lisa Held.