In a game before Christmas break, a sequence near the end of the first half could tell you a lot of what you need to know about Polk County sophomore Amiyah Waters.
She corralled a rebound. She missed a putback and got that rebound, too. Then she calmly laid in a hard-fought basket a tick before the buzzer sounded.
She made the score 50-17.
Get PolkSports delivered to your inbox
Sign up for our free newsletter →
That’s just Waters, That’s the kind of effort you’re going to get when you’re up 30 points, or down 30 points, or anywhere in the middle. It’s a clear reason that she’s got such a big role as a sophomore, and it’s an even bigger reason that she’s averaging 11 points and nine rebounds per night for the Wolverines.
Waters has recorded four double-doubles this season, including 16 points and 14 rebounds in Polk’s 51-29 win over East Rutherford in late November. She had 18 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and five steals in the Dec. 12 victory over Owen.
“I enjoy playing that way,” Waters said. “It makes me happy. I just want to be there to help my teammates.”
Her coach sees Waters’ effort a little differently.
“She’s built different,” Polk County coach Brandy Alm said about Waters. “That’s just how she plays. She doesn’t have an off switch. It’s 100 percent, or it’s sitting down next to me. It’s the same effort all the time.”
That effort extends to the defensive end, where Waters is also an accomplished shot-blocker. She had five against Brevard.
“I love doing it,” she said. “It gets my team hyped. It’s all about reading the floor and keeping my hands up all the time and being able to swipe it.”
Waters is a little bit of a departure from what Polk County’s posts have looked like in the recent past. Fresh off a season with posts Kiera Littlejohn and Kylie Lewis content to play high-low or to bang inside on the low block, Waters is a versatile player who can handle in the open floor or shoot from outside. Still, she’s happiest claiming space with her back to the basket.
“I probably like posting up and getting rebounds more,” she said with a smile.
Waters is making her own mark at Polk County, and wants to continue.
“I want to keep rebounding, keep scoring, keep making good passes,” she said. “I want to help my teammates any way I can.”
