McLoughlin’s Darby Rhoads (11) puts up a shot against Stanfield on Jan. 25, 2022, at McLoughlin High School in Milton-Freewater. Rhoads has signed to play basketball at Walla Walla Community College.

MILTON-FREEWATER — Bobbi Hazeltine has coached the Walla Walla Community College women’s basketball program for 23 years, with a good deal of success.

That comes from recruiting the best players, and ones that are a good fit for the program.

McLoughlin’s Emma Leber and Darby Rhoads fit that bill, and Hazeltine is happy to bring them aboard.

“They’ve shown interest in us since their junior year, especially Emma,” Hazeltine said. “Emma’s mom and I work together, so I am aware of her. They have put up good numbers and it’s always nice to have local kids. They came and played with us a couple of times and they seem to fit in well. It just made sense to offer them spots on the team.”

Leber said she had a few other offers, but going to WWCC was her top choice.

“I had a bunch of other offers (Blue Mountain Community College, Everett Community College, Lower Columbia College), but Walla Walla was my first choice,” Leber said. “I like the program over there, and Bobbi is amazing. Staying at home and saving money is good right now.”

Rhoads, who was on the fence about playing college ball, now is excited for the next chapter.

“I’m so excited,” Rhoads said. “For a little bit, I thought about playing volleyball, but basketball is where my heart is. I settled down and put my mind to it. She (Hazeltine) had come to watch Emma play, saw me play and she reached out to me. That gave me a lot of confidence.”

WWCC also has a top-notch nursing program, which sweetened the deal.

“It kind of worked out perfectly for me,” Rhoads said. “I want to be a nurse and they have a really good program. I get to stay home, save money and get my degree.”

Mac-Hi coach Chris Bryant said he is excited for what lies ahead for his players.

“It’s really cool to have Darby and Emma meet Bobbi’s threshold to come in there,” Bryant said. “They are good players, good students and good people. It’s nice to see them rewarded for that.”

Leber and Rhoads may have letters of intent in hand, but playing time will depend on how quickly they make the move from the high school to the college level.

“We return some pretty good players at their positions,” said Hazeltine, who also picked up four transfers. “It might be a matter of playing against these players for a year. I tell our kids that the biggest difference between high school and college is strength. That will make them better. I told them they would be playing behind some pretty good kids. If they can contribute, great, if not, they eventually will.”

It’s good to be tallLeber, a 6-foot-1 forward, led the Pioneers with 12.5 points a game, along with 8.5 rebounds, three blocks and 1.8 steals. She earned first-team Greater Oregon League honors.

Her favorite part of the game is blocking shots, but to compete at the next level, she knows she needs to get stronger and maybe put a couple of pounds on her lanky frame.

“I know I need to get bigger and stronger,” Leber said. “I’m going to work out a lot more in the summer and get into a lifting program. It’s a struggle. I eat a lot, I just can’t gain weight. It’s hard.”

Hazeltine said she’d like to see Leber take the steps to get stronger.

“We talked about the fact that she needs to get in the weight room, and she is open to that,” Hazeltine said. “She came and watched our girls do a weight room workout.”

Bryant hopes to see Leber follow through with her summer plans.

“I’m hoping she can put a little meat on her bones,” Bryant said. “If she put on 10 pounds, she could be a whole different player. She’s as skilled a player as I have coached.”

Though she was the team’s leading scorer, Bryant said Leber’s strength is on the defensive end of the floor.

“I think Emma’s biggest thing is her defensive instincts,” Bryant said. “She’s a pretty special player when it comes to leaving her player and protecting the rim. She has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. She’s also able to stretch the floor and step out and shoot the 3, or bring the ball up the floor.”

Leber said the athletic genes in her family are pretty limited. Her mom Jennifer played high school basketball at Weston-McEwen, and her older sister (Brooke Smiley) played volleyball, basketball and softball at Mac-Hi.

Leber has played basketball and volleyball at Mac-Hi, with the latter at the behest of Rhoades.

“I started playing volleyball in the eighth grade, but it’s never been my favorite,” Leber said. “Darby and I played basketball against each other in elementary school and we started playing with each other in middle school (Center Middle School). We became really good friends in the sixth grade. It’s awesome that I get to play two more years with her. It’s an awesome privilege to have.”

Leber’s height is a luxury a lot of teams don’t have, and she uses it to her advantage.

“I’ve always been the tall girl, all the way through middle school and high school,” Leber said. “The height is perfect, it makes the game so much easier. I like blocking shots, and being tall makes that easier.”

An education degree is on the radar for Leber, and maybe more basketball after WWCC.

“I want to major in elementary education,” she said. “I want to get my prerequisites done, then probably transfer to Eastern Oregon. Maybe I’ll continue to play.”

Floor generalUnlike her tall best friend, Rhoads is a 5-8 guard who has been the floor general for the Pioneers the past few years.

“She is a really good motivator,” Bryant said of his team captain. “She’s always positive and has a strong work ethic. It will be good to see her with girls who are athletic and will push her. She is a worker and she will grind and do what she is asked to do.”

Rhoads knows playing for Hazeltine won’t be easy, but she’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I think even if I don’t play that much, I will grow as a player and as a person,” she said. “It will make me push myself harder to be the best I can be.”

Rhoads averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, three assists and 2.5 steals per game, and was a second-team GOL selection.

The Pioneers finished 2-4 in GOL play, and 8-11 overall. They lost their 4A state play-in game to Hidden Valley 57-32.

The Pioneers have gotten their money’s worth out of Rhoads, who has been a three-sport athlete. She also played volleyball and softball, where she plays third base and shortstop.

“I have been doing sports since I could walk,” Rhoads said. “I have been part of AAU basketball teams in grade school and middle school, and a little in high school during COVID. Travel softball got too expensive and I wanted to focus on basketball.”

Basketball has been a family sport on her mom’s side of the family for generations.

“My mom (Denette) went to Enterprise and played track, volleyball and basketball,” Rhoads said. “Basketball is the family sport. My grandpa (Dennis Harvey) was a pretty good player. He played at his high school then went into the military. My Dad played football and wrestled at Mac-Hi, but he was a motocross guy. My uncle (Steven Rhoads) is on our wrestling wall at school.”

In just a few weeks, Rhoads will graduate and move on to new adventures, with her best friend by her side.

“We have been playing together for so long,” Rhoads said. “We are taking this next step to college basketball and it’s nice to take your best friend with you.”

Rhoads does admit it will be hard to give up all of her sports for just one, but she is coming to terms with it.

“It’s going to be hard to say goodbye, but I will be stepping into something new,” she said. “I’m excited for my next chapter of sports. You take your shoes off for the last time and you are done.”