Hawkins excels at the game she loves-By Tommy Keeler Jr. (Daily Staff Writer)
WINCHESTER — Rachel Hawkins loves everything about the game of basketball — the physical part, the team aspect, the fast pace.
Hawkins is addicted to the game that she's been playing almost her entire life.
"My dad got me started," Hawkins said. "He knew I was going to be pretty tall so he got me started when I was about 4. I just love playing."
Hawkins said her father, Greg, who played for three years at William Byrd, has been her main coach over the years. She's also been able to play with her sister, Meredith. The pair played together at Millbrook the past two years, before Hawkins' sister graduated last June.
Hawkins said she and her sister played one-on-one many times, and things could get a little competitive.
"Sometimes we would get in a little scuffle," Hawkins said. "It was always in good fun. It was nice playing with her. It was good to have someone that I could look up to like that."
Hawkins said having her sister with her during her freshman season at Millbrook helped her a lot. She didn't get as much playing time as a freshman, but that changed last season. She averaged 9.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
The Pioneers emerged as a surprise team in the Northwestern District. They finished sixth, but put together a three-game winning streak at the end of the season, which included a win over Liberty.
The young squad followed that up with an upset of third-seeded Sherando in the tournament quarterfinals, the four-year program's first win in a district tournament.
"That was real exciting," Hawkins said. "We had beaten them the last time we had played them, but it meant a lot to do it in the tournament. I think we just really wanted it."
The Pioneers (5-8, 3-4 Northwestern) lost to Central in the district semifinals, but it was still a real confidence booster for the young team to be within a game of a regional berth.
Millbrook has picked up where it left off this season with another solid year. Hawkins has been one of the most dominant players in the area.
The 6-foot center is averaging 19.2 points and 15.3 rebounds per game. Hawkins has dominated opposing teams inside the paint and helped the Pioneers to five wins. While her numbers may come as a surprise to some, they haven't shocked Millbrook coach Debby Sanders.
"All of her hard work is paying off," Sanders said. "She's put in the time and she's working hard every day."
Hawkins plays basketball year-round, including playing for the Winchester Rising Stars Amateur Athletic Union team. She's been playing AAU since seventh grade and said it has helped her game tremendously.
"You get to play against some really good competition," Hawkins said. "It's a lot of fun."
When she's not playing for her AAU team, Hawkins can be found in pick-up games around town. She's even played against Handley boys basketball standout Chad Moore.
"I got rejected by him badly," Hawkins said with a laugh.
Hawkins said her goal is to play at the Division I level, but she knows she has a lot of work to do to get there. She said she watches college basketball all the time, especially her favorite team — Duke.
She said she wants to improve her jumper and become a more well-rounded player like her favorite player, Duke's Josh McRoberts.
"[Hawkins] has a nice outside shot, but we haven't needed her to use it very much," Sanders said. "I think the biggest thing is just needs to be more consistent."
The Pioneers are once again a middle-of-the-pack team in the Northwestern District. The Pioneers are looking to surprise a few teams as the season goes on and continue to rise as a program. Millbrook has only one senior starter, and the future looks bright for the team and Hawkins.
"My goal for the team is to have a better record and win the district title by my senior year," Hawkins said. "We're young and I think we're just going to keep getting better."
