A special element

3 sisters bring chemistry to Piedra Vista girls’ basketball

FARMINGTON

Celina, Elaina and Olivia Watson don’t always do everything together.

The three sisters have their own personalities, friends and hobbies. But they have one thing in common – they are basketball players for Class 5A Piedra Vista High.

Piedra Vista head coach Joe Reed said the sisters have brought a special element to the team.

“It’s nice in the fact that their parents are good people and instead of getting a big group of parents you have one group of parents for all three,” he said. “It’s kind of funny because sometimes one is fighting with the other two.”

They are three of seven children of Patty and Jimmy Watson. They have three younger brothers and one older brother.

The family moved from Alaska to Farmington over a year ago for employment opportunities.

Celina, a sophomore guard and the youngest, said it was a challenging experience.

“It was learning the chemistry of the team, getting to know people, because you have to have chemistry to win state,” she said. “You can’t just go into state and not know. The hardest thing was going into that new team and not knowing.”

Celina is a self-proclaimed chatterbox with a bigger personality than her sisters.

She said she prides herself on defense and the team can rely on her to force turnovers.

Reed couldn’t agree more.

“She’s a very high-energy player,” he said. “Defensively she’s a stud. She’s probably the stronger of the three as far as physical strength. She’s built like a bulldog, she plays a like a bulldog. She’s the best rebounder of the three.”

Elaina, a junior guard, is more reserved but said she is tenacious in her own way.

“I like to play team ball,” she said. “I just feel like if I dribble the ball too much I’d be ball hog. I really like to pass the ball.

---