After working hard over the summer and continuing to improve her game, Powell High School senior Coy Erickson earned her first All-State basketball selection, as the four-year varsity player continued to lead the way for the Panthers.

“I feel very honored to be named All-State,” Erickson said. “It’s a big accomplishment, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates pushing me every day, coach [Troy] Hildebrand believing in me and my family’s constant support.”

After being named All-Conference a year ago, Erickson increased her scoring output for the Panthers, increasing it from 10 points per game to 10.6 points this season.

Erickson said that this season her goal was to attack the rim more, rather than settling for outside shots, which led to the scoring increase.

“I attacked the hoop a lot more this year rather than just settling for 3-pointers, which allowed me to score inside and get to the free throw line a lot more than I ever had in previous years,” Erickson said.

She attributed that new mentality to playing with a new team in Utah over the summer, giving her a fresh perspective on the game entering her final season.

“The summer going into my senior year I played for an AAU team from Utah,” Erickson said. “It was such a great experience being able to play with new girls that I didn’t know and a different coaching style and perspective than what I had been getting in my high school years.”

Erickson was also the second leading rebounder on the team at 4.4 per game, adding three assists to be the fifth leading assister in the state and finishing with 2.5 steals a game.

Erickson was named alongside junior teammate Emery Hernandez to the All-State team, as she said it was a great honor to earn the award alongside her backcourt partner.

“It meant a lot. It truly showed what we were capable of and how important we are on the floor,” Erickson said.

This season Erickson chipped in 44 3-pointers, leading the Panthers for a third successive season while shooting 28% from beyond the arc.

While she continued to pace the Panthers in that department, Erickson said she wants to be remembered for more than just her 3-point shooting over the past four years after she finished with 147 for her career.

“I want my legacy at Powell to be more than just the 3-pointers that I made. Although I am proud of that accomplishment, I want my legacy to be around setting a standard,” Erickson said. “Whether it was in practice, games or the offseason, I tried to lead by example and give everything I had to the program.”

She said that standard came from the dedication she gave every day on the court whether in practice or in a game.

“I want to be remembered as someone who showed up every day, worked hard and made my teammates better,” Erickson said. “Being a strong contributor all four years taught me consistency and commitment, and I hope younger players saw that and realized what it takes to earn success over time.”

While playing for the Panthers is not the final step for Erickson, she hopes that she can take experiences from her past to the next level in college.

“I’m hoping to take resilience and confidence from high school into college basketball,” Erickson said. “There was a point where my coach told me to quit and even said I never truly loved the sport, and that really stuck with me. It hurt, but it also pushed me to prove to myself, more than anyone else, that my passion is real.”

She said that mindset is what she hopes to carry forward into the future both in basketball and in life.

“That experience taught me how to keep going even when others doubt me, and to trust my own drive,” Erickson said. “Moving forward, I want to carry that mindset with me, using criticism as motivation and continuing to grow both as a player and a person.”