When the Durango High School girls basketball team takes the floor for games, fans in the stands and even opposing players and coaches couldn’t be faulted for writing off Emma Fitzgerald.
If someone’s unfamiliar with the Demons and their starting point guard, odds are they’d turn their attention to someone else with little more than a quiet thought of the sophomore’s small stature. But the 5-foot-2½ – and don’t forget about that half inch, she’s very proud of it – wire-thin guard is someone no team should overlook. Once the ball is tipped, the smiling Fitzgerald turns into a competitor whose style can be described with one word: relentless.
“I’m going to go out and work as hard as I can every single game, but being littler is a little bit of a disadvantage,” Fitzgerald said. “But I can maneuver and do what I can, and given how tall I am it’s something that I strive toward and take pride in.”
During the weekend, when the Demons got a home sweep of Grand Junction and Montrose to improve to 7-10 overall and 3-1 in the 5A/4A Southwestern League, Fitzgerald didn’t fill up the basket with a barrage of 3-pointers or acrobatic layups – she had a combined 12 points in the two games – but she snagged key rebounds against girls who stood a head taller than her and tracked down loose balls to keep them in the Demons’ possession.
“That’s Emma,” DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick said. “She’ll get in there and battle a 6-2 girl for a rebound. She doesn’t back down from anybody. That’s just her competitive spirit.
“I would hope it has a positive effect for the girls to say, ‘Well if she’s doing it, there’s no excuse for me not to go in there.’ Her teammates know she brings energy and does what she does.”
Entering the season, Fitzpatrick said it would take time for Fitzgerald to find her rhythm on the court while she adjusted to the varsity level, though he knew she’d be fun to watch once she figured it out.
He wasn’t wrong. The team struggled to a 1-9 start with Fitzgerald and several other young, inexperienced players being asked to play big minutes and contribute on both ends of the court. As the season wore on, the losses piled up, but each one wasn’t as bad as the previous, with the Demons becoming more and more comfortable within Fitzpatrick’s system and with each other.
“At first, I was just so nervous,” Fitzgerald said. “Letting my team down was always in my head, but as I got more playing time I was able to let that go and play for my team and play with my heart.”
The Demons’ transition from struggles to success came with the New Year and a trip to Aztec for the Lady Tiger Rumble in the Jungle tournament. The team dropped its first game of the tournament but won its next two to place fifth and spark a run of victories in six of its last seven games.
Like the wins against Grand Junction and Montrose, Fitzgerald had a hand in each game during the hot streak, but none bigger than a 30-28 victory Jan. 19 at Grand Junction Central.
With 10 seconds remaining in the game and the scored knotted at 28, Fitzgerald stole Central’s inbounds pass, raced down the court and scored the game-winning basket that erased what was otherwise a down day for Fitzgerald.
“I wasn’t having my best game at the beginning,” she said. “When I saw that pass, I knew I had to make up for everything. I jumped the passing lane and everything was, I couldn’t really hear anything but my teammates cheering. I didn’t even see it go in. I just looked at my bench and they were all over the place cheering and screaming my name and I knew (it went in). That encouragement pushed me and it was so exciting.”
The game-winning layup was Fitzgerald’s only points of the game.
The wins have helped the Demons grow together. They take pride in one another and recognize the importance of the team over individuals, which has helped put them in position for a state tournament bid.
And the taste of victory is much sweeter than that of defeat.
“It’s amazing. Getting a W is so exciting for us after coming off the first part of the season when we didn’t get many Ws,” Fitzgerald said. “Now, here we are, and I think the energy we put out on the court and the hustle and effort adds to it all.”
kschneider@durangoherald.com
Behind the scenes
What’s your favorite food?:
Ice cream
Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?:
I try not to get too stressed and get into my little mode, but I’m still smiling and trying to have a good time.
What’s your favorite sports movie?:
“The Blindside”
Do you play any other sports?:
I do track (800 and 400 meters) and I run cross-country.
Who’s your favorite cartoon character?:
Goofy
If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world where would you go?:
I want to go to Belize.
Do you have a nickname?:
Em
Who’s your favorite athlete?:
Kobe Bryant
What’s your favorite outdoor activity?:
I like to go to the lake and hike.
What teacher has had a big impact on you?:
Actually, my coach, Mr. Tim Fitzpatrick. He’s been one of my teachers and has always encouraged me through everything. It feels good to have someone like that.
