LAKEWOOD — Senior Marissa Blair of Lakewood scored 28 points against Cedarcrest Dec. 12 where Lakewood won 66-57.

“My shot was on,” Blair said. “Our team, the practice before, worked on entries to the post — making sure you hit the post player when they’re open.”

She has been a consistent high scorer for Lakewood mostly playing wing but also playing a lot more post.

She’s 5-foot-10 and scores mostly inside, but can also land 3’s which make her even tougher to guard. “Then they have to come out and guard me,” she said.

And with her team’s record improved 2-1, she has high hopes for the season.

“I think we’ll be good this year,” Blair said. “Our goal is to make it into regionals. No Lakewood team has ever made it to regionals.”

As a result she is the Marysville Globe-Arlington Times Athlete of the Week.

Blair has had quite the career at Lakewood. She was the team’s leading scorer last season and has lettered numerous times as a varsity player.

But despite her skills and passion in basketball, she wants to do something else after high school. She wants to be a nurse.

She loves basketball, but she will not be able to do both.

“It’s really hard to be a nurse so now I’m like, ‘I really got to focus on my grades,'” she said.

Blair hopes to open an adult care home for the elderly, particularly for those with dementia or Alzheimers. It will be a lot of work in which she will need schooling, training, volunteer hours and state licensing to open a home.

But despite this it “seems pretty neat so I’m excited for it,” Blair said.

Blair said she’s always liked helping people, but her interest in caring for old people started when she visited care homes owned by friends and families.

“They say it’s the best thing they’ve ever done,” she said.

She has some fond memories visiting with the elderly.

“Old people are so cute and funny,” she said. “They love attention when you hang out with them,” like playing with blocks.

She has an internship coming up after basketball season where she can gain more experience required for a senior project.

But she also thinks her experience in basketball will have some carryover.

“If you work hard in life in general you’re going to get what you deserve to get,” Blair said. “And again, caring about people — I love my teammates.”

Even her coach, Chris Walster has seen compassion Blair when she helps younger players on the team.