Prep of the Week: Natalie Beaver

(ABC 6 News) — Sweet, a great leader and soft-spoken but never afraid to speak her mind.

Ask anyone on Hayfield Girls Basketball and there is nothing but praise for Natalie Beaver, one of the team’s contributors.

Beaver, a junior, is one half of the Hayfield Vikings thunder and lightning attack. Her teammate Kristen Watson is lightning because of her quick release and ability to blow by defenders.

Beaver is thunder because, “I like being able to step out and hit the three,” she said. “During game time I’m inside the post a lot, but I like having the ability to hit the three.”

“This isn’t just all God-gifted skill,” Vikings girls basketball head coach Kasey Krekling mentioned. “She has a lot of that but she put in a ton of time to make use of that God-given skill and I’m glad she’s reaping the benefits.”

Last season, Beaver averaged 17 points per game, scoring 567 total points, the second-most in program history. She played a big part in the Vikings’ undefeated regular season which resulted in a Section 1A Championship and state tournament berth.

This season, Beaver’s picking up where she left off as she’s already crossed the 1,000-point plateau. As she gets older and better, Beaver continues to bask in her time donning the blue and gold.

“I love it, it’s so much fun, the fans are awesome,” Beaver added. “Every game they come out and support a lot it’s awesome.”

But Beaver understands with her and the team’s recent success comes high expectations. A lofty challenge the junior Viking is facing head-on.

“Yeah, I feel like we do have a little bit of pressure,” Beaver noted. “But it pushes us more than anything. We know that we’re going to get teams’ best [shots] every game so we use that as motivation to go out there and play our best.”