Tuesday, March 30, 2004 | 9:47 a.m.
In Centennial's anonymous factory line of stellar girls' basketball players, the player who means so much is one you do not often notice.
She runs the point with quiet efficiency, distributing the ball and taking the occasional drive. She defends with intensity against the opponent's best guards without much smack talk.
And just about when she lulls you to sleep, Ashley Blake launches one of those 3-point spirit crushers that remind you exactly who she is and why her steady leadership makes her the emotional heartbeat of the Bulldogs. For her big part in helping Centennial to its third consecutive 4A state title, Blake is the 2003-04 Sun All-State Girls' Player of the Year.
"I'm very surprised," Blake said. "It's a big accomplishment, especially being a junior and being part of a great team."
Not only has Centennial won three consecutive titles, but Blake also made it three wins in three seasons, with her eyes locked on winning four in a row. That focus is why Centennial coach Karen Weitz can look at the poster child for her program and call her its leader.
"The girls respect her and look up to her," Weitz said.
Blake has played in so many big games in three years at Centennial that her leadership is as much a function of being jaded to pressure, as it is anything. She averaged a modest 12.5 points during the season as she felt her way through a new lineup and meshed with fellow All-State first teamer Italee Lucas, the Bulldogs' emerging freshman scoring star.
Yet the best came in the playoffs for Blake, who earned second-team All-State honors in both of her first two seasons.
"My consistency came around during the playoffs," Blake said. "I just forgot about whatever happened during the (regular) season."
Blake brought out her best against Bishop Gorman, whom she faced in numerous big games. She paced the Bulldogs with 19 points, but did her real damage by hitting two 3-pointers to squash a Gaels' rally and give Centennial the lead for good.
In the state title game against Reno, Blake scored 12 points -- right on her average and perfectly appropriate for the steadiest hand on the court.
"She was a more mature player as a junior and knew that she couldn't force things," Weitz said. "I know she's not going to break on me because she's (not) going to be mentally frustrated."
Ever since the Bulldogs found a winning chemistry, there has been little about which to get frustrated. Blake is happy to accept her role as the do-everything player at the axis of the Centennial machine.
"If it's my night to pass, it's my night to pass," Blake said. "If it's my night to hit open shots, it's my night to hit open shots."
It is Blake's day to step into the spotlight after stepping forward in the playoffs once again.
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