October 06, 2008

     MERIDEN - Platt's Damika Martinez followed up her highly successful fresman debut on the girls basketball team with a notch on the 2008 CT Starters College AAU All-Tournament team.
     The team was selected by college coaches in attendance on Sunday, September 21 at Yale University in New Haven. Martinez was joined by several other Connecticut players from East Catholic-Manchester and Norwich Free Academy.
     "I just went out there and played hard, did what I had to do, and showed my heart," she said.
     As a freshman, Martinez scored 350 points for the Panthers, a new school record. She averaged 16.5 points a game while adding 38 assists and blocking 29 shots. Although she played point guard last season, Platt head coach Tom Johnson is hoping to place her out on the wing this winter.
     "She's going to be one of the better players, that's for sure," he said. "You don't get that way just by working out. She has worked hard. She plays against boys all the time and she picks up things that they can do.
     "She just has great body control and a soft touch to drop the ball over the defense," Johnson added. "She's got great natural ability and she's worked at it. I think she's going to be a better passer than she was last year."
     Martinez would agree. She says getting more assists is one of gher goals for her sophomore season.
     "I want at least five assists a game, five rebounds, at least 15 points and four steals," she said. "I've started weightlifting, and I've been running and practicing my jump shot.
     "It's a good feeling," she added of her award, "but I feel like I can do more and that I can experience bigger and better things in my life."