Porter High School senior Raylee Allison says it’s always been a tough decision as to which of her two main sports, softball and basketball, that she liked best, and she does well at both.

In basketball, she’s the point guard for the Lady Pirates, and her coach, Scott Hensley, talked about her expanded role this year.

“Raylee has always had some strong leaders ahead of her, so taking on that role this year as a senior is something she’s learning, and she’s doing a great job of it,” Hensley said. “She’s our best shooter and ball handler, and leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists.”

Allison started playing softball on a team that her mom coached and went on to play summer ball, and she started organized basketball in the sixth grade.

“I love both sports and they’re kind of my escape from reality is what I call them,” said Allison, who also throws the shot put and discus during track season.

Moving into a leadership role this year has been a learning experience, according to Allison.

“My toughest challenge is having to become more vocal, and I never realized that people are now looking up to me to be the leader,” she said. “I also realize that how I handle adversity carries over to the rest of the team.”

Allison is goal-oriented and she’s already met some of her goals for her senior year.

“In softball, I wanted to hit .500 and have at least one home run. So I hit around .480 with a slugging percentage over .700 and hit two home runs, one of them a grand slam,” she said. “In basketball, I want to average double figures for the season and lead the team in rebounding.”

So what happens for Allison after high school?

“I’ve always dreamed of playing college softball or basketball, but I realized that at 5-7 and not being real fast, basketball might be a stretch,” she said. “Then I had a pretty good softball season this fall and that swayed me a little more in that direction. I went on a visit to Carl Albert, and they offered me a softball scholarship that day, and that night I talked it over and I accepted.”

True to her nature, Allison’s legacy centers on her teams.

“I want my teammates to know that on and off the field or court I was someone who had their back and that I was their biggest fan,” she said.