Don Codding didn’t last long with his left hand.
For a stretch way back when, Codding’s games of driveway basketball with his older daughter were a little lopsided so dad started playing with his left hand. But Emily Codding, now a senior at Santa Rosa High, clawed her way back into competition.
Dad had seen enough. He quickly reverted to his dominant hand.
“It was probably her freshman year,” he said of the moment he realized he could no longer afford a handicap. “That’s when I’m going, ‘Yeah, no.’”
Emily Codding has been making opponents cry “Yeah, no” ever since.
The rangy 6-foot-1 guard who is St. Mary’s-bound on a hoops scholarship puts up astonishing numbers: 16 points, 11 rebounds, nearly three assists and three steals and more than four blocks per game.
And get this — those numbers are slightly down from last year after Codding, in just the second game of the season, sprained her ankle and was out for the next seven contests.
Santa Rosa coach Luis Patrick remembers the air going out of the gym (at least on the Panthers’ side) when it happened.
“Our confidence is rolling, we are on an 8-0 run,” he said. “We went up for a rebound and she rolled her ankle. The energy just dropped. For our bench, even for me, I’m just like ‘Oh man.’”
Who could blame him?
Codding leads the team in every conceivable stat category, except for three’s. There, she’s third.
When she was out, the Panthers went 1-6 overall and 1-3 against Division 1 schools — a key factor in determining postseason eligibility. After Tuesday night’s 62-31 win against Ukiah, the Panthers were 12-13 overall and 9-4 in the North Bay League. After losing a 55-53 barn burner at home to Montgomery on Jan. 20, the Panthers will travel across town Thursday night to take on the Vikings in a likely battle for second place.
But it’s not exactly how Codding saw her senior campaign unfolding.
“That was my first injury that put me out,” she said. “I would definitely say there were tears in the beginning.”
“It was very rough on the whole team,” said senior Ally McCulloch, a teammate since third grade. “We really needed to pull from every aspect of our team to make up for everything she brings.”
What Codding brings is a breathtaking array of skills.
She runs the point for the Panthers — a nod toward developing her skills for NCAA Division 1 competition. Codding can post up or shoot from behind the arc. She can drive or pull up for a 15-footer. Her versatility and competitive streak must have their origins in those driveway games with her dad playing lefty.
“We have always had a big hoop and court in our front yard,” she said. “(Basketball) has pretty much taken over our front yard.”
Emily’s younger sister, Kamaren, is a freshman on the squad.
“We were playing horse, one-on-one tournaments,” Emily Codding said.
And when it wasn’t in the driveway, it was AAU ball in Daly City or tournaments around the country. That’s a lot of travel time for father and daughter.
If you go
Who: Santa Rosa vs. Mongomery
What: North Bay League girls basketball
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Where: Montgomery High School
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