DETERMINED

LITTLE ROCK — October is in full swing, basketball season is right around the corner, and the Lady Panthers are down the street scrimmaging against the junior high boys team. One significant player is missing from practice today. Mattison Chilton, the 6-0 junior forward, has the day off, sort of.

Mattison is one of the top three female golfers in the 16 schools in 6A chosen to participate in the overall state golf tournament.

Competing at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock against the best female high school golfers in the state has Mattison well on her way to fulfilling one of her goals in life.

A year ago this month, Mattison was finally cleared to play basketball for her sophomore season after suffering a seasonending ACL and meniscus tear in her right knee.

The junior high basketball team was off to a 6-2 start when Mattison was injured, and she was forced to sit and watch her team struggle to only 2 more wins the rest of the season while she worked through four months of rehab and nine months without playing one of the sports she loves.

After defeating months of hard work with determination, Mattison said, "It hurt, but I knew if I wanted to play I had to overcome the pain."

Now entering her junior season as a starter for the Lady Panthers, Mattison is a little hesitant about interviews and piercing questions, but she is quick to smile, and she understands that life may not always be fair, but it can be rewarding.

"One of my teachers told me that high school should be good times," Mattison said, "but always live life to the fullest and give 100 percent in everything you do, because you never get a minute back."

Mattison's biggest supporter is her mom.

"She is always willing to drive me around and make sacrifices if she thinks it will help me," Mattison said, her mother beaming with pride beside her.

Lady Panthers' head basketball coach Jerry Chumley is beginning his first season at Benton, but he is quick to claim status as Mattison's biggest fan.

"Nobody wishes her more success than me," he said, adding that her role in the offense at the post would play a major role in the success of the basketball team this season.

Mattison is just as quick to redirect the praise from her coach.

"Coach Chumley doesn't just teach us about basketball, but about life and how to be a good example to younger people," she said.

For the Lady Panthers to be successful this season, Mattison said they have to work on cutting down on turnovers and focus on ball-handling and defense, "because defense wins games," she said.

"Coach is really stressing footwork right now," she added. "You know, as in always starting off on the right foot."

Mattison is so confident in the skills she and her teammates are building, she predicts after last season's 11-19 record that this year the Lady Panthers should win 75 percent of their games in '07-08.

When she graduates in two years, Mattison wants to play basketball or golf in college.She shot in the 90s in the golf tournament today, a little higher than her 79 earlier this year,but based on her attitude, her outlook on life, and the skills that everyone brags on but Mattison, she is well on her way to fulfilling her dreams.