Palmer junior hits scoring milestone

PALMER — Until recently, Clayton Southwick had no idea where he stood in terms of career statistics. As it turned out, the Palmer High School boys’ basketball standout was on the verge of a career milestone.

Earlier this month, during a road trip in Fairbanks, Southwick scored the 1,000th point of his high school career.

“I didn’t really think about it,” Southwick said about his career scoring totals.

Southwick said he was actually surprised he had reached 1,000 points in his career. The Palmer 6-foot-7 junior has seen ample time on the floor. Southwick is a three-year starter for the Moose, and a two-time first-team All-Northern Lights Conference selection.

“I wasn’t really focused on it,” Southwick said. “It’s not about the stats. It’s just about winning games, doing what I can for the team.”

Southwick said wins are the statistic he’s most interested in. Last season, he helped the Moose win an NLC title. He said he’s driven by what makes him love the game of basketball.

“Competition. The drive to be great and win,” Southwick said. “win championships.”

Southwick is also amassing impressive statistics in other categories. During the same weekend he joined the 1,000-point club, Southwick also passed 500 rebounds and 200 assists.

“He’s been a big factor ever since he walked in,” Palmer head coach Chuck Martin said.

Entering a weekend homestand against NLC rival Kodiak, Southwick stood at 1,128 career points, 524 rebounds and 228 assists. Southwick opened his career with 420 points, 167 rebounds and 24 assists as a freshman. He followed with 328 points, 165 rebounds and 116 assists as a sophomore. Heading into the Kodiak games, Southwick stood at 380 points 192 rebounds and 88 assists this season.

Martin, a longtime Valley basketball coach with more than 300 wins to his credit as a high school mentor, has coached a handful of players who have reached 1,000 points in a career.

“I’ve been privileged to coach a lot of good basketball players, but Clayton is probably the most gifted of them all because of his size, and what he can do with his size,” Martin said. “He wants to be really good. I love him because he’s so competitive.”

Martin said Southwick has the physical attributes to be successful, and the 6-foot-7 frame. But there’s also the versatility and the intangibles.

“We expect so much out of him,” Martin said of Southwick, who plays all over the floor for the Moose. “He can go affect the game in so many different ways.”

And Southwick has the drive to deliver.

“He has a competitive streak to him,” Martin said.

It is unknown when the last Palmer boys basketball player hit 1,000 points in a career. But former Palmer girls’ basketball standout Taylor Blake hit 1,000 points during her senior year in 2012-13 season.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.