South Salem senior Victoria Stafford hopes to lead the Saxons back to the state tourney before turning her attention to college
South Salem senior Victoria Stafford hopes to lead the Saxons back to the state tourney before turning her attention to college

[Editor’s note: “Take Five” is a recurring feature designed to offer a quick look at some of Oregon’s most interesting high school sports standouts. Today, we introduce you to Victoria Stafford, a 5-11 senior on the South Salem girls basketball team. Stafford is a four-year varsity performer who helped the Saxons finish third in 6A as a freshman and win league last winter. This year, Stafford who will play basketball next year for Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, has helped South Salem to a top 10 state ranking. We asked Stafford to answer five questions from the 25 we posed to her. She responded thusly…]

OSAAtoday: How did you get your start in basketball?

Victoria Stafford: Basketball was introduced to me when I was about 7 and I started playing for a small church league called Upward. I started falling in love with it and wanted to get more serious with it so once I was in 6th grade I started playing on a South Salem youth team and my love for the sport just continued to grow. 

OSAAtoday: If you were the School Principal for a day, what would you do? 

Stafford: I think I would either make it to where teachers didn’t give any homework that day or I would give everyone, including the teachers, the day off as a mental health day.

OSAAtoday: What is your favorite class in school and why?

Stafford: My favorite class in school right now is probably Athletic Training. I enjoy this class because we get to learn how to treat injured athletes and what it’s like to be an athletic trainer. I want to go into the medical field so it is helping me prepare for what I want to do in the future. 

OSAAtoday: What about college scares the bejeebers out of you?

Stafford: Getting lost on campus, making me late for class. Or just getting to college and absolutely hating it.

OSAAtoday: If you could have any superpower what would it be?

Stafford: The power to read minds. I’m always curious about what people are thinking and I think it would be kind of entertaining.

Read other Take Five articles published in connection with the 2019-2020 school season:

South Umpqua outside hitter Shalyn Gray

Lincoln distance runner Mia Kane

Madras football player Treyvon Easterling

Gladstone soccer player and cross country runner Derek Johnson

Canby soccer standout Ruby Kayser

Exceptional Scappoose athlete Emma Jones

Newberg gridder Justin Holtan

Siuslaw harrier Brendon Jensen

Wilsonville volleyball attacker Lindsey Hartford

Lake Oswego runner Brogan Deem-Ranzetta

St. Mary's Academy long distance runner Fiona Lenth

Heppner hooper Madelyn Nichols

Sherwood swimmer Hunter Stewart

Santiam hooper Colin Thurston

South Salem swimmer Julian Melton

Tigard guard Kennedy Brown

West Albany swimmer Taylor Kelley

Wilsonville wing Keegan Shivers

Stanfield / Echo wrestler Kaitlyn Lemonn

Putnam wrestler Drew Greco

Taft swimmer Sammy Halferty

Sherwood guard Jamison Guerra