As much as Heather Schemper loves being a three-sport athlete, nobody could have faulted the Phillipsburg senior if she had opted to sit out her senior basketball season. 

Schemper, who has already signed to play volleyball at Washburn, has a history of knee injuries, missing her entire junior basketball season last year. 

The Phillipsburg girls basketball team, led by Kansas State signee Taryn Sides, went 18-5 last year and reached the sub-state final before losing to eventual Class 3A state champion Goodland in a close game. 

There was no doubt the Panthers were missing a key piece in Schemper. 

“It was really a struggle having to sit out,” Schemper said. “I went to all the games I could and supported them as much as I could. Obviously I was there for Taryn, with her being one of my best friends, and for Trinitti (Gross). 

“The teams that they lost to, I felt like I had just as much of a want to beat them as they did.”

Schemper, who also missed almost all of her freshman basketball season with a knee injury, admitted she was initially unsure about playing basketball this year considering her past knee issues. 

“I was a little nervous because my knees have always had a little bit of trouble with basketball for some reason,” Schemper said. “I asked the coaches at Washburn, ‘Should I play basketball, would you be OK with that?’ I knew that it would be my last time playing with Taryn and I knew we could really make something of ourselves this year.”

In the end, Schemper, the Capitol Federal® True Blue® Student of the Week, decided she couldn’t bring herself to miss another opportunity to play with her fellow seniors. 

“I’ve played with them since I was a little kid and I knew it was going to be my last time playing with them," Schemper said. "We’ve always had these goals we wanted to achieve together and we just haven't gotten them yet, and so we know this is our last shot at getting them.”

Schemper, a 6-foot post player who was a key contributor as a sophomore, has looked solid in the first two games for the 2-0 Panthers, competing in the Amos Morris Classic in Russell this week. 

“She was a pivotal part of what we were missing last year to kind of get a little further into the postseason,” Phillipsburg basketball coach Rachel Miller said. “I’m just really proud to have her back this year. She’s done a tremendous job being a leader for us in practice, really encouraging and helping the young kids. I think that’s just a testament to her character and who she is as a person. We’re just really glad to have her back and looking forward to big things from her this year.”

Miller said Schemper's decision to play this season speaks to her team-first nature. 

“She could just be there going through the motions, and she’s not,” Miller said. “Those seniors have a great bond together and they really want to be there for each other and support each other. I just think she wanted to be there for her teammates and she wanted to leave her mark at Phillipsburg High School in all sports.”

Schemper was in the middle of a huge junior volleyball season in 2021 when she went down with a knee injury and was forced to miss the rest of the season. 

“I had a stage 4 tear of my cartilage,” Schemper said. “There was arthritis. I tore my ACL 40 percent, that’s why I have to wear the brace. And I also tore my meniscus again.”

Schemper vigorously rehabbed the injury and was cleared in time for track season last spring. She was the Class 3A state champion in the 400-meter dash as a sophomore.

“I came back right at the beginning of track and they really sent me all-in,” Schemper said. “I spent six months in rehab and I did a lot of squats and just strengthening the knee, strengthening the quads back up. I went all-in once track season came.”

Schemper continued her reputation as a multisport standout, placing second at state in the 200 and 400. She also ran a leg on the Phillispurg's state-champion 1,600 relay team. 

“Coming from a small town, everyone goes out for every sport,” Schemper said. “Actually, track was my favorite for a long, long time until I got to high school. I just enjoy all the sports, I did all the sports growing up and I still enjoy them now.”

With her knee back at 100 percent, Schemper turned in another strong volleyball season this past fall, earning Kansas Volleyball Association All-State second-team honors in 3A as an outside hitter/middle blocker. 

She then turned her attention to basketball, which she hadn’t played since the summer before her junior season. 

“It was like a whole year and a half since I had played basketball," Schemper said. “My handles were off, my shot was off, I had no muscle memory of basketball. It took me a while, so I think I'm getting back in the swing of things.”

Miller said she's been pleased with how well Schemper has worked her way back into the mix for the Panthers, who are ranked No. 3 in Class 3A. 

“Heather was a really good basketball player before she had to battle those darn injuries and miss a couple seasons,” Miller said. “We know it’s going to take a few games for her to kind of get her basketball legs back underneath her and maybe be a little more comfortable out there. But you know what, she’s started out really well. 

“It’s like she never missed a beat in some respects. Those post moves come pretty natural. Of course, she runs the floor really well with that speed and athleticism and can just out-jump everybody.”

Schemper signed with Washburn for volleyball last month. The Ichabods are a perennial powerhouse who reached the NCAA Division II national championship match in 2021. 

“They had actually never seen me play before, because junior year is a big recruiting year,” Schemper said. “They didn’t get to see my junior year, so I actually sent them a film. And they said I just really looked like a go-getter and I looked like I could put the ball down pretty well, so I think they liked that.”

She is looking forward to being coached by Washburn’s Chris Herron, who has guided the program to nearly 600 wins in his 21 years at the school. 

“I love the intensity,” Schemper said of Herron. “I want to get yelled at, I want somebody to tell me what to fix. I’m also a pretty intense player. I think he really fires up his players. I think he’s a great coach and he knows how to win.”

Schemper said she is looking to soak up every part of her senior year. 

“It really hit me before the night we started senior year, this is my last of everything,” Schemper said. “Last volleyball season, last basketball season. I'm never going to play basketball again except later on with my kids or whatever. It’s really going to hit me hard once track season comes. I’ve done track since I was 2 years old, and I really love track and field.”

Schemper, who is a member of the National Honor Society, plans on studying Kinesiology in college. 

“Just with all my injuries, it’s got me interested in becoming a physical therapist,” she said. “Studying the body has always been interesting to me.”