Female Athlete of the Year Candidate: Vallejo's 'Head' of the class

Vallejo High School's Veekie Head experienced some basketball success as a sophomore, but by the time she was a senior, it was like she was at a Thanksgiving feast with friends and family.

And she was ready for seconds.

"We won a banner my sophomore year, but that's mostly because we had Jazmine Cardwell, who was great," Head said. "This year it was a little different because it wasn't as much of a one-star team. We had a lot of good players like Ta'Liyah (Davis) and Zurrie (Washington), but I wanted to get the responsibility of leading the team. In my junior year, I didn't realize it as much, but by my senior year, I noticed I was hungry. I was hungry for another banner."

Head was like an In-N-Out customer picking up double-doubles, earning a dozen of them during the 2025-26 girls basketball campaign. The result was an 11-1, first-place record for the Redhawks in the Tri-County Athletic League and postseason trip.

She is also a Times-Herald Female Athlete of the Year nominee.

Head, who played sports with Vallejo but graduated from nearby John Finney High School, averaged 9.1 rebounds a contest, including 18 in a game against Albany, 15 more in separate games against Woodside and Hercules. She posted 17.3 points per game, including 10 times with at least 20 points and a 34-point outing against Albany.

She often fills the stat sheet, but when asked what part she takes the most pride in, Head smiles and says, "Oh, my points. I love my points."

In a game against Albany earlier in the season, Head scored her 1,000th career point as a Redhawk.

"I just had a burst of energy come out, and I felt really emotional," Head said in February after she hit the milestone. "It's special to me because I did it against our league rivals. It felt really great."

Vallejo head coach Sean Taylor says he believes Head to be the first girls' basketball player to reach 1,000 career points since the school changed its mascot to the Redhawks in 2014.

"She set these goals for herself in her freshman year," Taylor said in February. "To see her accomplish these goals not only on the basketball court, but also academically, we're proud of her."

Heading into her senior year, Head worked to improve her all-around game by constantly participating in Late-Night Basketball games at ELITE High.

"I was working on my dribbling a lot," Head said. "All summer I was at Friday Late Night Basketball, playing against the guys. We also practiced during the summer with the boys' team, and that toughened me up. A lot of coaches helped me with my footwork, my dribbling, everything.

"I had more control over the ball," Head continued. "Before, in my freshman year, I would just take the ball and shoot it up, but by my senior year, I could dribble, make my little move, and give myself space to shoot. I think I also improved in passing. I had some teammates complain about that previously (laughs). They didn't like it when I grabbed my own rebound and kept shooting without passing it out, so I learned to do that better. Every fast break, I was looking for my teammates. I tried to get the ball to players like Ta'Liyah, who would already be posting up."

Head also played volleyball for Vallejo High, helping the team to a 5-8 mark in league play. However, she said, when playing basketball, her other problems seem to disappear.

"Basketball is a big thing in my life, and all the problems either at home, my friends, it all goes away, and it silences when I hold the ball. It's just me, and it has helped me through a lot. I don't know where I would be if I weren't playing that sport."

She has been playing since her elementary school days, but during her freshman year, when she was named to the varsity squad, she realized she might have a bright future in the sport.

"Elementary school days, it was just about recess, it wasn't that big of a deal," Head said. "But when I made varsity as a freshman, and I got to know all the players, I just fell in love with the sport. My teammates made everything so easy for me. They made it welcoming to me to the point where they became a second family to me."

Three years later, Head was expected to be a leader a little more.

"By my senior year, the team was so close to each other already," Head said. "Having Zurrie and Ta'Liyah by my side helped me lead. I couldn't lead without them. We're good leaders, I hope."

Players like Washington, a Times-Herald Female Athlete of the Year candidate in 2025, feel the same way about Head. In a game this season against Albany, Washington turned one steal into a tough and-one finish that sparked the home crowd, triggering a special handshake that she and Head often do.

"That's my ride-or-die. She got my back, I got her back," Washington said in February. "We just understand each other on a different level."

When the season ended, and Vallejo finally picked up a league title, Head broke down with her teammates at her side.

"It was amazing. I am pretty sure I cried," Head said, with a laugh. "I was so happy to get it with my family. We worked hard to get it, and although we had some ups and downs, I felt nobody deserved it more than us."

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