Then and Now
Hobbs freshman Adyson Everhart right where she wants to be
JASON FARMER/NEWS-SUN
As a fourth grader, Hobbs freshman Adyson Everhart was already working on her game on the Tasker Arena hardwood. Now a freshman, she is a contributing member of the Lady Eagles varsity basketball team.
Everhart began playing basketball when she was four years old. She had no idea she would be playing varsity as a freshman, but she sure is enjoying it.
“I have liked basketball ever since I was little,” Everhart said. “I knew I wanted to grow up with it.”
That Everhart is getting minutes with the varsity as a freshman is impressive. Four of the Lady Eagles starters are seniors. Three have been on varsity since eighth grade and the other joined the varsity as a freshman when moving to Hobbs. Hobbs has two other seniors who play significant minutes and several juniors who are big-time contributors. Add in that Hobbs is the No. 1 team in the state and it is even more impressive.
“On a team like this, to be given any kind of minutes, is amazing,” Hobbs coach Joe Carpenter said. “For her, she can give us a lift here and there and change some of the game for us to make things easier for everybody, that is her role this year. Her role will expand next year and the coming years.”
“It has been good,” Everhart said of playing varsity basketball as a freshman. “I just look up to all the girls.”
The Hobbs freshman has taken full advantage of learning everything she can from the Lady Eagles older and more experienced players.
“It is fun because you get to know everything they do.” Everhart said of sharing the court with the seniors and more experienced players. “You just have to go out there and play.”
Everhart has played in 21 of the team’s 26 games. She has scored 58 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while handing out nine assists. The freshman has also come up with 13 steals and 26 deflections. She is averaging 2.8 points and 1.2 deflects a game while averaging five minutes a game on the court.
She scored a season-high 14 points in Hobbs’ 76-21 win over Eldorado in the semifinals of the Hobbs Holiday Tournament. Twice this season the freshman has sank a pair of treys in a game. She had three steals in a road win over Organ Mountain in January and a season-high two assists in a December win over Piedra Vista.
“Ady is one of those kids who is very dependable,” the Lady Eagles’ coach said “She is there everyday, she works hard, she can stroke it as good as anybody in our program.”
As the season winds down, there is a lot of important games left of the schedule for Hobbs. The Lady Eagles will host the District 4-5A Tournament championship game on Saturday in Tasker Arena. After that is the NMAA Class 5A state tournament.
“It is pretty nervous because this is my first time,” Everhart said, “but I can’t play scared. I am excited and it is exciting.”
