Clinton player leaves lasting mark in girls basketball
Updated: 8:36 PM CST Jan 31, 2024
HERE WITH YOUR SPORTS, WE PUT THE SPOTLIGHT ON A SPECIAL PLAYER AT CLINTON HIGH SCHOOL. YOU MIGHT MISS HER IF YOU TRY TO PICK HER OUT OF A CROWD, BUT WHEN SHE’S ON THE FLOOR, YOU WON’T MISS HOW SHE IMPACTS THE GAME. CLINTON GUARD TAYLOR FELTON HAS BEEN PROVING HERSELF TO PEOPLE HER WHOLE LIFE. >> EVERY TIME YOU GET ON THE COURT, YOU GOT TO. >> BUT IT HAS FUELED HER PERFORMANCES. SHE HAS USED THAT FUEL TO BECOME A DANDY DOZEN THREE YEARS IN A ROW. >> I NEVER REALLY KNEW ABOUT DANDY DAYS UNTIL I GOT INTO HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL, SO RECEIVING IT MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, I WAS I WAS HAPPY, I WAS SURPRISED, SHOCKED, BUT I FELT LIKE I HAD TO REMAIN HUMBLED AND JUST KEEP THE TITLE AND PROVE THAT I EARNED IT. >> THE CLARION-LEDGER CONFIRMED THAT SHE’S THE FIRST GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER TO RECEIVE THE HONOR. >> THREE STRAIGHT YEARS. THE ONLY OTHER PLAYER IS ANOTHER DYNAMIC SMALL GUARD, CALLAWAY LEGEND DESHAWN RUFFIN. >> I FEEL LIKE IT’S FUN. IT’S DIFFERENT TO BE THE SMALLEST ONE ON THE COURT BECAUSE YOU GOT SOMETHING TO PROVE ANYWAY. SO THEN WHEN YOU DO WHAT YOU DO AND THEY GONNA LOOK AT YOU DIFFERENT, YOU’RE GOING TO GET THE RECOGNITION YOU DESERVE AND EVERYTHING. >> TAYLOR IS LISTED AT FIVE TWO, BUT SHE CAN SCORE 30 OR MORE POINTS ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT. HER PLAYMAKING AND SCORING ABILITY TURNS HEADS BECAUSE, WELL, SHE’S A SMALL GUARD BUT HAS A BIG GAME THAT SHE HAS WORKED ON CONSTANTLY. SHE. DOES A LOT OUTSIDE OF THE GAME, OUTSIDE OF PRACTICING, SO YOU CAN’T REALLY GIVE HER A LOT BECAUSE SHE’S ALREADY DOING A LOT OUTSIDE OF THE GAME. >> CLINTON HEAD COACH PERLING FAIRLEY HAS BEEN COACHING FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS, AND TAYLOR STANDS OUT AS ONE OF HER BEST PLAYERS, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF HER WORK ETHIC, BUT HOW SHE HAS MADE HER A BETTER COACH. YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO TALK TO HER AND HELP HER TO BE A BETTER PLAYER TO KEEP FROM GETTING HURT, BECAUSE THE BIGGEST THING IS SHE LIKES TO GET TO THE BASKET AND SHE’S SMALL, SO WHEN THEY’RE KNOCKING HER DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THEIR BODIES ON HER AND YOU KNOW, TIRING HER OUT, NOW SHE HAS TO LEARN TO TAKE THAT MID-RANGE JUMPER. SHE HAS TO LEARN HOW TO SHOOT THE THREE MORE EFFECTIVELY. SO SHE JUST HELPED ME TO GROW BECAUSE I HAD TO FIND DIFFERENT WAYS TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE COULD SCORE THE BASKETBALL. >> TAYLOR HOPES SHE CAN BE AN INSPIRATION TO OTHER GIRLS WHO THINK THEY MAY NOT LOOK THE PART, BUT FEEL THEY CAN PLAY A HUGE ROLE. >> I JUST FEEL LIKE, UM, EVERY NIGHT YOU STEP ON FOOT, YOU JUST GOT TO PLAY HARD. LIKE YOU DON’T. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IN THE BLEACHERS WATCHING SOMEBODY GONNA RUN UP. SOMEBODY OLDER. YOU NEVER KNOW. SO IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO JUST LOOK AND SEE OTHER PEOPLE. THAT’S DOING THE SAME THING. YOU ARE THE REZ ON THREE, ONE, TWO, THREE. >> ALL RIGHT. AND TAYLOR IS A SENIOR AND SHE’S COMMITTED TO MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST. SHE AND THE ARROWS WRAP UP THE REGULAR SEASON AT MADISON CENTRAL ON FRIDA
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Clinton player leaves lasting mark in girls basketball
Updated: 8:36 PM CST Jan 31, 2024
Clinton senior point guard Taelar Felton is the first girls basketball player to be named a Dandy Dozen three years in a row. It’s quite an accomplishment for a player who is only 5’2″.But she has a big impact on the floor despite being a small guard. Felton hopes to be inspiration to others and her team as they push for the playoffs in final season as an Arrow.
Clinton senior point guard Taelar Felton is the first girls basketball player to be named a Dandy Dozen three years in a row. It’s quite an accomplishment for a player who is only 5’2″.
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But she has a big impact on the floor despite being a small guard. Felton hopes to be inspiration to others and her team as they push for the playoffs in final season as an Arrow.