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Jada Clark (left) and Braden Bossier (right) are leading the Fairfield Lady Eagles to a dominant regular season.
With the regular season schedule winding down for the Fairfield Lady Eagles, things look pretty good.
The team currently stands at 27-4, with a district record of 6-1, as coach Sally Whitaker’s crew prepares for post-season action. Boosted by a ultra-talented senior class, the Lady Eagles have found particular leadership in two three-year roster members.
Seniors Jada Clark and Braden Bossier are key cogs of the Lady Eagles identity, with Clark orchestrating the offense from the guard position, and Bossier roaming the paint as a rim protector on defense.
Both are skilled in many facets of the game, and have the leadership ability needed for such a talented group. When Clark and Bossier first started on varsity during the 2017-18 campaign, though, it was a slightly different story.
“I was scared to death,” Bossier said.
The inside presence had been playing basketball since five years old, yet still had the varsity nerves as one of the roster’s youngest members. The other young player, Clark, had a steeper climb, only beginning hoops in earnest during Junior High.
“I had never played at [the varsity] level,” Clark said.
Despite the age difference, Bossier says that the older roster members didn’t treat her and Clark any different. Still in need of early guidance, the duo credited coach Whitaker for “pushing” the two forward through the years.
“She saw a lot in all of us,” Bossier said. “She helped us believe in ourselves.”
The duo saw two games of playoff action during their inaugural season, as the 14-11 Lady Eagles dropped an Area round contest to Burnet. The duo’s Junior seasons came as part of a 28-9 unit, as Fairfield surprised many with a run to the 4A Regional Finals. After the 64-40 defeat at the hands of Hardin-Jefferson, the duo returned to the court on a mission in 2019-20.
“I feel like we want it more now than we ever did before,” Clark said. “We work harder.”
Having the spotlight on the squad, Bossier stated that the team has taken everything in stride, as evidenced by the improved record on last year’s mark.
“Now there’s more pressure, which is harder to deal with, but we’ve learned to deal with that,” she said.
Bossier also commented on the ride Senior year has taken her on, specifically appreciating the “little things” more, such as individual practices and games.
“We’re playing now, but we’re going to miss it,” Clark added.
On the court, both Clark and Bossier set personal goals for the season that they feel they have achieved. Clark chose to focus on the offensive end of the game.
“I’m a good defensive player, so I wanted to work on my offense,” she said. “I used to be scared to dribble the ball. I just didn’t think I was a good ball-handler, but now I’m better.”
“She drives a lot more now,” Bossier commented.
Bossier’s focus was more on the locker room and holding her teammates accountable throughout the season.
“I wanted to be the best captain I could be, the best leader I could be,” she said. “I feel like I’ve done [well] so far.”
Becoming a great captain is not isolated to on-court leadership. It is also required in the day-to-day grind of the student athlete.
“I’ve always been a positive-minded person, encouraging,” Bossier said. “If I’m in the weight room, and I’m struggling, I know everyone else is struggling. I say ‘let’s go guys!’ and that kind of stuff…let them know they did a good job.”
Clark added that her responsibilities include “telling them to show up every day and not quit,” which came in handy in the wake of the Lady Eagles’ lone district loss to Rusk on Jan. 28.
“We didn’t just shut down [after the loss],” Bossier said. “The seniors, the leaders let them know that there’s more than just that game.”
Bossier’s instincts were correct, as the squad came out firing after the loss, defeating Palestine and Mexia by a combined 76 points.
“We were ready to prove that it wasn’t just one game,” she said. “That really helped us prove who we are.”
With just two more district contests before playoffs, the duo is very clear in their goal: win at all costs.
“I don’t want to lose like we did last year,” Bossier said.