Clay County Lady Bulldogs girls basketball player Haylen Garrison has built her high-school career around versatility.
A three-sport athlete competing in basketball, volleyball and softball, Garrison wears multiple jerseys throughout the year. But it is on the hardwood where she is carving out her identity, and quickly becoming an emerging leader for the Lady Bulldogs.
Her journey started well before the bright lights of district play.
Garrison traces it back to sixth grade, when her junior high team captured a state championship with a win over Pickett County. That moment, she said, ignited the competitive fire that still fuels her today.
Now a junior, Garrison said she considers herself one of the tone-setters inside Clay County’s gym, not just because of her scoring ability, but because of the way she strengthens the team’s bond.
“Off the floor, [my favorite part of preparing for a game] is getting my teammates together,” Garrison said. “Talking more not just all about basketball, just go out and everything outside of basketball too is what keeps us close.”
That closeness has translated to success. As a freshman, Garrison helped lead Clay County to the TSSAA state tournament in Murfreesboro, an experience she said she has not forgotten.
“We’re all super close,” Garrison said. “Practices are fun, and we’re all just like a family over here.”
That family atmosphere has fueled strong starts and statement wins. When the Lady Bulldogs need a spark, Garrison has delivered, pouring in multiple 20-point performances this season, including back-to-back nights with six made three-pointers. Last year, she etched her name into the school record books by draining 10 three-pointers in a win over Wartburg, setting a new Clay County record. Garrison said her long-range shooting, however, was not always a strength.
“Before that, I wasn’t a very good three point shooter,” Garrison said. “But seventh grade is when I really started working on it. But it didn’t get really good until my freshman year.”
Garrison said improvement does not happen by accident. When the Lady Bulldogs are not traveling or preparing for games, she is in the gym, often with her teammates, putting in extra work. This season, Garrison said she has focused on strengthening her defensive presence to complement her scoring.
For Garrison, the formula remains simple: work hard, stay close and trust the family atmosphere that has defined her basketball life since sixth grade.