Ta-Ron Ayers
ALL-MET ELITE
WEST VA.
BECKLEY — How ironic that one of the most electric point guards in the area, Woodrow Wilson’s Ta-Ron Ayers, gained his nickname in football.
It’s even more ironic that the Flying Eagles sophomore does all his work coming off the bench.
Never heard of Ayers?
Perhaps you’ve heard of T-Rex.
That’s his girdiron-earned nickname.
“My dad just started calling me T-Rex when I played midget league football,” Ayers said. “Football was my best sport back then. I was little and mean, and he just started calling me T-Rex.”The name stuck.
“If you go out and say Ta-Ron, chances are not a lot of people are going to know,” Ayers said. “Most people call me T-Rex. Some of my teachers call me T-Rex. It just kind of stuck. I’m used to it. I really like it.”
That Ayers comes off the bench after starting last year doesn’t really faze the 5-foot-8 highlight-reel passer.
After all, Woodrow Wilson is undefeated (8-0) and took over the No. 1 spot in Class AAA this week.
“It was a good experience to start as a freshman, and I thought it was a pretty good accomplishment because not too many people do that,” Ayers said. “We’re winning and that’s the important thing. I remember somebody told me that Jamel Bradley (a star on the 1997 and 1998 state championship teams) came off the bench for a while and he went on to be one of the best players ever from Woodrow.”
It’s a goal that Ayers is shooting for himself, outside of the fact that his ultimate goal is getting Woodrow the championship that has eluded the Flying Eagles since 2008.
It is no surprise that basketball has become Ayers’ calling card.
It runs in the family.
Ayers, who moved to Beckley from Hinton in seventh grade, is the cousin of Summers County’s Candace Brown, who is the leading girls scorer in the nation.
“I probably had a basketball in my hands before I could walk,” Ayers said. “The whole family plays basketball. It’s just a family tradition-type thing.”
Ayers is fourth on the team in scoring this season at 12.4 points per game. He is also averaging about five assists.
“He brings a lot of energy for us off the bench,” Woodrow Wilson coach Ron Kidd said. “He brings a lot of excitement. He has done an excellent job for us. A lot of what he does is natural ability. He’s been a good teammate and is becoming a leader.”
He has also gained a bit of notoriety around the southeast as an elite AAU player.
He played for Boo Williams’ AAU Summer Basketball League, which is one of the top leagues in the East, housing former stars like Allen Iverson.
Ayers was the MVP of the league in his age group as an eighth-grader.
“He told me he wanted me to come and play for his AAU team and bring it back to the way it was when Allen Iverson played,” Ayers said. “I thought that was one of the best compliments I ever received.”
Despite his sophomore status, Ayers has already been contacted by several Division I schools, including West Virginia and Virginia Tech.
He visited WVU Saturday.
“I love WVU but I also like Virginia Tech,” Ayers said. “They are both close to home. A lot of teams are showing some interest. I have plenty of time to see what happens.”
Woodrow Wilson, coming off a win over then-No. 7 George Washington, will put its winning streak and ranking on the line tonight when the Flying Eagles travel to South Charleston.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Ayers said. “They are always good and it should be a great game.”
It’s even more ironic that the Flying Eagles sophomore does all his work coming off the bench.
Never heard of Ayers?
Perhaps you’ve heard of T-Rex.
That’s his girdiron-earned nickname.
“My dad just started calling me T-Rex when I played midget league football,” Ayers said. “Football was my best sport back then. I was little and mean, and he just started calling me T-Rex.”The name stuck.
“If you go out and say Ta-Ron, chances are not a lot of people are going to know,” Ayers said. “Most people call me T-Rex. Some of my teachers call me T-Rex. It just kind of stuck. I’m used to it. I really like it.”
That Ayers comes off the bench after starting last year doesn’t really faze the 5-foot-8 highlight-reel passer.
After all, Woodrow Wilson is undefeated (8-0) and took over the No. 1 spot in Class AAA this week.
“It was a good experience to start as a freshman, and I thought it was a pretty good accomplishment because not too many people do that,” Ayers said. “We’re winning and that’s the important thing. I remember somebody told me that Jamel Bradley (a star on the 1997 and 1998 state championship teams) came off the bench for a while and he went on to be one of the best players ever from Woodrow.”
It’s a goal that Ayers is shooting for himself, outside of the fact that his ultimate goal is getting Woodrow the championship that has eluded the Flying Eagles since 2008.
It is no surprise that basketball has become Ayers’ calling card.
It runs in the family.
Ayers, who moved to Beckley from Hinton in seventh grade, is the cousin of Summers County’s Candace Brown, who is the leading girls scorer in the nation.
“I probably had a basketball in my hands before I could walk,” Ayers said. “The whole family plays basketball. It’s just a family tradition-type thing.”
Ayers is fourth on the team in scoring this season at 12.4 points per game. He is also averaging about five assists.
“He brings a lot of energy for us off the bench,” Woodrow Wilson coach Ron Kidd said. “He brings a lot of excitement. He has done an excellent job for us. A lot of what he does is natural ability. He’s been a good teammate and is becoming a leader.”
He has also gained a bit of notoriety around the southeast as an elite AAU player.
He played for Boo Williams’ AAU Summer Basketball League, which is one of the top leagues in the East, housing former stars like Allen Iverson.
Ayers was the MVP of the league in his age group as an eighth-grader.
“He told me he wanted me to come and play for his AAU team and bring it back to the way it was when Allen Iverson played,” Ayers said. “I thought that was one of the best compliments I ever received.”
Despite his sophomore status, Ayers has already been contacted by several Division I schools, including West Virginia and Virginia Tech.
He visited WVU Saturday.
“I love WVU but I also like Virginia Tech,” Ayers said. “They are both close to home. A lot of teams are showing some interest. I have plenty of time to see what happens.”
Woodrow Wilson, coming off a win over then-No. 7 George Washington, will put its winning streak and ranking on the line tonight when the Flying Eagles travel to South Charleston.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” Ayers said. “They are always good and it should be a great game.”
No comments:
Post a Comment