Bryer, Hedge named Athletes of the Week

Spring sports are on the horizon as softball teams have begun scrimmages this past week with baseball soon to follow. Tennis, track and field and golf are all on the way, as well.

But before those sports fully take over, winter sports are still seeing plenty of action on a weekly basis. Graham’s basketball and soccer teams have been quite active lately, with basketball in the heat of district play while soccer is wrapping up non-district.

This past week, a pair of juniors have earned the distinctions as The Graham Leader’s Athletes of the Week. Fayth Bryer of the Lady Blues basketball team and Easton Hedge of the Steers soccer team have been selected for their performances in recent games and throughout their seasons.

Fayth Bryer, forward, Lady Blues basketball

Not many students can transfer somewhere new, make the varsity team in a sport and contribute on a nightly basis but that’s what Bryer has done this year.

Bryer is in her first year with Graham’s basketball team and has started multiple games for the Lady Blues squad. She spends most of her time inside the key, looking to rebound and score points down low.

“She’s been a good addition to us…the girls have embraced her and she’s meshed well,” head coach Kyle Wood said.
While it’s normal for a new player to take some time to figure out a role, Bryer has steadily improved throughout the season. She’s found her niche on the team and begun to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball.

“You can just see her kind of coming out of her shell a little bit, looking to score and making some great moves,” Wood said. “(In) the last few weeks you can kind of see a difference in how she's playing.”

While all her contributions may not show up in the stat sheet, Bryer brings a strong presence to the interior of Graham’s offense and defense. During the team’s recent games against Stephenville and Brownwood, she’s taken more shots, secured more rebounds and has helped the team in a lot of ways.

“She's adapted to the things that we do differently versus where she's come from, so she's been a good asset to us,” Wood said.

Easton Hedge, midfielder, Steers soccer

The Steers soccer team recently wrapped up their non-district schedule of games and they’ll start district play Monday, Feb. 5.

Graham has seen a lot of positives through the season’s first games and Hedge has been a big part of that.

Hedge brings versatility to the varsity squad as he has the ability to play various positions on the field. He possesses an elite ability to score the ball but finds success sharing with teammates, as well.

“(He) is such a versatile player and loves the game so much you can tell him to play just about anywhere and he'll rise up to the request and he does it without question,” head coach Tim Wankowicz said. “...He's absolutely genius at feeding balls to forwards or outside midfielders, but is still a huge scoring threat in the attacking third.”

During Graham’s most recent game against Springtown, in which the Steers won 2-1, Hedge scored the game-winning goal on a laser shot from about 20 yards out. He’s scored goals from all over the field and regularly contributes to the team’s outcomes.

Hedge possesses a passion for the game of soccer that is seemingly unmatched. When he’s not perfecting his craft, he can be found playing FIFA, a popular soccer video game.

“He honestly whipped everyone's tail when we had a Xbox FIFA playoff at the Palestine tournament one night on the big screen TV at the hotel,” Wankowicz said.

As the team starts a tough district schedule, Hedge will continue to be relied on for scoring and his leadership. He plays hard every second he’s in the game and sets an example for his teammates. The Steers hope for a successful finish to the season and Hedge will help make that happen.