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Halfway through the season, the Cabool girls basketball team is off to a good start.
They’re 7-5, and a big piece of their success is senior Hailey Shannon, who’s on the verge of becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer and she’s doing it with her family by her side.
Most basketball players have a specific skill that makes them stand out, but for Hailey Shannon the question is ‘What can’t she do?’
“This year we honestly ask her to do everything. Sometimes she helps bring the ball down the floor, sometimes she’s playing in the post,” said Cabool Girls Basketball Coach Rance Beller.
Along the way, she’s stamping her name in the school record books. On defense, “She set the school record for a single game of steals earlier this year. I think she had 14 steals in a game,” Beller said.
And on Offense, “She’s actually six points away from breaking the school record,” Beller added.
Hailey is a four-year starter for the Lady Bulldogs and credits family for her success.
“I’ve learned it’s a lot harder to play with bigger people, and I was kind of smaller my freshman year but I’ve always been kind of strong because, you know, siblings,” Cabool Senior Hailey Shannon said.
However, family and basketball have a slightly different meaning for Hailey as her family makes up nearly half of the Cabool roster.
“Hailey’s an aunt, so she has three nieces on the team,” said Beller.
Hailey’s older sister moved her family to Cabool during Hailey’s junior year, and Hailey’s been playing with her nieces ever since.
“We have a sophomore Bailey (Aaron), a freshman Makinley (Aaron), Madelyne (Aaron) graduated last year, and then we have Morganne (Aaron) a senior as well as me,” Hailey said.
However, it’s not your traditional aunt and niece relationship.
“A lot of people think we are cousins and I just kind of roll with it because it is very hard to explain the story. I really don’t feel like their aunt, I really feel like they are my sisters,” Hailey said.
“It’s like a friendship vibe I feel like because I don’t really see her as my aunt, she’s just like a family member,” Hailey’s Niece and Cabool Senior Morganne Aaron said.
But she does have one duty as an aunt.
“I take them to a lot of places, I’m their driver,” Hailey said.
Title’s aside, Hailey’s just happy to share the court with family the last two seasons.
“They’re goofballs, it’s so much fun to be around them. We’re never mad at each other, it’s all laughing,” said Hailey.
The family chemistry is a big part of Cabool’s early season success.
