When the Girls Basketball 7-6A All-District honors were revealed in March, it was no surprise that Zarria Carter was named 1st Team All District.
The Mansfield High School sophomore averaged 18.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game for the Tigers’ girls basketball team this past season. She also put up nine double-doubles in district play.
Tigers’ head coach Kenni Patton said this was only the beginning for Carter.
“She’s in the process of growing right now and developing as a stronger player, but she’s gonna be good stuff,” Patton said. “She’s a great leader. She commands the floor, she asks for the ball when she wants it.”
Standing at 5-foot-10, Carter has also proved her physical prowess.
“She’s quick, she’s a tall post player for us,” Patton said. “Her speed is definitely an advantage against other teams. She can score, she averaged over 16 points a game. This year she had 14 double-doubles. She’s just an all-around great kid and great athlete.”
Patton said Carter also shows a similar type of dedication in the classroom and has gained academic achievements.
“She maintains a high GPA, always on top of her school work, all-around the whole package, academic, character and athletics,” Patton said.
Carter is one of the youngest players on the team, but Patton said she’s not afraid to step up as a leader.
“She’s very vocal. She’s not afraid to step on toes when they need to be stepped on, to get the team in gear,” Patton said. “That’s very rare as a younger player. She does it well, the team responds to her because they respect her as a player. She’s able to lead by example.”
With the growth she has already shown, Patton said the sophomore standout is on track to accomplish her goal of playing basketball in college.
