Prospect Spotlight: Jayla Pierce (2021)
Eudora standout 2021 wing Jayla Pierce is coming off a strong sophomore season and is excited for what the upcoming year holds. At 5’10, Pierce is an aggressive offensive and defensive player who uses her height to her advantage well…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEudora standout 2021 wing Jayla Pierce is coming off a strong sophomore season and is excited for what the upcoming year holds.
At 5’10, Pierce is an aggressive offensive and defensive player who uses her height to her advantage well and is a strong rebounder at both ends of the floor.
She was a key member of one of the best teams in Eudora history on the girls side as the Cardinals went 17-5 overall and 8-1 in the Frontier League. Eudora was awarded the No. 5 seed in the substate tournament and defeated Iola and Labette County for the title. The team advanced to the Class 4A state tournament but as the No. 8 seed faced red hot Piper out of the gate and fell in a tough contest.
“As the team and I walked into that arena, you could feel the excitement,” Pierce said. “Just having the opportunity to play in that setting was the coolest experience. We played a hard game, but came up short to Piper in the first round of state.”
Pierce put together a strong season and played her role, playing strong defense, rebounding and doing the little things at a high level.
“My team had powerful guards, including Harper Schreiner and Riley Heibert,” Pierce said. “They led the way for scoring with their speed and great moves. My role I feel on the team was more of a rebounder and to of course play good defense and offense.”
Also a standout softball player, Pierce says much of her summer was focused on the diamond but still was able to be involved with all of the Eudora basketball summer practices and scrimmages.
“We had weekly practices and around 4-5 scrimmages with other teams near us,” she said. “I think that this practice and time that I have put in during the summer definitely will help improve my game. I’ve been focusing on trying to develop my offensive post moves to become more of a threat down below. I’ve also been trying to improve my speed and jumping so I can better my defensive skills as well. These things that I have been trying to improve I believe will all around make me a better player to help my team succeed.”
Pierce says her older brother Jayden Pierce, an all-state player at Eudora who is currently attending Northwest Missouri State on a baseball scholarship, has had the biggest impact on her basketball career to date.
“He has always been such a great role model to me not only in basketball and other sports, but just in life too,” she said. “Jayden was such a good basketball player, every time he went out on the court he meant business. He was also a forward which of course led to me wanting to do the same.
“Seeing him go out there and play with so much toughness and grit inspired me everyday. He works so hard in everything that he does, and it did pay off.”
The daughter of two Kansas graduates, Jayla Pierce says she has grown up a Jayhawks fan and still is today. She enjoyed watching former star Perry Ellis play and more recently enjoyed watching former Eudora and current Creighton standout Mitchell Ballock.
“It was super cool to watch (Ballock) play in high school and he was truly an inspiration and made me want to succeed like he has,” Pierce said.
Pierce has heard from several colleges for softball and says that is the sport she wants to pursue at the next level. She plays third and first base and bats left handed.
“I have not gotten any offers yet but I’m excited for what the future holds,” Pierce says.