Doniphan’s Hagood has big first varsity week

Carsyn Hagood is well…good. 

But what determines good? 

Is it back-to-back games of 27-plus points to start your high school career? Is it five steals in a championship game when you helped your team hold your opponent under 50?

Whatever the reasoning is, Hagood fits the bill.

The Doniphan Donette freshman dazzled in the first week of her prep hoops career at the Lady Dawg Classic at Van Buren High School. 

But if there’s one thing Hagood isn’t a fan of, it’s recognition for her stellar play. 

“She just puts her head down and works hard,” Doniphan head coach Adam Epps said. “She does not like attention. She’s probably one of the smartest players I’ve coached.”

Hagood’s quiet demeanor is deadly on the basketball court as she was calm and collected through two games despite knowing the adamant for Liberty was as she was a manager for the Donettes last season.

“I knew they had their guard from last year that could make good passes, make strong passes, she could rebound,” she said. “Then they had their shooter, number 21. We had to guard her.”

Even though she knew the scouting report and executed the gameplay, Hagood admitted she had some butterflies going into the game.

“We were nervous because everyone is nervous going into a championship game,” she said. “Especially as a freshman … This was going to be a bigger game. More competitive, more physical.”

Even though it was a bigger game and a tournament final at that, the Donettes delivered, which gives them a boost after the first week of the season.

Doniphan lost several seniors from last year’s squad and Hagood said the team knew people weren’t as high on them as they had Bren in recent years.

“I think it proves people wrong because people thought that since we lost four seniors we weren’t going to be very good,” she said. “Starting off winning a tournament against a good team is a good way to start the season.”

As Hagood still has a long way to go in her high school career, Epps said he’s ready to see where she can end up.

“She just knows how to play the game,” he said. “She can go right, she can go left. She can obviously shoot it. Got a lot of things going for her and got a real high ceiling. I’m happy to have her around.”