Versatile Evans leading Greenville in quest for yet another winning campaign

PUXICO - The Greenville High School boy’s basketball program has endured 10 losing seasons in the past 15 winters, but losing hasn’t been the norm since Easton Evans began walking the halls of the school.

The senior guard has helped the Bears win 54 games during his nearly four years of high school basketball, and a third consecutive winning season for the program is underway this year.

“You try to take away what he likes to do,” Puxico coach Bryant Fernetti said after recently having to defend against Evans and his Bear teammates. “Good players are going to score.”

Greenville improved to 4-4 this season with a 74-41 victory over Piggott (Ark.) on Monday in the Campbell Christmas Tournament, which moved them to a game on Thursday against Senath-Hornersville.

Evans had 14 points against Fernetti’s Indians, though in a 62-51 stunning defeat, given that the Bears scored the game’s initial 13 points.

In a pivotal second-half moment in that game, Puxico junior guard Mason Parsley, who Fernetti had pressuring Evans, actually made a play against Evans to help swing the momentum to Puxico.

“Parsley had a big steal on Evans,” Fernetti was recalling, “which rarely happens because he is such a good player.”

Evans is a versatile athlete for Greenville, who can score at varying levels on the court.

“Easton does a lot of things for us,” Greenville coach Nathan Walk said. “He gets the offense initiated. He hits big shots, rebounds, defends, I mean, he is just the total package.”

Walk said Evans, who had 33 points in a loss to unbeaten Woodland earlier this season, is as quality of an individual off of the court, as he is a “good player,” in Fernetti’s words, on it.

“He is a good kid,” Walk continued. “He comes in every day and works hard. He sets the example for the young guys and everybody.

“We’re going to miss him next year.”

The Bears are coming off a 22-2 season a year ago and have seven seniors this year in Evans, Trevor Bratton, William Friley, Talan McDaniel, Braden O’Dell, Trey Porter, and Drake Stilts.

Following the Campbell event, Greenville will travel to unbeaten Hartville (6-0) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. Walk’s kids won’t be home again until hosting Hayti on Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.

“This year,” Walk said, “offensively, we are playing really well. Defensively, we are struggling, at times. Last year, that was flip-flopped.”