A historic era in girls basketball at Clinton High will continue at the collegiate level as seniors Ciara Stuart, Jayla Pickett and Janiya Mosley officially signed to continue their basketball careers in college.
Stuart and Pickett will continue their playing careers together at Methodist University, while Mosley signed with Montreat College.
For Clinton head coach Chris Owens, seeing three players from the same senior class reach the collegiate level served as a reflection of years of hard work and commitment from the Lady Dark Horses program.
“I’m very proud of them,” Owens said. “I give God the glory because He’s leading these girls the right way and fulfilling their goals. When they came in, they were raw and had to learn organized basketball coming from middle school. But they understood the work they had to put in to be successful and reach their goals, which all of them wanted to do by playing college basketball.”
Owens admitted the moment carried plenty of emotion for him as a coach.
“When you see young ladies put in the hard work these girls have and then reach one of the goals they set for themselves, it’s awesome,” Owens remarked. “I love those girls like they’re my own, so seeing them become successful means a lot.”
For Pickett, signing with Methodist University represented the culmination of years of sacrifice and support from those around her.
“Amazing,” Pickett said when describing the moment. “I’m so grateful. I’m so thankful. I’ve got to shout out everybody. I love everybody. I couldn’t do it without my team.”
As she prepares for the transition to college basketball, Pickett said one of the biggest lessons she will carry with her from Clinton is accountability and the bond she built with her teammates.
“My sisterhood,” Pickett shared. “These girls taught me so much. Holding yourself accountable definitely sticks with me.”
That transition to college will also come with added comfort, as Stuart will be making the move to Methodist alongside her.
“It means so much,” Pickett explained. “I don’t know if she wasn’t going if I was going to go, because I was scared to go by myself. I’m glad she’s going to be there with me.”
Owens believes Pickett’s game is perfectly suited for the next level, especially her polished mid-range scoring ability.
“She really put the work in to make that mid-range shot part of her game,” Owens noted. “Methodist is getting a young lady with a good head on her shoulders who understands her role and works hard to help her team succeed.”
While Stuart did not provide comments during the ceremony, Owens highlighted the tremendous development he witnessed from the Lady Dark Horses’ point guard throughout her varsity career.
“She struggled a lot her freshman year, but she wanted to get better,” Owens recalled. “She was one of those players who came to both practices. She had to learn how to run the point guard position and understand how to both score and distribute the basketball.”
Owens said Stuart’s evolution into a combo guard capable of both facilitating and scoring should greatly benefit Methodist moving forward.
“That’s going to be a good tag team with her and Jayla going together because they respect each other and know how each other plays,” Owens added.
For Mosley, her signing day became even more emotional because it also fell on her grandfather’s birthday.
“It really means a lot because there were times where I doubted myself,” Mosley said. “And the fact that it’s my grandpa’s birthday today made it an even bigger moment.”
Mosley reflected on how much she has grown both on and off the basketball court during her journey at Clinton.
“My biggest takeaway from my progression is I’m not scared to get out there and do what I have to do anymore,” Mosley stated. “I used to be shy, but basketball and being on a team really helped me grow as a person.”
Her toughness became one of the defining traits of her game throughout her career. Even after suffering an injury during Clinton’s playoff run, Mosley was determined to return to the floor for her teammates.
“I’ve always been a strong fighter on the court,” Mosley said. “This is just going to make me even stronger.”
Owens described Mosley as the emotional heartbeat of the Lady Dark Horses program.
“You can’t coach heart,” Owens emphasized. “She’s going to do the dirty work and never back down from anybody. She was the heartbeat of our team. Montreat is getting an awesome player and an awesome student.”
Mosley’s father, Jojuan Mosley, who also serves as a coach within the program, said the day carried a unique mix of emotions as both a father and mentor.
“Exciting, nervous, scared, overwhelming,” Jojuan Mosley said. “Not just for my daughter, but for all three girls because I look at all of them like they’re mine.”
Despite the emotions that come with sending the players into the next phase of life, Mosley expressed confidence in all three seniors.
“They’re strong-minded individuals,” he said. “Each one of them brings something unique not just to basketball, but to life itself. I think they’re all going to be very successful.”
Mosley also believes the trio has helped establish a blueprint for younger players within the Clinton Lady Dark Horses program.
“They definitely set the example,” Mosley remarked. “They were three of the most dedicated girls on and off the court, always putting in extra work. They showed the younger girls what it takes.”
As the three seniors now prepare for the collegiate level, Owens said his message to them remains the same as it has throughout their time at Clinton.
“We teach them for life,” Owens said. “They’re prepared. Life is tough, but they can handle it. The biggest thing we always tell them is to keep God first, and everything else will fall into place.”
Now, after helping build one of the strongest eras of girls basketball in recent memory at Clinton Lady Dark Horses, Stuart, Pickett and Mosley will each take the next step of their journeys carrying the lessons, relationships and work ethic that defined their time in Clinton.