AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - In her senior year, Promise Sherwood has carved out a key role as one of starting guards and best defenders for the Randall Lady Raiders.
It wasn’t always clear if basketball was the path she’d pursue in high school, but her coaches are certainly grateful she did.
“I knew her before she was in seventh grade because she was a cheerleader and a basketball player.” Lady Raiders head coach Brooke Walthall recounted of her early memories of Sherwood. “She made the cheer team because that tries out in the spring in sixth grade, so she didn’t get to do basketball in seventh grade... We were a little worried that she was gonna go to cheer. This year she was gonna cheer and play basketball, but she decided to stick to basketball and track.”
With the support of her coaches and others, Sherwood would eventually be drawn to basketball and it quickly became one of her strongest passions.
“I love to cheer but being on the sideline, I always wanted to be in the game.” Sherwood said of why she ultimately chose basketball over cheer. “My parents always pushed me to do whatever I wanted to do. I started seeing my brothers play and seeing the excitement that was happening from it and I decided that I think basketball would be a fun thing for me to do.”
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Sherwood has improved her game to the point that she’s become Coach Walthall’s go-to defender on the perimeter to guard the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis, but her contributions to the team extend far beyond just that.
“She’s not the tallest player that we have, but she’s got a big heart.” Walthall said. “I’m just so proud of Promise. She’s an all-around player and she’s an all-around person. When you’re talking about kids that you want to have in her program, she’s one of them... She is a very good human. She is nice to everybody and her relationships with people are one of the things that make her really special and that’s helping our team out a lot.”
After the season, Sherwood will head back to the track where she was a state finalist last season, looking to compete once more at the state meet with her team.
“I’m really excited to see what we can do again this year.” Sherwood said of looking forward to the track season. “I think we can make state again. I hope that I continue to grow, I hope that I PR in anything I do this year, and I’m really excited to see what my senior year holds.”
With a 4.0 GPA, a homecoming queen win, a strong basketball season, and another track season still on the way, it’s hard to find anything Sherwood hasn’t exceled at during her time as a Lady Raider. She’s certainly someone that will be missed all across Randall once her time at the school is up.
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