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'Special passer' to make Hayti's task of success dificult
Thursday, January 23, 2025
Delta High School senior guard Jade Berry makes a pass to a teammate in a recent victory over Dexter in the Lady Indians Showcase at Jackson High School.
Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com
The Hayti High School girl’s basketball team has ridden a rollercoaster this season, and today’s test won’t be any more enjoyable.
After winning five consecutive games to open their season, the Indians (6-6) dropped six straight contests, before getting past Campbell recently 62-56 at Hayti.
Next up for Hayti is battling Class 1 No. 3-ranked Delta (11-2) today at 5 p.m., which is led by Jade Berry, who is “the best player in Southeast Missouri. Period. End of discussion.”
That strong assessment of Berry comes from Ladycat coach David Heeb, who has coached Berry “since the sixth grade.”
“The thing that makes Jade so special,” Heeb explained, “is that she gets everybody involved every night.”
As great as Berry is at scoring, and she is great at that, she is just as talented at distributing.
“She is going to graduate as our all-time scorer, assists, steals, (and) 3-pointers,” Heeb continued. “She’s going to break every record that we’ve got.”
But Heeb also noted that despite her offensive production, “she has never averaged 20 points per game.”
“Her decision-making is so pure,” Heeb said.
“Pure” like former Scott County Central standout Bobby Hatchett, according to Heeb.
“I would put Jade in the same category as Bobby,” Heeb explained. “Fans around here know how awesome he was.”
For Berry, Heeb has taught her to analyze her situation on the fly, but with each drive, once it gets to the 10-foot (from the basket) point, a decision has to be made as to what to do with the ball. He refers to it as the “10-foot decision.”
“She is never looking for a specific person,” Heeb explained. “Jade just gets who is open the ball. At 10 feet, there is the decision: Am I going to shoot it or pass it?
“She is one of the best I have ever coached at making that decision. She makes the right decision almost all of the time.”
Berry isn’t lengthy, which would provide her the advantage of passing over defenders. However, she is athletic enough, and more skilled than anyone else, which gives her the ability to “make every pass,” according to her coach.
“She’ll do the simplest thing,” Heeb explained of her decision-making and passing judgment. The short bounce pass, the kick-out 3, (and) she can make the behind-the-back pass.
“She is just a special passer.”
The Delta and Hayti boys’ game will follow the girl’s game today at 7:15 p.m.