by By Dan Ninham
The second player in Westwood HS (AZ) girls’ basketball history is 200 points away from 1000 career points.
Nyese Jones, 17, lives in Lehi, AZ. She is Pima and Hopi and her Hopi clans are tobacco and rabbit. She finished her junior year at Westwood HS.
“I compete for myself and my family,” said Nyese. “I’ve learned in my life it is not as easy as it looks like in the movies. So I need to work for what I want.”
Nyese also competes for “NWT: Natives With Talent.” This is a club team organized by her father Jerry Jones.
“I’ve accomplished a lot in my life so far,” said Nyese. “I’ve finished every year averaging a GPA of 3.0. I’ve also made and broke some records for my high school basketball team including three consecutive years averaging 200+ points, being nominated for Offensive Player of the Year for my team, and also being one of the team captains and one of very few to make varsity every year I’ve been in high school.”
“I would like to think I’m going as far as my mind will take me, whether it be JUCO, D1-D3,” said Nyese. “I am going to work as hard as humanly possible to make this dream a reality!”
Nyese is working on her goals beyond high school into her college years.
“I want to finish college with a degree in physical therapy or anything that deals with sports,” said Nyese. “I know college will be tough but I am looking forward to the challenge.”
“I look up to my dad because of his past and what he’s been through,” said Nyese. “He’s showed me a lot and I value every bit of information he shares with me.”
“Nyese continually surprises me by the little things she does, how she’s directing and helping,” said dad Jerry Jones, NWT club coach. “So unselfish on and off the court with just one of the purest hearts I’ve ever seen. She goes above and beyond to make sure everyone scores but also makes huge plays to help her team in big situations.”
“She’ll make sure everyone knows where they should be on both ends of the court. I’ve given her tasks in games and without hesitation she’s doing it. If it’s having to lock down their best scorer or boxing out a big there’s no job too big for her. Her tenacious defense has created some huge turnovers. If she’s having a bad shooting game she knows she can count on her team to pick up the slack,” added Jerry.
“Nyese plays this game with so much passion,” said Jerry. “She is truly one of the best two-way players I’ve seen and coached in a very long time. She is just an all-around genuine and friendly young lady, and I am proud to call her my own. There’s a saying about having a ‘favorite’ athlete on sports teams, but I got to raise and coach mine.”
“Ron Campton has been coaching me since I was six years old on a team called ‘Wolfpack.’ I was the youngest and smallest but he always gave me a chance to show who I was, for that I truly respect him and thank him for seeing potential in me and actually giving me that chance. Now being my high school coach he gives me so many duties and task, I see this as a responsibility and I want to make the best of every moment and opportunity I can so will.”
“I’ve coached Nyese since she was nine years old, and in the past few years she has really become a leader for all of her teams,” said Ron Campton, Westwood Lady Warrior’s varsity head coach. “For us at Westwood, she was our defensive floor general when she was on the court. She was calling out the defenses to shift into, making sure players talked through screens, etc. This year she has taken an even bigger step forward as a leader. She’s coached summer league games, pushed girls to get into the gym, and been one of two players our girls turn to with questions.”
“It’s been absolutely amazing watching her go from a quiet, little nine year old and turn into this vocal leader for her high school program that all of our players look up to,” added Ron.
“My dad is a huge reason I am where I am today,” said Nyese. “My dad was always about softball until I asked him to make a team for me. I knew my dad could do it! With him as my coach and mentor I can give myself and each of these girls on the team opportunities for future goals, showing them how to learn mentally and physically and just to love the game.”
“My mother Sarah Achin is a strong woman who’s done so much for me off the court,” said Nyese. “She’s showed me things only a mother could. I love her passion and drive for the game and she’s still supporting me every way she can and will.”
“Nyese’ compassion for the game is amazingly humble,” said mom Sara Achin. “She learned at the Boys & Girls Club in Lehi at the early age of six years old being the smallest and youngest. She never let that keep her off the court.”
“Nyese has an older sister two years older and she always had to be better and would always work hard. Nyese’ best attribute would be how incredible of a teacher, leader and mentor she is on the court. She loves to feed her players the ball endlessly. With a smile she always wears because she knows how much of an impact it is,” added Sarah.
“Coming into my life later, my godfather Brandon Nahsonhoya has been someone I can talk to and confide in,” said Nyese. “He’s also my coach and mentor and I look up to him and thank him for what he’s done in such little time.”
“Nyese is an outstanding defender finding clever and sly ways of stealing the ball, getting deflections and still being able to turn it on on the offensive end,” said Brandon Nahsonhoya, co-head coach of NWT. “She is definitely a team-first type of player. She also is a great student and excelling academically. Her education and extracurricular activities are not only her priority. Nyese continues to honor, respect, and participate in traditional and cultural duties of both Piipash and Hopi Tribes.”
“All my life I’ve grew up around softball,” said Nyese. “My dad played, my uncle played and they were good. My dad thought for sure I’d be that ‘all-star’ softball player.”
“In 2010, I made the choice to play basketball and surprising my dad,” said Nyese. “He’s never complained or asked me to switch and for that I am truly thankful for everything he’s done.”
Nyese said: “This is a quote I feel pretty much sums up everything my dad teaches us:
Confidence isn’t walking into a gym thinking you are better than everyone, it’s walking in and not having to compare yourself to anyone at all.”
Photo Credit: Antonio Ibarra
