By Daniel Green | BWS Sports

ROSEPINE — Rosepine head coach C.T. Kiely remembers seeing Taylor Farris for the first time.

It was at the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office girls basketball camp in DeRidder when Farris was still a youngster. Kiely was the head coach of the DeRidder Lady Dragons at the time and he was hoping she would come to DeRidder.

She didn’t attend DeRidder, but Kiely eventually found his way to Rosepine, where over the past three years, he has been able to coach Farris and the Lady Eagles.

“It’s been an amazing ride coaching Taylor,” Kiely said on Monday evening as he, along with family, teammates and friends, witnessed Farris sign her letter-of-intent to continue her basketball career at LSU-Eunice. “She worked hard everyday and always set the example for others.”

Farris, an all-district and all-parish performer during her days with the Lady Eagles, capped her career at Rosepine by winning all-state honorable mention recognition, while also playing in the state tournament twice. She was also an all-star as chosen by the coaches association.

Farris, known best for her ability to stretch the floor with her three-point accuracy, chose LSU-Eunice over the University of Dallas, Centenary, Mary Hardin-Baylor and the University of Mississippi Women’s College.

“I felt comfortable at Eunice and it’s really close to home where my family can watch me play,” she said. “I really liked the coaches and the environment. The coaches seem to really care about their players beyond basketball.”

Farris, who sports a 23 on her ACT, along with a near 4.0 grade-point average, is planning on majoring in nursing. But her primary goal will be, of course, to graduate from college.

“I really want to graduate, but I also want to succeed on the basketball court,” Farris said.

Farris is the only player in Rosepine history who can say she played twice in the Ladies Top 28. As an eighth-grader, she saw some action in the Lady Eagles’ improbable march to the Rapides Parish Coliseum. She also played an integral role in the Lady Eagles’ knocking off highly-favored Lakeview in the quarterfinals to send Rosepine back to the semifinals, where it fell to Rayville.

Farris was teary-eyed when talking about what her teammates at Rosepine mean to her.

“It’s really bittersweet to be leaving Rosepine,” she said. “I hope my teammates continue to follow their dreams and stick with the program. I hope they always do their best.”

Farris is the daughter of Scott and Tonya Farris.