Ava Owens
Courtesy photo
PICKENS — Two Pickens High School basketball players were recently named to the Region 1-4A all-star team.
Ava Owens, a guard for the Pickens High Lady Blue Flame basketball team, was named to the girls’ all-region team. Jaden Jackson, a guard for the Pickens High Blue Flame basketball team, was named to the boys’ all-region team.
Owens, an eighth-grade student at Pickens Middle School, averaged (per game) 13.5 points, seven rebounds, seven steals, 3.8 assists and .6 blocks during the 2021-2022 season. She helped lead the Lady Blue Flame to a second-round playoff spot, which had not been done in a decade at Pickens High School.
“I want to congratulate Ava on making all-region,” said Gary Monroe, assistant girls basketball coach at Pickens High. “Ava is an extraordinarily gifted young lady. I have to remind myself sometimes how young she is for a varsity player. I am very blessed to have the chance to coach and mentor her. Ava definitely has a chance to be an outstanding basketball player for the Lady Blue Flame if she continues to improve her skills. Hopefully she will always have the fire inside to do so.”
Jackson, an 11th-grade student at Pickens High School, averaged 8.1 points per game and 4.2 assists per game during the 2021-2022 season.
“I am happy to see JJ’s hard work and effort pay off with being selected all-region,” said Jeff Harrelson, head boys basketball coach at Pickens High. “He is well deserving of this honor, and I look forward to him being a part of our program for one more year. He will be a huge part of our success next season.”