Holdenville’s Darcy Shepherd
By Elizabeth Contreras
From the outside, stepping into a new role can look easy. On the court, though, it means learning under pressure, getting comfortable with discomfort, and growing as you go. For this season’s point guard, Darcy Shepherd, that journey has been exactly that, a steady rise built on confidence, family support, and a genuine love for competing.
Shepherd’s basketball story started early, when she first played in the second grade. It wasn’t just the sport that pulled her in, but the competitive edge and the opportunities it opened up.
That competitive drive has helped carry her into a leadership role this season. After last year’s point guard graduated, the responsibility landed on her, and she stepped forward.
“I stepped up and took on that responsibility,” she said. The transition hasn’t been effortless, but it has been intentional. “I’ve been learning from watching other people, from my own mistakes, and from every game we play,” she explained.
The biggest area of growth this year, she said, has been her ball-handling.
“I have never had to be the PG of a team, so my dribbling skills were not always the best,” she admitted. Instead of avoiding that challenge, she worked at it, putting in extra training, watching film, and using new techniques at practice.
Through every high and low, her family has been a constant source of support.
“My family has been my biggest influence since I started basketball,” she said. And when she feels a dip in confidence, her mom is always there to remind her that every mistake is part of getting better.
That encouragement has mattered, especially during a season that began with doubt from the outside. Expectations were low, but inside the locker room, the belief never wavered.
“Coming into this season we all knew it would be tough, and a lot of people didn’t think we would be good at all,” she said. Instead of worrying about predictions, the team focused on progress. “My favorite memory is watching all of us grow and becoming a better team each game.”
As a group that has learned the game together, team chemistry has become one of their biggest strengths.
“What makes our team’s chemistry special is that we have all been on the same team since 2nd and 3rd grade,” she said, a shared history that shows in how they communicate, trust, and compete.
After graduation, Shepherd plans to head to college and pursue a career in the medical field. While basketball won’t be part of her future, the habits, lessons, and friendships she’s built through the sport will guide her along the way.
