POTY makes the most of his year in Weatherford

Sometimes, reaching dreams requires a detour. 

For Jared Washington, that road has taken him from Mansfield to Wichita Falls to Weatherford, and who knows where the next stop will be. Odds are, however, that it will be at a higher level than where he started coming out of Mansfield Timberview High School. 

"I've always dreamed of playing basketball at the highest level, being on TV with my last name on the back of my jersey, repping my family and hometown," the Weatherford College sophomore basketball player said. "My recruitment throughout this year has been everything I wanted and worked for coming into JUCO. I ended the season with two (NCAA) Division I scholarships (offers) and am currently in contact with over 10-plus Division I schools across the country." 

That happens when you are the Co-Player of the Year in your conference. Washington set a single-season scoring record for the Coyotes with 585 points, averaging 18.8 per game, along with an average of 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and two steals. 

Washington led the Coyotes to a 21-10 record, including 9-5 in conference play. They advanced to the NJCAA Region V Tournament after finishing second in the league. 

"He was our vocal leader all year and made sure that guys were on the same page working towards the same goal," said WC coach Chris Lewis, who has guided the team to 44 wins in his two seasons at the helm, the best two-season win total for the program in 25 years. 

"He came in with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove and had a great year, both individually and as a team." 

Before coming to WC, Washington initially played a season at Midwestern State University, an NCAA Division II school in Wichita Falls. He saw action in 17 games, averaging four points and two rebounds. 

"I made the decision to enter the transfer portal to re-open my recruitment to play Division I to achieve my professional dreams," he said. "I chose WC because I felt it was the best fit for me to achieve my goals on and off the court." 

Washington had a dream high school career at Timberview. He led the Wolves to two state championships and a state runner-up finish in four varsity seasons. He was district MVP as a junior and first-team all-district and academic all-district all four seasons. 

He is also part of the school's 1,000-points/500 rebounds club and was invited to play in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star Game as a senior. 

Not surprisingly, he comes from an athletic family. His father played NCAA Division I basketball at the University of Minnesota. 

"My backstory starts in my hometown of Arlington in a two-parent household with my older sister and younger brother. My father was a dual sport athlete from Somerville, so my athletic abilities came naturally," Washington said. "I grew up with the love of playing both football and basketball. Going into high school, I decided to concentrate on basketball." 

Though he's only at WC for a year, Washington said the experience positively impacted him in several ways. He also takes pride in the impact he had on the program. 

"I feel this one season impacted me in a way to become a better leader. I take pride in the meaning of team by bringing all my teammates together, boosting their confidence every day to make us all great," he said. "The impact I felt I had on this team being the leading scoring guard was huge. I knew my responsibility and loved the challenge of scoring, but also making plays for my teammates." 

Washington is majoring in engineering. 

"I've always had an interest in how things function and work. I want my career, once the ball stops bouncing, to be a product and design engineer for an automotive engineering firm," he said. 

And while it was only for a season, Washington said he will miss WC when he moves to the next level. 

"I had a great experience becoming a Coyote," he said. "The environment and community were nothing but welcoming."