Best friends Jakala Yarbrough and Amari Harton play for Lady Sunset, a team in the NXTpro Puma League – an organization that helps young athletes develop their skills.
In the championship tournament Lady Sunset didn’t lose a game, going 5 and 0.
Amari is a post guard, JaKala a shooting guard.
The League is made up of several divisions competing for a national title.
The NXTpro Circuit is a comprehensive series of events that culminates in the crowning of a national championship in the 17U, 16U, 15U and 12U age divisions.
The circuit is broken into two leagues, the PRO16 League and the NXT League. The PRO16 League are sponsored teams and the NXT league are teams working toward earning a sponsorship.
NXTpro is a youth basketball program focused on player development.
Lady Sunset is in the 12U division, and the team is now NXTpro 12U Champions.
Lady Sunset represents the Cheyenne, Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee, Seminole, Osage, and Navajo Nations.
“The goal is to prepare our youth players for the next level of play. The 11U-14U age group is the time when building fundamentals is critical to future success,” according to a statement by the league.
JaKala and Amari, in addition to playing basketball, are on the Eufaula track team.
Amy Peterson, Amari’s mother, said both girls are strong in sports and academics.
“Both are in the National Honor Society,” she said.
Ami said Amari is a fourth generation Ironhead.
“My mother, Leona Peterson, taught for about 30 years in Eufaula schools,” she said. “My father John Peterson was also an Ironhead. I graduated from Eufaula in 2005.”