For Arden Naylor, basketball at Greenbrier has been a legacy handed down by generation to generation. 

“I am a fourth generation Panther basketball player,” Arden said. “My dad, Nick Naylor, my grandmother, Vickie Elliott, and my great-grandfather, Charles Tapley, all played basketball at Greenbrier. My dad inspired me to play. I signed up for pee wee basketball in third grade and enjoyed it. I just kept playing.”

Along with basketball being handed down through the generations, so, too, has the rivalry with Vilonia. Greenbrier and Vilonia faced off Tuesday for the second time this season. 

“The rivalry is a long-standing tradition for all the sports,” Arden said. “But, off the court and field, there are a lot of great friendships between students from each of the schools.”

Naylor was selected to this year’s 501 Basketball Team — 41 players representing the best the 501 has to offer both on and off the court. The team is sponsored by Conway Regional Health System, First Security Bank and Conway Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center. The senior guard was nominated by her head coach, Payton Edmondson.

“Arden is a great shooter, rebounds well and is a tough matchup up with her size,” Edmondson wrote in his nomination. “She’s a leader on and off the floor, a team captain, respectful, and she has a great work ethic. She’s a great student athlete that comes from a great family, works hard at everything she does and makes some major contributions for us.”

While the season isn’t going how Naylor and the Lady Panthers (7-16, 1-10) planned, with just three games remaining, Naylor is looking to close out her Greenbrier basketball experience strongly. 

“Win or lose, you still have to compete,” Naylor said. “This season, I’ve been adjusting to different roles and responsibilities. I’ve worked to be someone who gives it my all no matter the situation and a good teammate. We just keep playing as a team and bringing out the best in each other. The days are long and hard work, but high school goes by so fast.”

Naylor will graduate in May and plans on attending college to major in an area that will allow her to work with children. 

Naylor and Greenbrier return to action at Alma at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21.