Father, Son Enjoy Time Together At Fayetteville

STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE 
Kyle Adams, Fayetteville basketball coach, has had the pleasure to coach his son, senior guard Mason Adams, this season.
STAFF PHOTO ANDY SHUPE Kyle Adams, Fayetteville basketball coach, has had the pleasure to coach his son, senior guard Mason Adams, this season.

— Kyle Adams might consider this season one of his more frustrating in all his years in coaching, under different circumstances.

Adams, the fourth-year boys basketball coach at Fayetteville, had the difficult task of replacing several players from back-to-back Class 7A state runner-up teams. The growing pains of an almost entirely new roster have been evident.

Profile

Mason Adams

School: Fayetteville

Class: Senior

Position: Guard

Height: 6-2

Notable: Averages 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. … Second of team in total 3-point field goals (53) and 3-point percentage (37.6). … Helped lead Fayetteville to Class 7A state golf championship last fall. … Son of Fayetteville coach Kyle Adams.

Despite the Bulldogs (14-13) having to fight to the last week of the regular season to make a 14th straight postseason appearance, Adams doesn't look back on this season with disappointment.

Instead, the Bulldogs coach couldn't be happier thanks to one player in particular, who has been with him throughout the journey.

His son, Mason.

"This is one of the most fun years I've ever had," Kyle Adams said. "Mostly because of him, but also because a lot of these guys grew up in my house and I've watched them grow up since they were tiny playing basketball.

"It's been a special year for me and I hope it was for him. I've had him with me the last three years, but this year especially because he's had to grow into an important leadership role for us and he had to do other things he wasn't always comfortable with. But he did it for us and he did it very well."

Mason Adams, like his senior classmates on the team, spent most of his first two seasons with the Bulldogs waiting his turn. While Fayetteville was busy dominating the 7A/6A-West Conference each of his first two years, the younger Adams didn't expand into a significant role on the court until this season.

Once his time came, Mason Adams was ready. Not only to deliver the Bulldogs through a tough rebuilding year, but also to stand side-by-side with his father in leading Fayetteville back to the Class 7A Tournament, where it faces Conway at 7 p.m. Thursday.

"It's all fun," Mason Adams said. "He does a good job of not letting anything carry over back home.

"It's definitely one of the most fun years I've ever had playing basketball."

The coach in Kyle Adams isn't afraid to let Mason Adams have an earful if need be on the court. But the father in Adams understands there might have been whispers of a coach playing favorites.

Once Mason Adams stepped on the court this year, coach Adams was confident his play spoke for itself.

"They've said it since eighth grade, 'he's only playing because of his dad,' and he's always handled it well," Kyle Adams said. "But when you look at our team and see that he's one of our best three-point shooters and one of our top rebounders, you see that he's playing because he's earned it."

Mason Adams helped guide Fayetteville's golf team to a Class 7A state title this past fall and considers golf his first passion. He even considered giving up basketball to focus on golf before his 10th grade year.

Now that Mason is about to wrap up his final days as a Bulldog alongside his dad, he couldn't imagine it any other way.

"I'm definitely thankful I stuck with it," Mason Adams said. "I can see myself in 10 years, if I wouldn't have played, I'd just be killing myself for not playing.

"So, it was definitely a good choice for sticking with it. I'm really enjoying it."

Despite the record, despite the ups and downs of a tough season, so is dad. More than ever, in fact.

"These three years I've had with him, I've had a career day every day because my son has come with me to work," Kyle Adams said. "That's something you can never replace. I can never replace that."

Sports on 03/05/2014

Upcoming Events