Ashton Hagans set the middle school basketball scene on fire this year as he helped lead Clements Middle School to an undefeated season and a county championship. Hagans and his team’s success has earned him Born to Compete Player of the Year honors.

Hagans is a 6-foot-2 eighth grade point guard with speed, athleticism and a nasty jumper. He averaged a triple double at Clements. Hagans was one of 11 finalists from around the Metro Atlanta area. The award was voted on online by fans, and Hagans performance was outstanding enough to earn him the vote for the win.

In an interview with borntocompete.com Clements head basketball coach said, “Anyone that has seen Ashton play knows that he is a very gifted and talented young player. It was fun coaching him, and I’m glad he was on our team. It would not have been fun playing against him. He made my job easy, because he is a very smart basketball player. You cannot pressure him, because of his ability to handle and pass the basketball. He sees the floor very well and is probably the most unselfish player that I’ve coached. Also, he plays both ends of the floor. You can put him on the other teams’ best offensive player and know that he will make it very difficult for them to score. Finally, he puts the time in to get better. He would always be in the gym after practice working on his ball handling, one-on-one moves, and his jump-shot. The sky is the limit for him, and I look forward to watching him continue to develop and excel in this game.”

“For me it feels like I put in work and worked hard,” Hagans said.

Hagans says he set a goal this year to be player of the year, and now that he’s done with middle school, Hagans has his eyes set on Newton High School.

“My goals are to be the No. 1 freshman in my class and start on varsity next year,” Hagans said.

Clements’ players are zoned for Newton, so their athletes more than likely become Newton athletes. The entire starting five has talent, but Hagans is what makes them tick.

“This one particular player is really one of the main reasons why they were so good,” Rick Rasmussen, Newton head coach, said.

“He sees the floor extremely well,” Rasmussen added. “He’s also a good defender. He’s very good with his hands. He’s very experienced, but he’s only going to be a freshman. He will be able to contribute on the varsity immediately.”

Because of their play during a Christmas tournament and going undefeated, Clements was – at one point – ranked the No. 1 team in the state before finishing ranked No. 2.

Hagans has a bright future ahead of him, one that could possibly be worthy of more player of the year awards in the future.