The Harrells: Three for Three State Champions

By Anthony Thomas
Midwest City Beacon

For many families, it is a great accomplishment when one member becomes a state champion. For the Harrell family, all three children have achieved that milestone.

This year, the Carl Albert girls basketball team won the Class 5A state championship, marking a historic season for the program and for starting point guard Hayden Harrell, who joined her older brothers atop the podium.

“It makes me very excited knowing I get to join the legacy. We all accomplished the big state championship and we all won. It means a lot,” Hayden Harrell said.

The family’s connection to Carl Albert championships began with their father, Eddie Harrell, who served as an assistant coach under Jay Price from 2003 to 2021. Eddie coached both sons, Mason and Jaden, on their championship teams and has coached Hayden’s AAU teams since second grade, a group that included Titans teammates Meliah Hatchett and Kynlee Sutton.

Eddie described watching his children progress through their careers as a surreal experience.

“I got to coach the boys, and they were both state champions. Both college graduates. They got to play against each other in college. So for my daughter to be the youngest sibling, all the years and hours on the road watching them play, being a parent in the stands is very surreal, very gratifying and a lot different from the boys because I could see it from the sideline,” he said.

The oldest son, Mason Harrell, won the first of the three championships in 2016. He was also a Super 5 selection and the Gatorade Player of the Year that season before going on to play Division I basketball at Texas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in applied arts and sciences.

Jaden and Hayden both credited training alongside their older brother as a key part of their development. Mason said he felt a responsibility to lead by example.

“As the oldest, I just tried my best to lead by example. My parents always used to tell me I have a responsibility to set the standards for my brother and sister, so I always just kept that in the back of my mind, whether it was on the court or off. It was a very proud moment as an older brother seeing both of them obtain success as well,” Mason said.

Jaden Harrell was on the bench when Mason won his title, which he said motivated him to win his own in 2021. Jaden went on to play at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business management.

Each sibling described how the competitive environment their parents created set them up for success, saying time in the gym together built a shared standard of excellence.

“I don’t look at it as a special advantage. Our parents instilled competitive, hardworking mindsets in us and supported us 100% behind what we wanted, and we put the work and time in to achieve what we have. Also, just being there on the bench when Mason won his state title made me want to win one, and I’m sure Hayden being there when I won made her want to feel that feeling. It definitely is something historical. I’m sure not too many siblings can say they all got one. It’s a special feeling for sure,” Jaden said.

The family also credited Carl Albert’s championship culture for helping shape their success.

With all three Harrell children having reached the top of high school athletics, the family is now focused on Hayden’s senior season.

“I’m very excited. Hopefully she has a strong summer. She has a little bit of interest in playing college ball, but another side of her says she wants to go straight to medical school. So we’re just seeing where things lead her next year and go from there,” Eddie said.

Next year, Hayden will be a senior and a leader for the Lady Titans as she looks to add to the family legacy. Regardless of what comes next, the Harrell family has secured its place in Carl Albert basketball history.