Extra Effort Award: At Union High School "there will never be another" Ariyona Spearman

Welcome to Union High School, senior Ariyona Spearman, tell us more about it.

"It's straight country. Open field, nothing to it, it's a small town so you know everybody, literally all around," Spearman laughed.

And everybody knows her, a basketball star for the Spartans with nearly 2,000 point in her high school career.

"A silent killer, I would say," athletics director Jonathan Bass said.

"If we're in a tight ball game, she's ready," head coach Bryant Register said.

"She makes the hard work that I would imagine she's put in private look very easy in public," principal Leslie Neal said.

And that goes for the gym and the classroom, where Neal says she's one of the top students in the school and a joy for teachers. Plus, she's grown into a leader.

"She's represented this school in a first class manner that it should be," Register said.

Whether that be for her teammates...

"My team means the most to me," Spearman said.

Because of her family...

"All my people keep me on task, help me keep my head on straight," she added.

With the goal to be the best version of herself.

"You shouldn't let the fame I guess get to you, I'm just humble enough to know there's better people than me," Spearman said.

But those that know Ariyona Spearman know that's a short list.

"As you come through the coaching profession, you're very blessed to coach a lot of players, a lot of teams, but from a personal standpoint, there will never be another Ariyona for me," Register said.

And that's why Ariyona Spearman is this week's winner of the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award.