78 Photo Essay: Skylar Hice

Student-Athlete, Bevill State Community College

Words and Image by Al Blanton   

Skylar Hice will say you haven’t lived until you’ve tried his grandmother’s burritos. 

“They are so different, so good,” says Skylar. 

When he was growing up, Skylar used to invite his friends over to his grandmother’s house on White Street in Parrish, where he lived. A day might include playing video games, riding bikes, or playing basketball in the street for hours. But at the end of the day, you could expect Mrs. Martha Hice to whip up one of her famous meals for the boys. 

“We’d play all day and come in,” Skylar recalls. “I’d say, ‘Nanny, make us some burritos.’” 

Nanny’s cooking often provided the requisite fuel for the young basketball star who went to Parrish until the school’s closure after his sixth-grade year. 

Skylar eventually starred at Oakman High School, where he captured 3A All-State honors his 10th and 12th grade years and averaged 18.5 points per game as a senior. He also led the Wildcats to the first-ever county tournament championship in 2020, scoring 23 points in the championship and garnering MVP honors. 

“The county tournament is always a big stage, and everybody wants to win it,” Skylar says. “It’s something you dream about as a kid.” 

A former ball boy for Parrish High School, Skylar drew inspiration from players like LaBarrius Hill and Trayvon Chatman, standout predecessors in the Walker County hoops scene. “They loved basketball but they always kept God first, too,” Skylar said. 

Other influences both on and off the court were coaches Heath Burns, Derrick Lassiter, and his AAU coach, Chris Berry, who coached Skylar through his 10th grade season before moving on to Gardendale. Berry praised his work ethic and marksmanship. “When (Skylar) started working out with our varsity guys as a young 8th grader, it didn’t take long for us to recognize that he had the ability to be a great shooter,” Berry said. “He was always in the gym working on his game. By his sophomore season, he had developed into one of the elite shooters in our state.” 

Skylar recently completed his first college season at Bevill State under head coach Kelly Cheatham. He says his new coach has been teaching him about resiliency, to keep going and not to dwell on the negative. And he hopes, by applying those principles, his team will be able to take home another crown, this time an Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) title. 

Though Skylar has been blessed with influences that have all poured into his life, perhaps none have made as big an impact as Nanny. 

“She’s my biggest fan,” Skylar says. “If it wasn’t for her, I really don’t know where I’d be.” 78