Texas student gets scholarship

CEDAR HILL, Texas — A Cedar Hill senior was the first recipient of a scholarship honoring a former Eastern New Mexico University basketball player.

The Stephen Hafford Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Kyser Cannon for $1,500, according to a release form the Cedar Hill Independent School district.

The scholarship, started this year by widow Cena Hafford, drew an applicant pool of 10 students who had a grade point average of 3.0 or higher and planned to attend college or vocational school.

Hafford played basketball and football at Baylor University, and basketball at ENMU. Following his graduation from ENMU in 1997, he began coaching at Cedar Hills. He was an assistant on Cedar Hill’s 2006 Class 5A Division II football state champion and its 2005 state runner-up squad. He died in May 2019 at 52 while undergoing heart surgery.

“Winning the Coach Hafford Scholarship Award means a lot to me,” said Cannon, who plans to attend the University of Tulsa and walk on with the football team. “I met Coach Hafford going into my freshman year, and we had a good connection as a coach and player. He helped me a lot during football season and powerlifting. This scholarship means a lot to me because it lets me know that my hard work is paying off, and it will help me pay for college as well.”