By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

ST. JAMES – A prolific scorer and tenacious defender, Brandi Jeffrey has done it all for St. James over the past few seasons. It hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Jeffrey was named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 3A All-State girls basketball first team this week after leading the Wildcats to the state quarterfinals for the second consecutive season.

The 5-foot-8 junior averaged 22.3 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals per game as St. James finished 23-10.

It is Jeffrey’s second straight season being selected first team All-State.

Her blend of strength, quickness and ability to get to the basket or shoot the 3-pointer has made her virtually unguardable on her best nights. Even so, St. James coach Amy Blanchard said Jeffrey is an unselfish star who looks to get teammates involved “almost to a fault.”

“But it’s like I tell her,” Blanchard said, “she’s our go-to, whether she likes it or not. Everyone knows it. And she’s one that will do what it takes to win.”

It starts at practice, where Blanchard said Jeffrey sets the tone for a team whose players must be in peak condition to run its system — St. James’ is infamous for outrunning teams behind its relentless full-court press.

“They follow her,” said Blanchard. “When they see her getting down to business, everyone else picks it up.”

St. James’ Markeisha Keller joins Jeffrey in garnering recognition as Keller earned honorable mention status.

Kaplan junior Tina Roy earned the classification’s Outstanding Player award. Baker’s Michael Stephens was named girls’ coach of the year.