By Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
Jayla West-Young stepped up for the Prattville Lady Lions basketball team on the biggest stage when they faced Enterprise in the Class 7A South Regional Final with a spot to the Final 4 on the line. West-Young came through with her biggest performance of the season, scoring 24 points to go with 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals to help the Lady Lions reach the Class 7A Final Four in Birmingham for the second consecutive season.
West-Young recalled what was going through her mind the day of the game. “I remember the game plan was to come out and run the floor. Before the game I was anxious. I couldn’t sit still because I was ready to go out there and perform my best. Teams were playing before us, and the losing team walked through our side of the tunnel crying and frustrated. That motivated me because I didn’t want to look like that after our game. The game was fast-paced and intense. After the game, I felt accomplished but knew the job wasn’t done and it was just a step closer to the championship.”
West-Young cited the return to the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center for the Class 7A Final 4 as her favorite moment from last season. The Lady Lions ultimately fell in the semi-final to Hewitt-Trussville, led by Auburn signee Jordan Hunter. But West-Young knows that the experience will help her as a senior.
“It’s going to help me because I experienced being under pressure and keeping my composure on a big stage. I learned that it’s not all about wins and losses but instead performing your best. Lastly I realized how to block out the outside noise and focus on us as a team. For my senior year I want to take it farther especially since we lost in the Final 4 back-to-back seasons. It will be a great experience to compete and potentially bring that blue map to Prattville.”
West-Young thinks the Lady Lions’ goals are simple. “The team goal is to go farther than we did last year, continue to learn from each game and execute Coach D’s plans.”
The Lions are already working toward that goal, going through Coach Erica DuBois’ difficult summer workouts. She cites those workouts as one of the reasons behind the team’s success in the last few years.
“We have been successful because of the workouts we go through during the summer and the standard that Coach D has raised for the program. We are also successful due to the drive and mentality that is created within us to get better every single day. The challenges we faced the last two seasons have made us stronger together.”
As a junior, West-Young averaged 12.2 points per game, along with 3 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game. She was named 1st Team All Autauga County by the Elmore Autauga News, 1st team All-Metro by the Montgomery Advertiser, and Honorable Mention All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
“My goals are to get some offers rolling in and to be the best teammate I can be. I want to become more consistent with my stats and increase my IQ on the court. In addition to that, I want to impact and lead the younger ones stepping up next year by giving them my best on and off the court. But most importantly enjoying my last year and being in the moment.”
West-Young holds a 3.9 grade point average. She hopes to play basketball in college and get a degree in psychology.
