Jackson EMC Tip-Off Girls Top Performers
Girls Analysis

Jackson EMC Tip-Off Girls Top Performers


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E'Miah Fields2027 5-9 W E’Miah Fields – Buford
It took guts for Buford to win the Jackson EMC Tip-Off Tournament as nothing came easy. A see-saw 55-53 win over Cherokee Bluff in the opening round tested the Wolves’ mettle and prepared them for a come from behind 57-55 win over Jefferson in the title game. With Ava Grace Watson at Ohio State, newly defined roles have crystallized as E’Miah Fields and Lydia Ledford emerged as the unquestioned engines of the team. I pegged Fields as an emerging D-I prospect last year as a freshman at the Sandy’s Spiel Showcase and now in Year 2, she couldn’t be off to a better start. The lefty plays with a non-stop motor. Multiple times between the Cherokee Bluff game and Jefferson championship, when it looked like the Wolves were stuck in the mud, it was Fields who energized them. In the fourth quarter against Cherokee Bluff, E’Miah scored seven points to finish with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 1 block on 10-14 free throw shooting. Against Jefferson, down 29-12 to open, Fields scored nine points in the final frame to erase a 44-37 deficit after three quarters to end her night with a game-high 25 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals and 1 block, shooting 9-13 from the charity stripe. E’Miah has an elite nose for the ball, crashing in for offensive rebounds to draw fouls. She’s smooth in the mid-range, utilizing pull-up jumpers. The next area of growth for Fields would be to extend her shooting range to the three-point line. I wouldn’t be shocked if E’Miah nabs a D-I offer by the end of this season. With her tenacity and how many scoring chances she will get this season, Fields should have a big year and will be in the mix for All-State honors if she remains consistent.

Lydia Ledford
2026 5-10 G Lydia Ledford – Buford
The Wolves trailed 20-10 after the first quarter and went down 29-12 against Jefferson in the title game before Lydia Ledford woke up and shook off a scoreless first period. Ledford racked up 24 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block including the final four points of the game to stun the Dragons. Ledford shot into a passing lane and went coast-to-coast with 48 seconds left to tie it up and subsequently sank a pair of free throws with 16.6 seconds remaining to give the Wolves the lead for good, part of her nine points in the fourth quarter. Ledford has great instincts and plays with such pace. She is a true three-level scorer with her shooting touch, able to net threes and stop on a dime with her mid-range pull-up and push floater. Lydia is good at attacking the left side of the basket and kissing in right-handed floaters off the glass. She’s adept at immediately getting North-South on dribble handoffs which often result in her floater. In Round 1 against Cherokee Bluff, Ledford buried four three-pointers, part of her 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. The hard-playing D-I prospect holds offers from Furman, UAB, George Washington, Wofford, Penn, North Alabama and Western Carolina.

Skyler Brady2025 5-8 SG Skyler Brady – Jefferson
The Coastal Georgia-signee had one of the best performances I have ever seen her have, coming out of the gates on fire against Buford in the Jackson EMC Championship. I loved the passion and fire Brady played with. She buried three three-pointers in the first quarter and had some great finds as a playmaker, assisting to open shooters and her posts to build up a 29-12 lead midway through the second quarter. Skyler finished with a team-high 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. Brady ended up with four three-pointers and scored on a tough downhill take through contact.

Bristol Kersh2027 5-8 G Bristol Kersh – Cherokee Bluff
The Bears are different team when the all-world soccer player is on the floor. Bristol is a dynamic game changer with her athleticism and aggressiveness. She is a ballhawk that forces turnovers left and right with her sideline-to-sideline speed. Kersh thrives in transition. She sees the floor very well and will beat the press over the top with long passes or will shred it herself by weaving through defenders. Bristol is strong with the ball when splitting traps and will get to the rim and finish through contact with both hands. Against Buford in a 55-53 opening round loss, Bristol collected 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals while hitting a three and going 7-11 from the foul line. In Round 2, Kersh eased her way to 18 points, 4 assists and 2 steals against Jackson County and finished with 6 points, 2 assists and 2 steals vs. Lanier. While her future is undoubtably in soccer, the superstar is also likely a D-I basketball talent.

Claire Carlson
2026 5-9 G Claire Carlson – Cherokee Bluff
You can’t press Cherokee Bluff when Claire Carlson and Bristol Kersh are on the floor together. While Kersh provides an athletic onslaught of getting downhill, Carlson provides skillful finesse with her deep three-point range and playmaking as a distributor. As Bristol did, Carlson torched the Buford press with her ability to see up the floor and hit homerun balls to her wide-open posts. Claire’s pull-up jumper was locked in, hitting a pair from the mid-range off the bounce along with a catch-and-shoot 15-footer and two corner threes. Claire racked up 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks, displaying her two-way prowess as a lengthy defender. Against Jackson County, she piled in 11 points, 4 assists, 7 steals and 7 deflections before finishing with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block vs. Lanier. If there is one area of growth Carlson can add to her game, it would be her ability to plant her foot and get downhill as a finisher, negating her need to rely so much on her jump shot. Claire is a top-notch prospect for D-II programs to be in on while D-I schools should be keeping tabs on her development.

Hollyn Hicks
2027 6-1 F Hollyn Hicks – East Forsyth
With the Broncos in need of a first win, Holly Hicks answered the bell dominating inside in a 59-42 win over Jackson County. The skilled forward broke the game open with eight points in the second quarter, finishing the morning with 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 5 blocks. Hicks scored through contact and finished with both hands around the rim. She was strong rebounding in traffic and was able to wall up and swat away any shots that came her way, whether from posts her size or guards smaller than her. Hollyn is an integral piece to East Forsyth’s future. Her inside-out pick-and-pop skill set should continue to refine itself over her final three seasons, making her a legitimate prospect that colleges of multiple levels should familiarize themselves with.

2025 5-8 W Caroline Castleberry – East Forsyth
With the rest of her backcourt mostly held in check, Caroline Castleberry broke out with one of the finest games of her career, dumping in a game-high 16 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block to topple Jackson County in Round 1. Castleberry netted three three-pointers, scored on a pair of putbacks and was nearly perfect from the foul line at 3-4. When Caroline provides versatile production, it brings East Forsyth’s ceiling to a whole other level.

Lydia Wolfe2025 6-1 C Lydia Wolfe – Jackson County
Across three games in the tournament Lydia averaged 11 points. Wolfe scored 21 points off the bench against Cherokee Bluff and followed up with 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 4 blocks against Loganville in a 63-34 victory. When Wolfe plays strong with the ball, she is an issue for opposing teams. She loves to use a pirouette spin move in traffic upon facing up and is finding more consistency finishing through contact and on the move. Wolfe is becoming a reliable rim protector and is starting to rebound the ball at its highest point with strength. Agnes Scott has offered while NCCAA and NAIA schools are starting to express interest.

Madelyn Drucker2028 5-5 PG Madelyn Drucker – Jackson County
The more reps the freshman gets, the better she becomes. From her point guard position Madelyn is among the team’s best rebounders. Her nose for the ball and instinct to go grab it leads to rebounds and fastbreak opportunities. In a 59-42 loss to East Forsyth, Drucker recorded 4 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 6 steals. The Lady Panthers wrapped up the tournament with a 63-34 victory over Loganville, Madelyn producing 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while netting a pair of threes, a pull-up jumper and a catch-and-shoot mid-range. Over her two games, Drucker had only five turnovers. Madelyn’s consistency is starting to grow as is herself, sprouting up to around 5-foot-5.

2028 5-7 F Ja’Meiyah Pigott – Loganville
Ja’Meiyah is going to be a handful over the next four years. The undersized lefty is packed with power. She is a workhorse that grinds in the paint for rebounds over taller players. Her effort leads to multiple garbage points while also being able to attack from the high post with a swift first step. Pigott should flirt with a double-double over the course of her career. If she grows or adds more to her offensive arsenal, she could provide similar production to that of crosstown rival Teaira Kelley of Walnut Grove. Piggot posted 10 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block before dinging up her left knee against Jackson County.