Young Stars Will Lead FGB Elite In Marietta



The FGB Elite program enjoyed an outstanding summer, and the club’s future is even brighter thanks to a roster that is loaded with tremendous young talent.

The final step in 2015 for FGB Elite will be taken at the All Star Girls Report sponsored Marietta Tournament of Champions. The event, which will be played from Sept. 25-27 at the Suwanee Sports Academy outside of Atlanta, Ga., will feature some of the nation’s finest travel squads.

“We’ve been to Marietta before, and it’s always a great event. We’ve always enjoyed playing in Marietta,” said Coach Kenny Kalina. “We always bring a few new players who are playing with us for the first time. It’s sort of a crossroads event where we are closing out one year and getting a start on the next year.”
When 2016 arrives, FGB Elite will be led by one outstanding class. The program has talented across the board, but the prospects from 2017 are special.
“I really think the 2017 players are going to be the best class we’ve ever had,” Kalina said. “They all played up this year so that they would be challenged, and I think that experience is really going to show next year. It’s going to be interesting to see how they continue to develop, and I’m very excited to see how their recruitment moves forward.”
The headliner in the class is LaDazhia Williams (2017, 6-3, F), who is rated as the No. 6 prospect in the class nationally by the All Star Girls Report.
“When LaDazhia was younger, I don’t think she really understood just how good she was. Now, she realizes that she can make a difference on every play,” Kalina said. “Every time she was tested this summer, she showed that she is one of the best players in the country. She had a huge game in Charlotte at the ASGR Elite 24 Game, and she always played that way against the top competition. It’s going to be exciting watching her progress next year.”
Williams gets plenty of support from classmates Tameria Johnson (2017, 5-6, PG, No. 51), Jalaysha Thomas (2017, 6-3, F, No. 27) and Dekeriya Patterson (2017, 5-8, G, No. 62).
“Tameria is the fastest player out there,” Kalina said. “She is a highlight reel type of player who is a great passer, and she can always get to the rim. She made our team go. We didn’t have a lot of depth at the point, so she played almost every minute for us.
“Jalaysha was in her first year with our program, and she was coming off an ACL injury. I think some people had counted her out after the injury, but her stock is super high right now. She can shoot the ball, she can get to the rim, and she does all the little things that help a team win.
“Dekeriya is a great shooter who started playing for us when she was in middle school. When she is hot, we’re awfully tough to stop. Even though she’s known as a great shooter, she can do it all.”