Kerley Becomes Aggressive on Basketball Court

Story, photos by
Jeff Steers
JTV Sports 

(December 7, 2024 8:00 AM ET) A golfer, homecoming queen, soft-spoken 4.0 student does not scream look out for this girl on the basketball court.

Unless you are Mariah Kerley of East Jackson High School.

The senior becomes somewhat of the Hulk when she gets between the lines on the basketball court.

And she has the numbers to prove it.

Kerley is ranked in the top 40 in the state in career free throws made and should finish in the top 20 at the end of the season according to her coach Mike Mericle.

She holds the school record with 138 free throws made in one season and 195 rebounds.

“I actually enjoy the aggressive and physical nature of the game,” Kerley said. “When I see the rim I attack it.

“Over the years I have learned a lot of post moves to get around players.”

Kerley has played varsity since her freshman season and credits Savana Stewart for getting acclimated to the varsity level.

“I was scared as a freshman as there were many players trying out for the varsity squad.”

But Kerley soon became the top player for the Trojans and can play all five positions on the floor. A couple of years ago when the team’s point guard was having trouble with a press, she took over to get the ball past half court.

Last year Kerley struggled with patella and hamstring injuries, but it didn’t slow her down.

“When I get on the court adrenaline takes over and I forget about the pain,” Kerley said.

She is within 200 points of Kassidy Blough for the school record for points in a career at 1,490.

Kerley has a handful of college offers but has yet to sign. She would like to study business in college.

“It will come down to the team,” Kerley said of her college offers. “You really have to like the people around you.”

She has excelled in golf and track and field at East Jackson. Kerley is a two-time first-team all-conference golfer and is a three-time qualifier in track and field in the shot put and\or discus.

Last year she finished fourth in the shot put in the Division 4 state final with a school-record throw of 35 feet, 8.5 inches.

She earned an all-state medal – given to the top eight in each event – for her efforts. Two years ago she finished ninth in the discus.

“It was exciting (to earn all-state honors) as I broke the school record on my last throw,” Kerley said.

She expects to finish third in her class with a GPA over 4.0 based on Advanced Placement and college classes.

“I have spent a lot of time with my East Jackson classmates since elementary school,” Kerley said of the school district. “The teachers really care about us here.”