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Jakayla Moore is a rare athlete who excels in three sports: basketball, softball and volleyball.

For the moment, she is concentrating on basketball. The junior has a big role on Keith High School being one of the top Class 1A girls basketball teams. The Lady Bears (10-7) are ranked ninth in the Alabama Sportswriters Association (ASWA) poll. Moore is averaging 16 points, four assists, four rebounds and two steals a game for the Lady Bears.

Moore insists that she is not the reason for Keith’s basketball success. ​​ Aniyah Richardson, Shania Moore, Adasia Atkins, and Janiyah King are the other Lady Bears’ starters.

“The girls basketball team is doing well because of hard work, dedication and our great coaches Coach (Cecil) Williams and Coach (Salisha) Robinson,” Moore said. “This season, I see that we have become more disciplined and patient.”

Keith High head coach Cecil Williams praised Moore’s leadership and noticed improvement since she joined the varsity team as a seventh grader. 

“From the seventh grade until now which is the 11th, her skills and confidence have improved and this year has been the best,” Williams said. “Jakalya is a very talented young lady, she is an athlete not just basketball but all sports at Keith and the captain on most of them. That lets you know her leadership skills and also her relationship with her teammates in multiple sports.”

Towanna Johnson-Flennory, who coaches softball and volleyball, called Moore an “old school athlete.”

“Jakayla Moore doesn’t have the mindset of this generation,” Johnson-Flennory said. “She is willing to work hard, her parents, DeCarlos Moore Sr. and Cassandra Moore, are supportive and invest in her. She has grown a lot, and I look forward to coaching her.”

While Moore stars in basketball, hoops is not her favorite sport.

“Out of the three sports that I play Volleyball, Basketball, and Softball: Softball is my favorite sport,” Moore admits. “ I like softball because it’s fun and a physical sport. I’ve been playing softball since the third grade. It has taught me to play hard while also enjoying and motivating my teammates on and off the field.“

Growing up with three athletic brothers, Trey Moore, DeCarlos Moore Jr. and Darrius Moore, put Moore on the fast track to athletic success. The Moore boys starred in football.

“My brothers each have totally different personalities but they were very big on sports when they were younger,” Moore said. “They’re the reason I’m very competitive and tough in sports today. Growing up I’m glad that they didn’t single me out or go easy on me because I’m a female.”

Moore also credits the successful career to her mother, Cassandra Moore.

 

“I like playing sports because it’s very competitive and a great way of expressing myself,” Moore said. “Also, having a great motivator helps. My mom, Cassandra, is my biggest supporter when it comes to sports.”

Moore is an honor student who excels in the classroom. She has a 3.7 grade point average (GPA) and is in the dual enrollment program at Wallace Community College-Selma working towards an Associates Degree.

“I would like to further my career in Business Administration Management and playing softball on the next level,” Moore said. 

Moore has already put the building blocks in place for a bright future.