Jerkalia Jordan of John Curtis named Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year

CHICAGO (March 6, 2020) — In its 35th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company today announced JerKaila Jordan of John Curtis Christian School as its 2019-20 Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Jordan is the third Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year to be chosen from John Curtis Christian School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Jordan as Louisiana’s best high school girls basketball player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award to be announced in March, Jordan joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Maya Moore (2005-06 Collins Hill High School, Ga.), Rashanda McCants (2004-05, Asheville High School, N.C.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central High School, Ill.), Diana Taurasi (1998-99 & 1999-00, Don Antonio Lugo High School, Calif.), Shyra Ely (1999-00, Ben Davis High School, Ind.), Katie Smith (1991-92, Logan High School, Ohio) and Lisa Leslie (1988-89, Morningside High School, Calif.).

The 5-foot-9 senior guard led the Patriots to a 25-4 record and a berth in the Division I state semifinals at the time of her selection. Jordan averaged 21.7 points, 3.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks through 29 games as the Patriots pursued their fourth straight Division I state title. A three-time First Team All-Metro selection, she is also a three-time state championship game MVP.

Jordan has volunteered locally as a youth basketball coach. “When a game needs to be taken over, JerKaila has the sense of urgency to do it and to do it gracefully,” said Jamie Thomatis, head coach of Mount Carmel Academy. She has a knack for the ball that leads to a playmaking ability—at both ends of the floor—like no one else we have seen.”

Jordan has maintained a 3.51 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball on scholarship at Tulane University this fall.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. From the 12 national winners, one male and one female athlete are each named Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year. In all, 607 athletes are honored each year.

Jordan joins Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Players of the Year Tiara Young (2018-19, Walker High School), Kourtney Weber (2017-18, Ursuline Academy), Cara Ursin (2016-17, 2015-16 & 2014-15, Destrehan High School) and Kalani Brown (2013-14, Salmen High School) as athletes who have won the basketball award since its inception in 2007.

As a part of Gatorade’s cause marketing platform “Play it Forward,” Jordan also has the opportunity to award a $1,000 grant to a local or national youth sports organization of her choosing. She is also eligible to submit an essay to win one of twelve $10,000 spotlight grants for the organization of choice, which will be announced throughout the year.

Since the program’s inception in 1985, Gatorade Player of the Year award recipients have won hundreds of professional and college championships, and many have also turned into pillars in their communities, becoming coaches, business owners and educators.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/POY, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GatoradePOY or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gatorade.

Previous School Winners

2007-08 Krist Bellock

2003-04 JoHanna McKnight