West Forsyth’s Jenna Staiti turned in one of the most remarkable individual performances in recent state tournament history when she scored 51 points against eventual champion McEachern in the 2016 Class AAAAAA basketball semifinals.
In fact, no team scored more points against the Indians in the tournament than the 6-foot-5 Staiti, including then-No. 1 Tucker, which lost 71-51 in the championship game.
“Jenna is a dominant player on both ends of the floor,” West Forsyth coach David May said. “On the offensive end, she can score from any place on the court, whether it be posting up with her back to the basket or stepping out and knocking down jumpers. She has 3-point range and beyond. On the defensive end, she owns the paint and is a force on the defensive glass.”
» AJC Boys Player of the Year: St. Francis’ Kobi Simmons
» AJC Girls Player of the Year: Jenna Staiti, West Forsyth
That game, however, was not the first time Staiti had left her mark on the state’s basketball landscape. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s girls basketball player of the year finished her career with 2,623 points, 1,598 rebounds and 421 blocks, all of which are Forsyth County records. She made the AJC’s all-state team each of her final three seasons, including first-team recognition in 2015 and 2016.
This season, Staiti averaged 26.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and 4.2 blocks, and she shot 78 percent from the field, 41 percent on 3-point field goals and 81 percent from the free-throw line. Staiti led the Wolverines to a 25-7 record and brought the school its first basketball region championship and first semifinal appearance in any sport. West Forsyth had made just one state tournament appearance in the first five years that the school had been open before Staiti took the Wolverines to the postseason three times in four years.
Staiti, who has signed with the University of Maryland, was also named the Atlanta Tipoff Club Miss Georgia Basketball and the Gatorade state player of the year at the conclusion of this season.
“She’s the best player I have ever coached against,” Chattahoochee coach Harris Quraishy said in a press release announcing the Gatorade award. “When facing double-, triple-, even quadruple-teams, she never gets down on her teammates if they cannot come through. She is one of the most supportive leaders I have ever seen. She gives confidence to her teammates and pushes them to be better. It is remarkable to see.”
Despite all the victories, the records and the accolades, May will remember Staiti for something else.
“To me the most impressive thing about Jenna is her attitude and character off the court,” May said. “I can only imagine how hard it would be for a 6-5 high school girl, who is one of the top players in the country, to be so approachable that every kid in the school feels like they can talk to her about anything, and that is exactly how Jenna is. She fits in to classes, lunch, in the hallway and with her teammates. Just talking to Jenna, you would think she is just your everyday kid and player, while being a once-in-a-lifetime talent.”
