SYLACAUGA — Shakayla Thomas is not like you ordinary eighth grader. The 14-year-old has already played two seasons of varsity basketball at Sylacauga High.

This season Thomas filled up the stat sheet as she averaged 22 points, 13.7 rebounds per game. She also dished out 80 assists and collected 46 steals. For her efforts this season Thomas was named ASWA honorable mention All-State for Class 5A. Thomas said she was surprised when she found out she received the honor.

“It was hard for me at first and then I thought about it over and over,” Thomas said. “I have so much pressure on my back and everybody pushing me forward to do this. So when they told me I was just surprised, because I’m in the eighth grade. I have four more years until I graduate.”

Sylacauga head coach Derrick Crawford and Thomas talked about the possibility of her earning that honor before the beginning of the season.

“First of all that was one of our goals we talked about before the season started last year, Shakayla possible being an All-State basketball player,” Crawford said. ”She came on the scene for us as sixth grader, she tired out for varsity basketball as a sixth grader. At that time we noticed her natural raw ability of just being able to jump and being a slasher. Shakayla developed a jump shot over the summer going into her eighth grade year and we thought since she developed that jump shot, she really gets elevated, she shoots the ball from the highest peak. We thought Shakayla had the opportunity to be one of the elite basketball players in the county and possibility the state.”

Thomas began to play her best basketball at the end of the season for the Lady Aggies. Thomas scored 30 plus points in 11 out of their 13 games.

“Each week she got better,” Crawford said. “She came in and did everything that we asked her. In the second half of the season she just went on a tear just scoring at will. She scored over 30 points 11 out the last 13 games we played. From that point on she had the opportunity to be something special just not in the county, but all over the state. This past season she scored 586 points as a eighth grader, as a seventh grader she had 353 points, so she is well on her way to being in the 1,000 point club as a two year basketball player as a middle school kid. She is just a special talent; we are blessed here to have Shakayla Thomas.”

In April, Thomas showed how much of a special talent she is in an AAU tournament in North Carolina. Thomas who plays for Alabama Elite out of Birmingham scored 40, 39, 33, and 22 points in their four games. Her performance-impressed several college coaches including Auburn’s head coach Nell Fortner.

“Coach Nell was there in person,” Crawford said. “She had the opportunity to watch Shakayla play in person. She called one of her assistant coaches and asked her who is this kid from Sylacauga. At that time none of her assistant coaches could tell her, she made a call to a guy she knew in Birmingham and he told her that she played for Sylacauga High School. I got a phone call on Friday afternoon from one of her assistant coaches, I got another call on Saturday, I got another call about her on Sunday and they made an offer on Sunday. Her assistant coach and Amateur Athletic Union coach was here on Monday offering her a scholarship to Auburn.”

Thomas said that she was surprised when she found out that Auburn wanted her to commit as an eighth grader.

“It was really surprising,” Thomas said. “Out of everybody in the state I would have never thought about Auburn.”

It is amazing. Everybody is starting to like me now. I just used to be quiet, I didn’t talk to anyone for real. Now since I play basketball everybody talk to me. I’m like wow I have four more years to pick what college I want to go to.”