Shelton leads by example for Lady Wildcats

Recently, Shelton poured in 34 points for AHS in a dismantling of Loganville High School. The Lady Wildats raced out to a 6-0 start this season, a program best.

“She came in as a freshman along with Kiarra (Sanford) and Lacresha (Mayweather),” her coach said. “We put all of them in right away. They played in every game they were capable of being in. Saboyce can play anywhere on the court.”

Shelton once took 50 shots in a game against Clarke Central, and Parks said her teammates look to her for leadership on the court.

“First, she listens and responds to what I say,” the coach said. “She is a great player to have. The other players look up to her. She doesn’t say much, but when things get tough, she raises her level of play.”

Going into the Peach State Holiday Invitational, Shelton has 943 career points. Her recent 34-point performance against Loganville was a career high.

“She leads by example,” Parks said. “She expects the best out of her teammates as well. She knows we count on her. She had a cold start when we played at East Jackson, but her teammates were very supportive of her because she was upset for not doing well. She responded in the second half. That shows how much she is looked to to help lead us.”

Her coach said the senior has a chance to continue playing at the next level. The coach for Emmanuel College was at the recent game against Cedar Shoals and told her she had a chance to play right away for him.

“She wants to keep playing,” Parks said. “She is a very unselfish player. It might seem strange that someone scoring 20 points a game is unselfish. However, I actually want her to be more selfish. We depend on her doing well. She can help carry us a long way this season.”