Every once in a while, an athlete comes along that makes folks stand up and take notice.

Meet Alshon Jeffrey, Calhoun County's main attraction and most lethal weapon on the football field and the hardwood. He's athletic, but one look at his numbers and you wouldn't need to be told as much. On the football field, Jeffrey finished the year with 33 receptions for 855 yards and 12 touchdowns on offense and 25 tackles, seven interceptions and two touchdowns on defense. On the basketball court last season, he was named the Region 4-A Player of the Year and was an All-State selection after averaging 17.9 points, five rebounds and five assists per game while helping lead the Saints to a perfect 28-0 record and a Class A State Championship win over Baptist Hill.

It's all made scouts, both football and basketball, start poking around the home of the Saints. As he heads into his junior season, one of the toughest questions facing Jeffrey is -- football or basketball?

"I don't know," Jeffrey said. "I haven't been able to make that decision yet."

Currently the Saints' star said he is hearing from schools such as Notre Dame, South Carolina, Kentucky, Clemson and Tennessee. While he may not be able to decide yet, Saints head coach Zam Fredrick believes his star has all the tools to be a standout basketball player at the next level.

"Alshon does a little bit of everything," Fredrick said. "Even with his size, a lot of times he plays point. When we need him on the inside, he will go inside. So, he is the type of kid that you can put anywhere on the floor and he will be effective regardless."

At the college level, Fredrick said he believes the 6-4 Jeffrey could end up playing point guard.

"I think one of his strongest attributes is, he's the type of guy that is an excellent leader, and he leads more by example than anything else," he said. "He's not going to say a whole lot, not unless it is a situation that absolutely calls for it. Otherwise, he is going to put his game first.

"He is definitely a Division-One prospect," Fredrick continued. "As a matter of fact, if that is what he wants to do, he can more or less...I think if he puts his mind to it he can put himself in position to go anywhere he wants. A lot of recruiters like his size, and when you get right down to it he has play-making skills. He is basically going to be a big point guard, and they are always in demand."

While Jeffrey's star shines bright in St. Matthews, Ericka Sumpter's figures to do the same in Orangeburg. With the Orangeburg-Wilkinson Bruinettes entering the upcoming season as defending Region 7-AAAA champions, the junior center -- who led last year's team with 11.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game, would have been tough enough to handle before she found the weight room.

"I asked for the keys to hit the weight room," she said. "I shoot free throws at my own house. I've just been keeping my mind on the sport so, when I come back, I can be better. You're supposed to come back better than you were last year. I'm just trying to be better every time I come back."

That work ethic is a model that Bruinettes' head coach Joshua Staley believes has become contagious.

"It helps a lot especially with some of the younger girls and some of the less experienced girls," he said. "We've got some girls with at least two or three years of varsity experience. So, it helps out with a young girl when you see Erika working hard."

The duo -- opposites in that Jeffrey is a slasher, Sumpter a bruiser -- are just two of many players that figure to be worth the price of admission in The T&D Region this season. Several other players, North's Ryan Jenkins, Denmark-Olar's Willie Carter and Swansea's Kendra Brown join the duo in leading a strong class of players into the 2007-2008 season.

Alshon Jeffrey

School: Calhoun County

Position: Guard/Forward

The Jeffrey File: Pick it and Jeffrey can probably play it. The 6-4  junior is quickly becoming coveted for his skills on both the football field and basketball court. He was the Region 4-A Player of the Year last year, averaging 17.9 points, five rebounds and five assists per game while leading the Saints boys to the Class A State Championship. Was a first-team All-T&D selection a year ago.

Ryan Jenkins

School: North

Position: Point Guard

The Jenkins File: A 6-2 junior, Jenkins emerged as a steady performer for the Eagles boys' team last season to earn T&D All-Area Honorable Mention recognition after scoring 12.5 points, 7.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game. After establishing himself on the AAU circuit, Jenkins has received an invite to the Addidas Elite Phenom Camp in San Diego July 10-13, 2008.

Ericka Sumpter

School: Orangeburg-Wilkinson

Position: Center

The Sumpter File: A 6-1 junior, Sumpter led O-W to the Region 7-AAAA title a season ago, averaging 13.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.7 blocked shots per game. She was an All-State selection who spent the offseason playing AAU ball and working in the weight room. Also, according to coach Joshua Staley, the first-team All-T&D selection a year ago has emerged as a leader for the Bruinettes.

Kendra Brown

School: Swansea

Position: Guard

The Brown File: This will be Brown's fifth year as a starter for Swansea. A first-team All-T&D selection a season ago, Brown led the Tigers with 19.8 points, 7.9 assists and 3.6 steals per game to earn All-State honors. After leading the Lady Tigers to the Region 4-AAA title, the 5-5 guard figures to be one of the top seniors in the state this season.

Willie Carter

School: Denmark-Olar

Position: Guard/Forward

The Carter File: Carter has established himself as one of the The T&D Region's top stars on both the football field and basketball court. An excellent defender with great athleticism, the wiry Carter helped lead the Vikings' football team to the playoffs this year with 68 receptions for 879 yards on offense and five interceptions and two touchdowns on defense.

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be reached via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. T&D Sports Writer Emery Glover can be reached via e-mail at eglover@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5532.

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