By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — East St. John Ladycats basketball standout Jermani Thompson has dreamt of playing college basketball for a long time. She’s officially earned the opportunity. 

Thompson recently signed her letter of intent to continue her athletic career at Hesston College of Topeka, Kansas, this fall, the culmination of a strong run with ESJ.

“It’s been a dream of mine since I was little,” Thompson said. “Basketball runs in my family. I love the sport. When I’m playing, I feel free, like I’ve got no worries at all. I’m very excited.”

Thompson averaged 10 points a game over each of the last two seasons, starting in the backcourt for a Ladycats team that earned district championship honors in 2013. The senior played the point and shooting guard positions at times for ESJ.

“She gave us a lot of scoring,” East St. John girls basketball coach Jackson Manuel said. “Her leadership was invaluable, especially this past season. We surrounded her with a lot of young players, freshmen who had to play a lot of minutes. We didn’t have as many people to take the pressure off of her.

“She wasn’t so much a vocal leader, but she was a tremendous leader by example. Whatever we needed our players to remember or take care of, she’d show it by doing.”

Hesston competes in Division II of the National Junior College Athletic Association. 

Thompson said she chose the school partially because she was ready for a full collegiate experience out of state.

“I wanted to be out on my own,” she said. 

Manuel said he couldn’t be prouder of one of his top floor leaders.

“I’m just elated,” Manuel said. “She and Da’Rae (Taylor) made a fine backcourt. When we had her, Da’Rae and Brishane (on the 2012-13 team), a little more experience, teams couldn’t focus as much on Jermani. And they just didn’t have an answer for her.”

Thompson, he said, is a two-way player who he thinks can thrive at the next level.

“She was a big, big lift to us on defense,” said Manuel. “I had a lengthy conversation with one of (Hesston’s) staff members. They wanted exactly the kind of kid Jermani represents. He said, ‘She’s just what we need.’”