Being a high school athlete playing multiple sports has provided a slew of surprises for Shepard’s Jessica Manley, and her senior year is not even halfway over.

For fun, Manley tried out for flag football in the fall, playing wide receiver and safety for the Astros. When the season was over, she was named the South Suburban Red’s player of the year.

Another big surprise came Monday night on the basketball court. The 5-foot-10 guard/forward missed a 3-point attempt but snagged the long rebound and then banked in a 3-pointer.

The game was stopped to acknowledge Manley breaking the program’s scoring record.

“I thought it was a timeout,” she said. “I didn’t know what was going on. It really was a surprise.”

After a quick celebration with her family in the third quarter, Manley got back to work for the Astros in a 49-37 win over Eisenhower in a Bobby Bolton Classic first-round game in Palos Heights.

Shepard’s Jessica Manley (20) receives hugs from parents Kashanda and Jeffrey Manley after breaking a program record during the Bobby Bolton Classic in Palos Heights on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)

Manley had 17 points, 12 rebounds, seven steals and two blocked shots for Shepard (1-0). Jazelle Franklin scored 14 points off the bench, including 12 in the first half. Savannah Conrad added 10.

Karissa Montfort totaled 21 points, seven rebounds and seven blocked shots for Eisenhower (0-1) while Hailey Rodriguez recorded eight steals.

Marist (1-0) won the first game of the night 64-29 over Hillcrest as Olivia Cosme scored 15 points. Da’Jha Johnson led Hillcrest (0-1) with 20 points.

A few people, meanwhile, knew about the pending milestone but kept it a secret from Manley, who according to Gamino moved past the 1,347 points of Lori Miller, a 1986 Shepard graduate.

Shepard’s Jessica Manley (20) puts up a shot against Eisenhower’s Karissa Montfort (24) during the Bobby Bolton Classic in Palos Heights on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)

“I just came in ready to play,” Manley said about whether she ever thought about breaking the record as a Shepard freshman. “I just wanted to contribute to the team, whatever team I was on.”

During the summer before her freshman year, Manley was on the sophomore team. But that lasted all of one game. Shepard coach Rick Gamino took a liking to her efforts right away.

She played with the varsity the rest of the summer, making a game-winning 3-pointer during a shootout at Lemont.

“I knew that this girl wasn’t going to back down and was not afraid of the big moment,” Gamino said of Manley.

Shepard’s Jessica Manley (20) plays defense against Eisenhower’s Karissa Montfort (24) during the Bobby Bolton Classic in Palos Heights on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)

Gamino has also seen a growth in many phases of Manley’s game.

“Jessica is obviously a great scorer since she broke the record,” Gamino said. “But to see her develop into the leader that we need her to be is great.

“Her freshman year, she was super-duper quiet. Now, she’s out there leading and talking to her teammates. That’s something we will try to get her to do more of.”

Besides her scoring ability, Gamino pointed out that Manley is strong and works hard on defense. She won the South Suburban Red’s player of the year for basketball as a junior.

What else does she bring to the team?

“Is saying ‘everything’ an option?” Franklin said with a smile. “She just does it all. She’s a great player who can score on all levels and plays great defense.”

Shepard’s Jessica Manley (20) makes a shot over Eisenhower’s Kennedy Jackson (30) during the Bobby Bolton Classic in Palos Heights on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Steve Johnston / Daily Southtown)

Manley’s college situation is in flux, however. She made a visit to Alabama State but also picked up some interest from Aurora University for flag football.

As this point, Manley confirmed that she wouldn’t rule out playing flag football in college, but her first love is basketball.

“I think it’s about the people you meet,” Manley said. “I’ve played with some of my teammates since fifth grade and now we’re going into our senior year.

“With the friendships that you make, some of those people are like family to you. It’s just really about the people.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/17/jessica-manley-shepard-eisenhower-ihsa-girls-basketball/