It was the best team Katie Barton ever put on the floor in 17 seasons at Saint James, but what made the Trojans a 25-win team was the leadership and drive of its leading scorer.

There was more to Micala Fisanick than just scoring, Barton pointed out. And it was evident from the moment she arrived in Montgomery after a sophomore season at Ponce De Leon High in the Florida Panhandle.

“Micala came in and it was like she had never met a stranger,” Barton said. “Two days later, we were off to team camp and she was in a room with girls and just wouldn’t shut up.”

Last year’s team had potential but a 20-7 season came to a stunning end in the area tournament with a loss to BTW-Magnet, who went on to reach the state tournament. That disappointment brought out even more of Fisanick’s leadership as she played in the Alabama All-Star Sports Week and signed with Faulkner, but never took her eyes off of the goal of reaching the state tournament.

“She’s a true basketball player that plays in the offseason,” Barton said. “Just her being there drew more girls to basketball, got more girls in the gym during the offseason.

“Skills wise, she’s upped the ante because she’s shown the girls what it takes to be a legendary player. She has this skill and knowledge of playing basketball. So do my other girls, I’m just saying she plays in the offseason and the more you play, the more you understand the game. You’ll see good players that walk around with an air about them that not a lot of people learn from, but Micala’s not that player. She’s a player who is going to bring in someone under her wing and make them better as a person and as a player.”

Other area coaches agreed, voting Fisanick as the Capital City Conference Player of the Year. The team, voted on by CCC coaches in a poll conducted by the Montgomery Independent, included Aleigha Walden and Jessie Clark of Catholic, Madison McKelvey of Trinity and Caroline Kirkham of Montgomery Academy along with Fisanick.

The Trojans went through the area schedule unbeaten and reached the regionals for the first time since 2013. Saint James captured the region championship with a win over Thomasville and qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2003. Despite a loss to Deshler in the semifinals, Saint James went 25-6 this season and Fisanick reached the 1,000-point club in her final game as a Trojan.

The squad’s 25-6 record was the best-ever under Barton, with only the 1997-98 team earning more victories in school history.

“I think the biggest attribute my seniors brought to the team is leadership,” Barton said. “They all contributed in different ways in statistical categories, but their leadership every day in practice, outside of practice, cradling and nurturing the younger players, that’s going to be the biggest thing that we’ll miss as a team.”